Thorns of the Moonlit Throne
Volume 4 — Chapter 3: The Poet of Stars
Writer: Sabbir Ahmed
The Celestial Verse stretched endlessly, a realm of impossible geometry where stars flowed like rivers and shadows whispered in languages older than time.
Ahead, a figure emerged, tall and regal, draped in robes of starlight and shadow. Every movement seemed choreographed, deliberate, almost musical. In one hand, he held a quill forged from pure cosmic energy; in the other, an orb of shifting constellations.
"I wondered when you would arrive, Moonlit Queen," the figure said, his voice melodic yet chilling. "And your companions… how delightful."
Lyriana recognized the rhythm in his words, the subtle pauses and inflections. "Who are you?" she demanded. "Why are you doing this to Arvandor?"
The figure smiled faintly, tilting his head. "I am Caelum Virex, poet of the cosmos, guardian of the Verse… and its only true author. You see, everything is a poem. Balance, chaos, love, destruction—they are all lines in my verse. I merely correct the rhythm when mortals stumble."
Aryn's hand went to his sword. "You rewrite reality? You threaten lives for… poetry?"
Caelum's smile widened. He scribbled in the air with his quill, and the words hung like glowing threads:
"Kings rise and fall like night,
Stars obey the written light,
Hearts must beat in rhyme."
The Verse around them trembled; the ground beneath Lyriana rippled like ink on water. Every line of his poetry altered reality slightly—trees shifted, paths changed, even memories flickered.
Lyriana's crown pulsed with shadow and light, resonating against the rhythmic alterations. "You may write the stars," she said steadily, "but you cannot control hearts that choose their own rhythm."
Eryon's shadow coiled protectively around her. "He underestimates unity. His poetry may shape reality—but it cannot undo trust, love, and courage."
Caelum inclined his head, quill poised. "Then let us test your unity. Every choice, every step, will be a line in my poem. Fail… and your existence will be but a footnote."
The stars above shifted into impossible constellations, forming a swirling maze of light and shadow. The first trial in the Celestial Verse had begun—where words dictated fate, and even the bravest could be undone by a single misstep.
Lyriana tightened her grip on Aryn's hand. "Then we write our own verse… together."