Illiannah stared at the door, her breathing ragged. There's a barrier she couldn't see but could certainly feel which seemed to hum faintly, its invisible energy pressing against her like an unyielding wall. She turned back to Aria—no, the woman who had once been the girl.
"Let me out," Illiannah demanded, her voice shaking with a mixture of anger and fear. "I don't know what this is, but I want nothing to do with it!"
The woman—radiant, ageless, and exuding a calm authority—met her gaze with quiet resolve. "My lady, I understand your fear. But running will not change the truth. You are bound by the Celestine Line. Denial will not unweave the threads of fate."
"Fate?!" Illiannah snapped. "This isn't a fairy tale! I'm just a linguistics student who—" She paused, her eyes narrowing. "No, you know what? I don't owe you an explanation. Just get rid of… whatever this is." She gestured toward the glowing pendant now resting against her chest, its faint warmth unnervingly soothing.
Mr. Woods, still standing off to the side with his usual air of detached interest, stepped forward, his voice steady and measured. "Lady Illiannah, you must understand. The pendant has chosen you. It has revealed its magic because it recognizes your lineage. You may deny it now, but the power that flows within you is undeniable. It has merely been... dormant."
"I didn't ask for any of this!" Illiannah shot back, clutching the pendant as though she could rip it off and end the madness. "I just want my quiet life back. Books. Languages. Normalcy!"
"Normalcy was never your destiny," Aria said gently, taking a step closer. The air around her shimmered faintly, as though reality itself bent to accommodate her presence. "You were born to unlock a greater purpose—one tied to the survival of this realm. You have felt it, have you not? The way languages flow through you like a second nature, the pull toward ancient texts, the sense of belonging in the stories of old."
Illiannah opened her mouth to argue, but the words caught in her throat. She had felt it. Her obsession with forgotten languages and ancient tales had always seemed more than just a scholarly passion. It was as though they whispered directly to her, calling her to understand, to remember.
"I..." she began, but the words faltered. She looked between Aria and Mr. Woods, both of whom watched her with a mixture of expectation and patience. "If this is real—if any of this is real—then what am I supposed to do?"
Illiannah's reluctant agreement had barely settled in her chest before Aria moved toward her with a determined stride. "Follow me," the woman said, her voice firm but not unkind. "There is something you must see."
Illiannah hesitated, her instincts screaming against the madness of the situation. But curiosity tugged at her stronger than fear. With a wary glance at Mr. Woods, who simply nodded in encouragement, she followed Aria through the labyrinthine library.
The woman led her to a section Illiannah had never noticed before, a narrow staircase spiraling downward into dimly lit passages. The air grew cooler with every step, carrying the faint scent of damp earth and something floral, faintly sweet yet foreign.
At the bottom of the staircase was an unassuming wooden door, its surface intricately carved with symbols Illiannah couldn't decipher. Aria placed a hand on the center of the door, and it creaked open with an eerie groan. Beyond it lay something Illiannah did not expect: a vast meadow bathed in soft, golden light.
The grass was lush, dotted with strange, luminescent flowers that shimmered like tiny stars. A gentle breeze rustled through the field, carrying the sound of distant, melodic chimes. Illiannah's breath caught in her throat as her feet sank into the soft ground, the door swinging shut behind her without a sound.
"Where are we?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"A threshold," Aria replied, walking ahead with purpose. "A place between Valleys. This meadow is the crossing point, the doorway to where your journey truly begins."
Illiannah followed, the surreal beauty of the place stealing her words. As they moved through the meadow, her gaze was drawn to the creatures emerging from the foliage.
A butterfly, large as a hand, flitted past her, leaving a trail of glittering light in its wake. A deer stepped delicately into view, its antlers glowing faintly, swirling with an ethereal blue energy that seemed to pulse in rhythm with its breath. Squirrels, small and round, with markings that made them resemble tiny pandas, peered curiously at Illiannah from the branches of a tree. Strange insects, some with crystalline wings and others glowing like embers, danced in the air around her.
"What…?" Illiannah murmured, her steps slowing as she took in the creatures' fascinated stares. They seemed drawn to her, approaching cautiously but with unmistakable curiosity.
Aria paused, glancing back. For a fleeting moment, her composed expression flickered with something like surprise, but she quickly masked it. "They sense it," she said softly, almost to herself.
"Sense what?" Illiannah asked, her voice tinged with unease.
"Who you are," Aria replied, her tone guarded. "Or, perhaps, what you are."
Illiannah trudged through the meadow, the soft grass brushing against her legs as the vibrant blooms swayed in an unseen breeze. The air was thick with a strange energy, almost tangible, and she couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched—not by eyes, but by the meadow itself.
Aria walked a few paces ahead, her movements confident, as though she had walked this path a thousand times. Illiannah, however, faltered. Despite her resistance, she found herself captivated by the otherworldly beauty around her. The flowers seemed to shimmer faintly, their petals glowing in soft hues of lavender, gold, and cerulean. Tiny, winged creatures flitted among them, leaving trails of glittering light in their wake.
"Where are we going?" Illiannah finally asked, her voice uneasy.
"You'll see," Aria replied without turning, her voice steady. "This is the threshold—a place where the old magic lingers, connecting our world to the next."
Illiannah opened her mouth to argue, but the words caught in her throat as Aria stopped abruptly. Before them stood an archway made of twisted vines and flowers, pulsating with faint, golden light. The air around it shimmered, as though reality itself was bending and warping.
"A portal?" Illiannah asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Aria nodded, her expression unreadable. "The gateway to the Vale. Beyond this lies your path."
Illiannah hesitated, the hum of the portal resonating in her chest. "And if I don't want to go through?"
"You must," Aria said, her tone firm but not unkind.
Illiannah stared at the portal, her heart pounding. Every instinct told her to turn and run, but something—perhaps the faint pull of the pendant against her chest—urged her forward. Taking a deep breath, she stepped beside Aria, and together, they crossed the shimmering threshold.
The world shifted around her in a rush of light and sound. The meadow dissolved into a kaleidoscope of colors, and for a brief moment, Illiannah felt weightless, untethered. Then, with a soft thud, her feet landed on solid ground.
She opened her eyes to a forest unlike any she had ever seen. Towering trees with glowing trunks and leaves that sparkled like gemstones stretched skyward, their branches forming a canopy that shimmered with hues of teal and gold. The air buzzed with life, and everywhere Illiannah looked, magical creatures darted between the trees.
Illiannah stood frozen, her breath caught in her chest. "This… this is unreal."
Aria, who had been watching her with a guarded expression, finally spoke. "The creatures are drawn to you," she said softly, almost to herself.
Illiannah glanced at her. "Drawn to me? Why? Do I smell like food or something?"
Aria shook her head, her expression unreadable. "No. They sense something... different about you."
Illiannah frowned, but before she could press further, her gaze was drawn ahead. Rising in the distance was a massive gate, its iron bars entwined with golden vines that pulsed faintly with light. Beyond it, a towering structure loomed, its spires reaching high into the shimmering sky.
As they approached the gate, Illiannah's attention was drawn to the large, ornate sign above it. The intricate letters, formed of silver and gold, seemed to shift as she stared, almost as though they were alive. Each character a whole different language, nothing that Illiannah has ever seen.
"Vallis Magicae: Azalea's Academia Artium"
Illiannah frowned, her head tilting slightly at the unique language. "Valley of Magic, It is Azalea's Academy of Arts," Aria translated, stepping closer to the gate.
"No, I…" Illiannah trailed off, her brow furrowing. "I can understand it. Somehow."
Aria's step faltered, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Illiannah. But she said nothing, merely gesturing for her to continue.
As Illiannah stepped through the gate, a wave of vertigo washed over her. The air grew heavier, the vibrant world around her blurring. Her legs buckled, and her vision darkened, dots of black creeping into the edges.
"Aria…?" she managed weakly, her voice barely audible.
Aria turned around sharply, her calm demeanor cracking as she reached out to steady Illiannah.
The last thing Illiannah saw before darkness claimed her was Aria's expression—no longer composed, but laced with genuine panic. Then her knees buckled, and the world went black.