CHAPTER THREE

The Kingdom of Stars

For one terrible moment, Eveline was certain she had died.

The instant she crossed the Veil, everything disappeared.

The ground vanished beneath her feet.

The sky vanished above her head.

The stars.

The wind.

The world.

Gone.

There was only darkness.

Endless darkness.

Then came the pulling.

Not on her body.

On something deeper.

Something buried beneath flesh and bone.

Her soul.

Eveline gasped as invisible hands seemed to seize every part of her at once, dragging her through an ocean she could neither see nor understand.

Memories flashed before her eyes.

Silver hallways.

Laughter.

Music.

A woman with dark hair kneeling before a cradle.

A crown forged from starlight.

Blood.

Screaming.

Then everything shattered.

Pain exploded behind her eyes.

For one horrifying second, she thought she was coming apart.

Like every piece of her was being torn from every other piece.

Then—

Relief.

Sweet.

Overwhelming.

Relief.

Air rushed into her lungs.

Cold air.

Real air.

Eveline collapsed onto damp grass.

For several moments she could do nothing except breathe.

The world smelled different.

Cleaner.

Purer.

The scent of pine filled her lungs.

Wildflowers.

Rain.

Snow.

And something else.

Something impossible.

The smell of magic.

Slowly, she lifted her head.

At first she saw nothing unusual.

Only a field.

Silver grass stretched around her.

Beautiful.

Strange.

The blades shimmered beneath moonlight.

Eveline blinked.

The grass moved.

Not with the wind.

The wind had stopped.

The grass itself was moving.

Breathing.

Each silver blade rose and fell like the chest of a sleeping creature.

A chill crawled down her spine.

"What..."

Her voice sounded tiny.

Beside her, Elara remained silent.

Eveline pushed herself upright.

Her vision still swam.

Shapes shifted in the distance.

Colors she couldn't name painted the horizon.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

The world came into focus.

And her breath caught.

Mountains floated among clouds.

Entire mountains.

Suspended impossibly in the sky.

Waterfalls poured endlessly from their edges, disappearing into the mist below.

The heavens themselves seemed alive.

Silver rivers of light drifted across the night sky.

Stars burned brighter than any she had ever seen.

And hanging above everything—

Three moons.

One silver.

One gold.

One violet.

Eveline stared.

Unable to blink.

Unable to think.

Unable to understand.

Nothing about this place made sense.

And yet...

Something inside her recognized it.

Not her mind.

Her heart.

As though a forgotten part of her had suddenly awakened.

Beside her, Elara smiled sadly.

"Welcome home."

They traveled for hours.

Or perhaps minutes.

Time felt strange here.

The sky never truly changed.

Twilight lingered endlessly above the world.

As they descended from the hills, Vaeloria slowly unfolded around them.

The first creatures Eveline saw looked almost human.

Almost.

A woman passed carrying baskets woven from living vines.

Flowers bloomed beneath every step she took.

A young boy with silver antlers chased glowing insects through a field.

Winged messengers soared overhead, their feathers shining like molten gold.

Everywhere she looked, magic existed.

Not hidden.

Not feared.

Not controlled.

Simply lived.

Like breathing.

Like sunlight.

Like rain.

And somehow that made it even more extraordinary.

The capital appeared shortly after.

Aurelis.

The City of Crowns.

White towers rose above the horizon.

Crystal bridges connected impossible heights.

Silver banners danced in the wind.

Floating lanterns drifted through the streets like wandering stars.

The city was beautiful.

Painfully beautiful.

Yet beneath that beauty lingered something else.

A wound.

An old scar.

As though the city remembered something terrible.

And had never truly healed.

People stared as she passed.

Not rudely.

Curiously.

One woman nearly dropped her basket.

A child pointed openly.

An old man stopped walking entirely.

"The eyes..." he whispered.

His companion quickly pulled him away.

Eveline frowned.

"What eyes?"

Elara did not answer.

Far above Aurelis stood another structure.

Larger.

Older.

More magnificent than anything else.

The Academy of Veils.

Its seven towers pierced the heavens.

Moonlight gleamed across silver rooftops.

Floating bridges connected impossible heights.

Students filled the courtyards below.

Magic flashed everywhere.

Eveline slowed.

A crowd had gathered around a training arena.

Curiosity tugged at her.

Just one look.

That was all.

She stepped closer.

A young man stood at the center.

Dark hair.

Black uniform.

Power swirled around him like a living storm.

Three opponents faced him.

Within moments, all three lay defeated.

The crowd erupted.

Cheers.

Applause.

Excitement.

A name spread through the arena.

"Kaelen."

"House Vaelor."

"The Regent's son."

Eveline barely heard them.

Because the boy had turned slightly.

And for the briefest moment, she saw his eyes.

Strange eyes.

Beautiful eyes.

Silver and black.

Like moonlight trapped inside a storm.

Something about them unsettled her.

Not because they were frightening.

Because they felt familiar.

The sensation vanished almost immediately.

The boy turned away.

The crowd swallowed him.

Yet somehow she couldn't stop thinking about those eyes.

"We're not staying here."

Elara's voice startled her.

Eveline looked away from the Academy.

"Then where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe."

Safe.

The word sounded ridiculous after everything she had seen.

Still, she followed.

They left Aurelis behind.

Left the Academy.

Left the crowds.

The path climbed toward the cliffs overlooking the sea.

Eventually an enormous structure emerged from the darkness.

A palace.

Or what had once been a palace.

Its towers rose against the night sky like ghosts.

Moonlight spilled across empty balconies.

Dark windows stared out across the ocean.

No lights burned within.

No guards stood watch.

No life remained.

Yet despite its abandonment, it was easily the most beautiful building Eveline had ever seen.

She stopped walking.

Something tightened in her chest.

A strange ache.

A pull.

As though invisible threads connected her to the place.

"What is that?"

Elara froze.

For the first time all evening, genuine fear crossed her face.

"Nothing that concerns you."

"That's obviously not true."

Silence.

Eveline stared at the palace.

The pull only grew stronger.

"What is it?"

Elara's voice emerged almost as a whisper.

"The old royal palace."

The words sent a shiver through the night.

"No one lives there anymore."

"Why?"

Elara looked away.

"Because some ghosts are too dangerous to disturb."

Elsewhere.

Far across the city.

Five rulers sat around a circular table.

No laughter filled the room.

No music.

No warmth.

Only tension.

"The reports have been confirmed."

The speaker wore black and silver.

Lord Vaelor.

Regent of Vaeloria.

Most powerful man in the kingdom.

Yet not its king.

The throne remained empty.

As it had for eighteen years.

"The girl has crossed the Veil."

Silence followed.

One ruler cursed softly.

Another closed her eyes.

A third gripped the table.

"How many days?" someone asked.

"Ten."

The room grew colder.

Everyone understood.

Ten days.

That was all.

After that, the Crown would awaken.

And if the stories were true—

it would recognize its rightful heir.

No spell could stop it.

No army could stop it.

No ruler could stop it.

One woman broke the silence.

"Then we find her first."

Lord Vaelor's expression darkened.

His gaze drifted toward the distant silhouette of the abandoned palace.

Waiting.

Watching.

Like a sleeping giant.

"If the Crown chooses her..."

No one finished the sentence.

No one needed to.

Because they all knew what would happen.

The palace would open.

The throne would awaken.

And everything they had built over eighteen years would begin to crumble.