Chapter 17: 🌸 Chapter 16

That night, in Dunira’s home...

She sat curled on her bed, flipping through the worn book she had brought back from Igniseth. Its title, "The Forgotten Noctherian City," gleamed in ancient ink.

> They can bend their shadowy bodies like smoke, manipulate minds Locking victims in endless illusionary loops.

But the most dreaded, hidden gift they possessed... was the NOIRA ability.

Dunira leaned closer.

> “Noctherians, though already powerful, always craved more. They once performed a forbidden ritual, offering parts of their soul to ancient forces below the underworld.

A thick, inky potion was made… only a few leaders drank it.

And those who survived gained something terrifying —

The ability to absorb someone’s power in minutes. And use there power as there own

But not just their strength…

Their energy. Their will. Their everything.

Leaving behind a living shell — empty.

This was the birth of Noira.”

Dunira’s eyes widened.

“What the— they’re insanely powerful... Sirevan was right...” she whispered.

Just then—

Tack. Tack.

A tapping on the window.

Dunira glanced up, tense. Ready to fight if she had to.

But then—Myna’s tiny face peeked through the shimmering glass.

“Hey, Dunira! You alive?”

Dunira smiled and opened the door.

Myna instantly hugged her.

“I missed you,” Dunira said, hugging her back.

“Are you okay? I was so worried.”

They sat out on the balcony, the moonlight soft across the trees.

“Vima told you about the red-eyed men, right?” said Myna.

“Yeah… I saw them too,” Dunira said quietly. “But this time, it wasn’t a dream.”

“What?! When? Where?” Myna gasped.

Dunira told her everything.

Myna listened, blinking fast, trying to take it all in.

“I remember… they chased me once too. I used my miniature powers — messed with their sight, showed them wrong visions. Still... they were hard to fool.

They almost caught me… I barely escaped through the tree portal.”

“What?” Dunira said, stunned.

“Yeah. That tree in Lunareth. I thought of home when I touched it — next thing I knew, I came out near Vielpond.”

Dunira blinked.

“So… that’s how they found Sansa. We were close to Vielpond that day.”

Silence. Dunira’s fingers tightened around the edge of her seat.

“Myna... I’m nervous,” she confessed. “If that prophecy… if it’s really about me...

I don’t know if I’m ready.”

Myna gently took her hand.

“I don’t care what the prophecy says,” she said, soft but strong. “I trust you.”

The next morning, Dunira woke up and stepped into the hall. Her parents were already there, fully dressed and ready to leave.

Still rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she blinked.

“Are you both going somewhere?” she asked, her voice hoarse from sleep.

Navalyn turned, gently adjusting her shawl. “Yes, Dunira. We’re going to see your aunt. After Lira’s disappearance… her health has been getting worse. She’s barely eating, constantly anxious.” She paused. “We’ll be back by tomorrow morning. Breakfast is ready. And if you’d like, you can stay at Sansa’s place tonight.”

Navalyn kissed Dunira softly on the forehead. At the door, Thalen stood with one hand on the handle, watching quietly.

“Take care of yourself till then. And if anything urgent comes up, contact us, okay?” he said warmly.

“Take care, Dunira!” Thalen called again from the doorway.

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Dunira gave a small nod. And then… they were gone.

---

Valethir Academy — Elemental Weave Class

Inside the wide sunlit classroom, Dunira and Sansa sat beside each other. The hum of whispered conversations surrounded them, but Dunira’s mind was far away. Her face was distant — a tangle of emotions shadowed her features.

Sansa nudged her gently. “Hey... what’s going on with you?”

Dunira glanced at her. “What isn’t going on, Sansa?” she muttered. “My sister is missing. I’ve suddenly awakened two powers. And now apparently, I’m the chosen one. What could possibly be wrong, right?”

Sansa frowned slightly, reading the tension in her friend’s expression. “Well... you’re staying with me while your parents are away, so why not at least try to have a little fun? Go out, breathe?”

Dunira stared at her like she’d said something absurd.

“What?” Sansa shrugged. “Chosen ones can’t have fun now?”

Before Dunira could respond, a voice echoed from the front of the room.

“Today,” said Professor Elyra, walking in with a gentle but commanding presence, “you’re all going to be given a thread of emotion.”

In her hands, she carried a woven basket filled with soft red threads. One by one, she passed them out to the students.

“Stand,” she said. “And hold your thread gently. Let the rest hang loose in the air.”

Kaelric quietly stepped beside Dunira. “What do you think this is about?” he whispered.

“No idea,” she replied, staring at the thread.

“All right,” Elyra continued, “Now think of something — or someone — you love deeply.”

As the students closed their eyes, each thread began to glow faintly.

Sansa’s thread shifted first — forming into the shape of a small rabbit.

“Aww,” Elyra smiled. “Do you have a rabbit, Sansa?”

“Yes! His name’s Dory,” she beamed. “I cuddle him every day after school. He’s my favorite little guy.”

From across the room, Darek quietly watched her. Her blonde hair fell behind her shoulders as she tilted her head and smiled. The sunlight hit her just right, and for a second, a real, rare smile tugged at Darek’s lips. Then it dropped as quickly as it came.

“What the hell…” he muttered under his breath, confused by his own reaction.

Elyra moved through the class, observing. Drake’s thread shifted into the shape of a sword.

“Of course,” Elyra said knowingly. “Every Caeliran has a love for blades.”

When she reached Dunira, her expression softened. Dunira’s thread had taken the form of a woman — tall, graceful.

“Who is she?” Elyra asked, her voice gentle.

“My mother,” Dunira said, a tender smile rising to her lips.

Elyra placed a hand on her shoulder with pride in her eyes.

Then she turned to Kaelric, who had subtly curled his fist around his glowing thread, hiding it.

“You’re not going to show us?”

Dunira chimed in playfully, “Yeah, I asked him too.”

Kaelric looked hesitant. “Sorry, it’s… personal.”

Just then, the bell rang.

Kaelric exhaled. “Thank the skies.”

“You may keep your threads,” Elyra said as the students gathered their things. “They’re more than symbols. Some of them may come in handy someday. Explore what they mean to you.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” the class echoed softly.

---

Outside, in the corridor...

As they walked side by side, Dunira looked up at him. “So... what was that thread thing you couldn’t show?”

Kaelric gave a light shrug. “Drop it. Just… not something I want to share in front of everyone.”

She gave him a look but moved on. “So… how’s your training going?”

“It’s going fine,” she replied. “Actually, I wanted to ask… how did you get me to your house that night — after I passed out?”

“Oh that?” he said. “I used the tree portal.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You too?”

“Yeah?” Kaelric raised an eyebrow. “Wait... me too?”

“I met Myna yesterday. She told me she escaped through the same kind of portal and reached Vielpond. She said it’s connected to every portal across Auralis.”

They both paused, eyes meeting. The possibilities flickered silently between them.

“Kaelric… I think I want to go back to the Green Lake,” Dunira said. “There’s something I need to check.”

“What? No,” Kaelric replied immediately. “Not after everything that’s been happening. It’s dangerous.”

“I can manage it alone,” she said firmly.

He stopped walking.

“Dunira,” he said, his voice softer now, “I know you can handle yourself. I trust your strength. But it still… it still haunts me to think you’ll face all this alone.”

Her eyes met his.

“I know I can’t stop you. You rarely listen anyway.” He gave a crooked smile. “But if you go, then I want to go with you. Not to control you — but to stand beside you. I know you don’t hide things from us, but I want to be there for you.”

His tone changed — something deeper beneath his words now.

“I don’t want to be just another friend in your story, or just your boyfriend. I want to be more than that. I want to be your partner — in everything you do, everything you think… everywhere you go.”

He stepped closer.

“I want to be the first person standing beside you when you look around — because you are that person for me.”

Dunira’s breath caught. She didn’t blink. Their eyes locked.

“You know what I want?” she whispered. “I want you safe. I want you healthy. I want you happy. And I would do anything to protect that... even if it meant dying for it.”

Kaelric didn’t look away. His eyes flicked to her lips for a moment. He swallowed, stepped forward. Their breaths met — barely a breath away from—

“HEY GUYS!” a voice shouted from behind.

They jolted apart.

Sansa came running toward them, beaming. “You won’t believe what I just found!”

“Oh—really?” Dunira coughed, adjusting her posture. “Uh-huh…”

Kaelric sighed, looking toward the sky. What is her problem, seriously… he thought.

“Look at this!” Sansa held up a cluster of shimmering crystals. “They’re ancient Guardian Crystals — from the Amethyst Cave! My dad brought them back!”

Kaelric leaned toward Dunira. “Told you she has good Durakar connections. I don’t think you need to go anywhere now.”

“Well,” Sansa said brightly, “your house is empty, right? Let’s go there. Maybe we can find something — those shadow creatures… psychically or something!”

Dunira looked at them both.

“…You’re right,” she said.