Chapter 5: Abyss of Solas
The sky dimmed as they approached the edge of the world.
The Abyss of Solas yawned before them — an endless chasm where light itself vanished. No stars shone above it. No wind stirred the air. Even the moon seemed afraid to look down.
Elara felt the pull of it in her chest.
"It's like it's… calling to me," she whispered.
Caelum's hand tightened around hers. "It remembers souls like ours. It feeds on what we forget."
Ash, a step behind, frowned. "So how do we not forget?"
Caelum looked toward the darkness. "We hold on. No matter what it shows us."
Together, they crossed the threshold.
🌫️ Descent into Shadows
The path down was carved into obsidian. Walls pulsed faintly with trapped memories — glowing figures dancing, weeping, fading.
Each step made the air colder, heavier.
Halfway down, Elara paused.
"What was my father's name?" she asked.
Ash blinked. "You told me it was Darien."
She nodded slowly. "Right. I… just couldn't remember."
Caelum's voice was tight. "It's starting."
🕯️ The Whispering Veil
At the bottom of the abyss, they entered a stone chamber lit by flickering silver flames. A tall figure awaited them — cloaked in a gown that moved like mist, a silver veil covering her face.
Lady Veil. Guardian of the Abyss.
"Welcome, wanderers," she said, voice like wind through bones. "Have you come to forget… or to remember?"
Elara stepped forward. "We've come for the fourth shard of the Star Mirror."
"Ah," Lady Veil sighed. "Then you must pay the price. Every memory you carry is a thread. To claim the shard, you must lose… the one you love most."
The ground trembled.
"No," Caelum said, stepping between them. "Take from me instead."
Lady Veil smiled. "Very well."
💔 The Unraveling
A circle of light surrounded Caelum. Lady Veil raised her hand — and memories began to pour from him.
— Elara's first smile.— The first time he called her by name.— Their first kiss.— Their deaths, their rebirths, their endless searching.
Elara screamed. "No—stop!"
But then… she blinked.
"Who… are you?" she asked Caelum, stepping back.
Caelum's heart shattered.
"Elara, it's me," he whispered.
Ash watched, horrified. "She's forgetting you."
Lady Veil whispered, "All love fades. Even yours."
🗡️ A Spark of Fight
Caelum fell to his knees, weak, trembling.
Ash grabbed Elara's arm. "You've always been a fighter. You knew him in every lifetime. You found him even in death. Don't let her take that away."
Elara's eyes flickered. A tear slid down her cheek.
"Caelum…"
She stumbled toward him, then froze.
Lady Veil smiled. "She is mine now."
"No," Elara whispered. "I am his."
💫 The Heart Remembers
The shard in her pocket pulsed. Warmth spread through her chest. She clutched it — and visions returned:
— Dancing under moonlight.— Holding Caelum's hand at the ruins.— Their first memory, carved into the stars.
Her scream tore through the abyss.
"I REMEMBER!"
Light exploded from her. Lady Veil recoiled, shrieking, as the chamber shattered like glass. Caelum caught Elara as she collapsed into his arms.
"I knew you'd come back to me," he whispered.
💎 The Fourth Shard
Floating in the center of the broken chamber was the fourth shard — glowing with golden fire.
Ash approached it. "You almost died for this."
Elara smiled, though weakly. "Love is always worth it."
Caelum placed the shard in the mirror-map. The final destination appeared:
The Forgotten Temple of Astraea.
🩸 Thorne Strikes
Far above, in a crimson tower, Thorne stared at the map through a spy mirror.
"They survived the Abyss," he hissed.
A new ally stood beside him — a woman with black wings and golden eyes. "Shall I end them now?"
Thorne's smile turned cruel. "Yes. Send the shadows. Let's see how strong their love really is."
🗡️ Rowan's Crossroads
That night, Rowan stood beneath a pale tree, torn.
Seraphina appeared, silent.
"You could save her," she whispered. "Or destroy everything."
Rowan stared at a single petal drifting down.
"I don't care about fate anymore," he said. "I care about her."
And he began his journey toward Astraea.