The Grey Reach was alive in ways Lyra had not expected. Shadows moved with intention, as if the stones themselves remembered who had walked here long before her. Even with Seris beside her, the settlement felt like it held its breath, watching, waiting.
You will need to learn quickly, Seris said, voice low as they moved toward one of the larger stone structures. The Council will not stop hunting, and the Herald you saw is not alone.
Lyra's hands flexed at her sides. It followed me here. No, Seris corrected. It followed your Starfire. The words struck her. Every instinct she had spent years suppressing, the flare, the light, the pull, had betrayed her. Now the people of this hidden valley were counting on her restraint. They entered the hall and the warmth of the fire washed over her, carrying the faint scent of ironwood and herbs. Around the long table sat six others, all with eyes trained on her. One tall man rose as she approached, shoulders broad, stance deliberate.
Lyra Ashen, he said, his tone measured but heavy with authority. I am Kaelin, one of the Watchers. We have awaited someone like you.
Lyra's pulse quickened. Like me?
Yes. Kaelin gestured toward a map etched into the stone floor, lines and symbols marking territories she could barely comprehend. Your Starfire connects to the cycles, to the moons, to the echoes. What you felt during the eclipse was the first resonance in a century.
Her stomach tightened. Resonance, like the visions? Kaelin nodded. Not just visions. Warnings. Memories. Fragmented power from those who came before you. It is calling you, whether you understand it or not. Lyra swallowed. She had spent her life running, hiding, avoiding the world's gaze. Now the world, the Grey Reach, the Council, the unseen forces of the sky, was calling louder than she had ever imagined. Seris stepped beside her. We will train you. Control what you can, guide what you cannot. But understand this, if the Starborn awakens fully before you are ready, it will not be gentle. It will take everything. Lyra's hands glowed faintly, her pulse syncing with the thrum beneath the stone. I do not even know where to start. Kaelin's eyes glimmered. Then you start with understanding yourself. The Starfire is not a weapon, it is a mirror. What it reflects is not just power, but your choices, your fears, your will. A faint tremor rippled through the hall. The walls rattled, dust falling from the ceiling. Every body froze. Not the Council, Seris muttered, eyes narrowing. Something else. Lyra felt it instantly. A subtle tug, a whisper at the edge of consciousness, faint and urgent. It was not a threat but a signal, something far older than the Grey Reach, far older than Caelond.
Show me, she whispered, almost to herself.
The Starfire responded. Silver blue threads of light wove around her fingers.
Kaelin's expression hardened. Be careful. That is the Whispering Veil. It reaches into the minds of the Starborn, probing strength, testing resolve. Few survive the first encounter without losing themselves. Lyra inhaled, steadying her pulse. Then I guess I am about to find out. The hall fell silent. Even the fires dimmed as the threads of light stretched outward, brushing against something immense and ancient, something waiting.
At last, the Starborn returns.
The voice was not spoken but felt, rippling through her mind. Lyra gasped as the Starfire recoiled slightly, recognizing something equal and immeasurably old. Her vision blurred, the hall dissolving into faint starlight. Seris placed a firm hand on her shoulder. Do not falter. Remember yourself. The Starfire does not belong to them. It belongs to you. Lyra closed her eyes. The whispers persisted, tugging at memories she had never lived. Moons, eclipses, figures shaped from starlight cascaded through her mind. Some called to her. Others threatened. Then, with a sudden snap, it stopped. The Starfire collapsed inward, pulsed once, and went still.
Lyra opened her eyes.
Kaelin studied her quietly. You have felt it.
Her throat was dry. I think so.
Seris nodded. That was your first step. Surviving the Whispering Veil is only the beginning. A shadow flickered at the doorway, not a person, not quite. A ripple of darkness that bent torchlight and warped stone.
Lyra stiffened. What now?
Seris drew a dagger, its edge humming faintly. We prepare. They have noticed your awakening. Soon the Council, and whatever else watches the skies, will come for you. All of you. The Starfire in Lyra's veins pulsed again, stronger, steadier. Fear still coiled in her chest, but beneath it lay resolve.
She would not run.
Not anymore.