The next morning, Asher awoke with a start. For a few moments, he lay there, trying to piece together what had happened the previous night. The memory of blue fire, strange revelations, and two mysterious sisters flickered in his mind. Was it all a dream? He stared up at the ceiling, listening to the soft sounds of the early morning. Maybe it had been some wild hallucination.
Asher took a deep breath, deciding to start his day. He pushed away the lingering thoughts and got out of bed. His morning routine was predictable, and today, he clung to that predictability like a lifeline. Shower, brush teeth, get dressed—he did it all with robotic efficiency, hoping the monotony would calm his restless mind.
Downstairs, the smell of pancakes greeted him. Ambrose was at the stove, flipping pancakes with a grin. "Morning, birthday boy," Ambrose teased, referring to Asher's birthday from the previous day. "Ready to get back to the grind?"
"Yeah," Asher muttered, grabbing a plate. "I guess."
Ambrose shot him a curious glance. "You okay? You seem… off."
Asher forced a smile. "Just tired. Didn't sleep well."
Ambrose accepted the explanation, and they ate in comfortable silence. Afterward, Asher grabbed his backpack and headed out the door. The day had barely started, but already he felt like it was going to be a long one.
At school, things were as ordinary as they could be—at least on the surface. Asher went through his lectures, took notes, and tried to blend in with the normalcy of his surroundings. But his mind kept drifting back to Luna and Celeste. What had they meant by "trials"? What did they expect him to do? Every now and then, he'd glance over his shoulder, half-expecting to see one of them standing there, watching him.
Nothing. Just the usual buzz of students rushing between classes.
By the time lunch rolled around, Asher had almost convinced himself that everything would be fine. Maybe he could just… ignore it all. Pretend nothing had changed. It wasn't like two supernatural beings could just show up in the middle of his day, right?
Wrong.
After lunch, Asher headed to the restroom to wash his face, hoping the cold water would clear his mind. He splashed water onto his face, letting it drip down his chin. When he looked up at his reflection in the mirror, his heart nearly stopped.
There, standing behind him, was Celeste.
He yelped and spun around, nearly slipping on the wet floor. "Celeste?! What the—how did you—?"
She was leaning against the wall, a playful smile on her face. "Hey there," she said, her tone as casual as if they were meeting in the cafeteria. "Miss me?"
Asher's heart was still racing as he tried to make sense of the situation. "What are you doing here? And how did you even get here? This is the boys' restroom!"
Celeste shrugged, unfazed. "I'm here to check on you. And, you know, hang out. I figured we should get to know each other better." She winked. "Besides, it's not like anyone can see me if I don't want them to."
Asher's eyes widened. "What do you mean, 'if you don't want them to'? And you can't just appear in the boys' restroom! What if someone sees you?"
Celeste giggled, clearly enjoying his discomfort. "Relax, Asher. I'm not exactly bound by your world's rules. But if it makes you feel better…" She took a step back, and in a flash of light, her appearance changed. Her warrior armor was gone, replaced by a casual outfit that made her look like any other college student. "Ta-da! Now I'm just another girl."
Asher blinked, stunned by the transformation. "How did you…?"
She waved a hand dismissively. "It's nothing. Just a little trick we can do. Now, are you going to keep hiding in here, or are we going to hang out?"
Asher sighed, running a hand through his hair. "This is insane," he muttered. "You're insane."
Celeste grinned. "Maybe a little. But you like it, don't you?"
He couldn't help but laugh, despite the absurdity of the situation. "Fine. But you're going to get me into so much trouble."
She winked again. "Trouble's what I do best."
They left the restroom together, Celeste still disguised as a college student. Asher couldn't help but feel a little paranoid, glancing around to make sure no one noticed anything unusual. But Celeste blended in perfectly, her bubbly personality making it seem like she belonged there. She chatted away, asking him questions about his life, his school, his friends.
At first, Asher was on edge, worried that someone might see through her disguise. But as the day wore on, he found himself relaxing. Celeste's energy was infectious, and despite everything, he found himself laughing and joking with her. She was curious about everything, fascinated by the smallest details of his world. It was almost as if she was seeing it all for the first time.
When the final bell rang, Asher packed up his things, relieved that the day had gone by without incident. Celeste had stuck to him like glue the entire time, but somehow, she had managed to avoid drawing any unwanted attention.
As they walked out of the building together, Asher couldn't help but ask, "So, what was all this about? You're not just here to hang out, are you?"
Celeste gave him a playful smile. "You caught me. But I did want to get to know you better. We're going to be spending a lot of time together, after all."
"Yeah, about that," Asher said, lowering his voice. "What's the deal with these trials? And why do you need me to help? I'm just a guy. I don't have any special powers or anything."
Celeste stopped walking and looked at him seriously. "You do, Asher. You just don't know it yet. But we're going to find out together. And trust me, you're more important than you realize."
Asher frowned, unsure how to respond. Before he could say anything, Celeste grabbed his hand. "Come on," she said with a grin. "There's something I want to show you."
Without waiting for a response, she pulled him toward the back of the school, where a secluded door led to a small alleyway. Asher hesitated for a moment, but Celeste's excitement was contagious. He let her lead him through the door.
The moment they stepped outside, Asher was blinded by a bright light. He squinted, trying to see where the light was coming from, but it was too intense. Celeste, however, seemed unfazed. She tightened her grip on his hand and ran forward, pulling him along with her.
"Wait! What are you doing?!" Asher shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of the wind as they ran toward the light.
Before he knew it, they were no longer in the alleyway. The ground beneath his feet shifted, and he felt a strange sensation in his stomach, like the world had been turned upside down. When the light finally faded, Asher found himself standing in the middle of a vast, ancient arena.
It looked like something out of a history book—massive stone columns, towering walls, and a sand-covered floor. Asher's eyes widened as he took in the sight. "What the… Where are we?"
Celeste didn't answer right away. Instead, she let go of his hand and twirled in the air, her casual outfit dissolving in a burst of light. In its place was her warrior armor, complete with gleaming wings that shimmered in the sunlight. She landed gracefully beside him, her wings folding behind her.
Asher's mouth fell open in shock. "You…you have wings?"
Celeste smiled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Told you, Asher. You're not in Kansas anymore."
Asher stared at her, his mind struggling to catch up with what he was seeing. "This…this isn't real. This can't be real."
But it was real. The weight of everything—the arena, the wings, the magic—it all pressed down on him, and he felt like he was on the verge of collapsing.
Asher stood there, frozen in place, his eyes wide as he took in the overwhelming sight of the ancient Roman arena. The air around him was thick with tension and mystery, a far cry from the bustling school grounds he had just left behind. The sand beneath his feet felt real, gritty, and cold. The towering columns loomed over him, and the vast open space seemed to stretch endlessly into the distance. It was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.And then there was Celeste, hovering beside him with her wings outstretched, the glow of her armor reflecting off the golden light that filled the arena. She had transformed so effortlessly, twirling in mid-air like it was nothing more than a dance. Her carefree grin remained, though it was now tinged with something more serious—a sense of purpose.Asher, on the other hand, was struggling to make sense of it all. His mind raced, searching for any logical explanation, but nothing fit. The reality of what he was seeing was inescapable.He turned to Celeste, his voice shaky. "Where are we? What is this place?"Celeste touched down beside him, her wings folding neatly behind her. "This," she said with a hint of excitement, "is part of our world. The world you're connected to, whether you believe it or not. We call it the Arena of Trials."Asher's eyes darted around, the ancient architecture giving the place an ominous feel. "Trials? What kind of trials? And why am I here?"Celeste's expression softened. "You're here because Luna and I believe you're someone special, Asher. We were told to find the Abyssborn—a being destined to play a vital role in our world. And when we found you, well… you were exactly where the signs led us.""The Abyssborn?" Asher repeated, his voice low. "You've mentioned that before. But I don't understand. I'm just a guy. I don't have any special abilities, and I definitely don't belong here. I can't even handle a normal school day without messing up."Celeste smiled gently and stepped closer, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. "You don't see it yet, but you're more than you realize. This world… our world… it's full of mysteries and magic beyond anything you've ever known. And somewhere deep inside you, there's a connection to that power. You just need to discover it."Asher swallowed hard, his throat dry. "I don't know if I can do this, Celeste. I'm not brave, and I'm definitely not a hero. I'm just… me."Celeste's bright eyes shimmered with a mixture of compassion and determination. "You're right. You're Asher Beaumont, and that's exactly who you need to be. We're not asking you to become someone else. We're asking you to find the strength that's already within you."Asher sighed, his mind still spinning. "So… what now? Is this where I start glowing or shooting fire out of my hands or something?"
---