Tower 1 — Floor One, Deeper Chambers
The corridor narrowed as they walked, torches igniting one by one—
not with fire, but with starlight.
The walls changed.
No longer breathing.
No longer pulsing with red veins.
Now they shimmered with constellations—
floating lights drifting like fireflies across the stone.
Lyra's arm burned again.
The star-shaped mark glowed faintly under her skin.
Ragnor steadied her shoulder.
"You good?"
Lyra nodded once.
"Yeah… but something's inside me. Pulling."
Aetherion watched the wall constellations silently.
"It's reacting to your blood."
He glanced at her.
"Or your lineage."
Lyra froze.
"I don't have a lineage. My parents were scholars—"
"No," Aetherion said, eyes narrowing.
"Your mother was a scholar. Your father was something else."
Lyra's breath hitched.
Before she could respond—
DRM stopped walking.
He stood in the middle of a circular chamber, head tilted upward.
The ceiling displayed a swirling galaxy—
spinning, shifting, pulsing in real time.
The floor lit up beneath Lyra's feet.
A rune circle carved itself into the stone—
lines connecting into a star map.
The Tower's deep voice echoed:
"CANDIDATE RECOGNIZED."
"BEGIN THE CONSTELLAR MARK TRIAL."
Lyra took a step back instinctively.
Ragnor growled.
"Hey! She isn't ready—can she even refuse?!"
The Tower answered immediately:
"REFUSAL = FAILURE."
"FAILURE = CONSUMPTION."
Iris shrieked.
"C-consumption?!"
Aetherion stepped forward.
"Lyra. Breathe. Focus. If the Tower chose you, it means you can survive this."
Lyra swallowed hard.
Then nodded.
"Let's finish this."
The moment she stepped fully into the circle—
the chamber shifted.
Light burst around her.
The constellations lifted off the walls, swirling in the air.
The chamber darkened—
everyone except Lyra fading into a shadowy void.
Ragnor slammed his fists into an invisible barrier.
"LYRA!"
His voice echoed uselessly.
Aetherion pressed a hand to the barrier.
"She's isolated in a star trial. Only she can fight inside."
Iris clutched her chest.
"But what if she dies in there?!"
Aetherion didn't answer.
Because the answer was obvious.
Inside the Trial — Lyra's POV
The chamber morphed into a starless void.
Lyra floated weightlessly, bow in hand.
The mark on her arm glowed brighter—
pulsing like a heartbeat.
A voice whispered from the void:
"SHOW US YOUR LIGHT."
A constellation formed ahead of her.
Then twisted.
Then descended.
Its shape solidified into a creature made entirely of starlight and shadow—
A Starlight Shade.
Wolf-like.
Towering.
Eyes burning with cosmic fire.
It roared, and the void shook.
Lyra exhaled sharply.
"No running. No hiding."
She raised her bow.
A star arrow materialized.
She fired.
The arrow struck the shade's shoulder—
and passed through.
The beast lunged.
Lyra twisted in midair, barely dodging.
Spears of starlight erupted from the void.
She ducked, rolled, shot three arrows—
All passed through harmlessly.
Lyra's eyes widened.
"I can't fight light with light…"
She closed her eyes.
Her mother's voice echoed.
"Stars are born from darkness."
Lyra opened her eyes.
"…then darkness…"
She aimed her bow—
not at the beast.
At herself.
Her star-mark glowed dark.
Absorbing surrounding light.
Dulling her own aura.
The shade flickered.
Then growled.
It sensed her.
Feared her.
Lyra smirked.
"Oh. So that's how it is."
She pulled the bowstring.
A black arrow formed—
forged not of starlight,
but of starlight devoured.
A void arrow.
She fired.
The arrow hit the shade's core—
imploding it from the inside.
Light burst outward like shattered constellations.
The void trembled.
Then—
The starlight fragments swirled around Lyra and sank into her mark.
Her arm glowed bright.
The Tower's voice spoke:
"CANDIDATE PASSED."
"CONSTELLAR MARK AWAKENED."
"STARBOUND PATH INITIATED."
Light swallowed her.
Back in the Chamber
The barrier shattered.
Ragnor caught Lyra before she fell.
Her body trembled.
Sweat dripped from her brow.
But her eyes glowed brighter than ever.
"L-Lyra…?" Iris whispered.
Lyra raised her arm.
The star-mark had transformed:
A constellation symbol spiraled into her skin.
Aetherion exhaled slowly.
"You… just became something extraordinary."
Ragnor grinned.
"Damn right she did."
Lyra managed a weak smile.
Then they all turned to DRM.
The masked child watched silently.
Still.
Unreadable.
Unmoving.
Lyra stepped forward.
"…did you know this would happen?"
DRM tilted his head faintly.
Ragnor growled.
"Say something! Anything!"
The world dimmed slightly.
DRM raised one finger.
Pointed it upward.
Toward the ceiling.
Toward the swirling galaxy.
Then lowered it.
And walked away.
Aetherion's eyes narrowed.
"…he's telling us the stars aren't done with her."
Ragnor crossed his arms.
"Or he's telling us the next trial is worse."
Iris whimpered softly.
"…both."
The walls pulsed.
A doorway formed ahead of them.
Floor Two awaited.
The party stepped forward.
DRM vanished.
CHAPTER 5 — STATUS REPORT
Ragnor
Level: 7
EXP: +40
Skills:
Earth Strike (Stable)
Ground Pulse (Improving)
Physical Status: Stable
Mental State: Proud, relieved
Notes: Protective instincts rising
Lyra
Level: 7
EXP: +720 (trial bonus)
Skills:
Starlight Arrow
[New] Constellar Mark — Active
[New] Void Arrow (Basic)
Aura: Starbound, stabilized
Physical Status: Fatigued
Mental State: Empowered
Notes: First major awakening achieved
Iris
Level: 5
EXP: No change
Skills:
Temporal Bind
Chrono Sense
Aura: Distorted
Physical Status: Stable
Mental State: Fear mixed with awe
Notes: Sensitive to Tower timewaves
Aetherion
Level: 7
EXP: +60
Skills:
Microcosm Blast
Aura: Expanding steadily
Physical Status: Normal
Mental State: Deep curiosity
Notes: Connects Lyra's trial to cosmic lore
DRM
[UNREADABLE]
Level: ERROR
EXP: Unknown
Aura: Stage 1.5 — Stable
Domain: Slight Movement
Mask Sync: 65%
Emotional State: Unknown
System Note: "Subject authorized a Starbound Awakening."