Aurelia didn't sleep that night.
The Skyshard hummed with an urgency that kept her wide awake, its energy thrumming against her chest like a heartbeat. She had tucked it deep into her pack, but even now, she could feel its presence, always there, pulling at her.
She had left Lyra Vale behind in the Ruins, her mind racing with everything the woman had said. The power of the shard was undeniable, but what terrified her the most was the knowledge that she was not the only one aware of its awakening. As Lyra had warned, there would be others—those who would stop at nothing to possess it, to control it. And that meant danger, not just for her, but for everyone she had ever known.
But what if she could control it? What if she could use it to change everything for the Grounders—the people who had been forgotten beneath the floating cities? She'd spent her life surviving in the shadows, but now, with the power of Aetherion within her grasp, she wondered if this was her chance to finally break free from the oppression of the cities above.
But the decision wasn't hers to make alone.
The sound of a low rumble startled her from her thoughts. The storm was getting worse, the winds howling outside her small hideaway. The Aetherion crystal that Lyra had spoken of was not far from where she stood, pulsing with power just beyond the horizon of the ruins. Its energy was infectious, stirring something deep inside her—a sense of destiny she had never felt before.
She could almost hear it calling to her.
A knock at the door shattered her concentration.
Aurelia's hand instinctively went to the dagger at her waist, but she didn't move. Instead, she slowly rose and crept to the entrance, pressing her ear against the cold wood.
"Who is it?" she called, keeping her voice steady.
A voice answered, deep and calm, yet tinged with urgency. "Aurelia Skylar. I know what you found."
Her heart skipped. She knew that voice.
She hesitated for a moment, then threw open the door.
Standing in front of her, a figure cloaked in the shadows of the storm, was none other than Caius Vaelen, heir to one of the most powerful families in Celestria.
Caius had never imagined he would find himself in the Lower Levels of Celestria's underbelly. The streets here were a maze of decay and poverty, a stark contrast to the pristine marble halls and floating towers of his family's estate. And yet, here he was, standing before a door that had clearly been forgotten by time, seeking the one person who might hold the key to everything.
He had come after feeling the sudden pull in his chest—the same strange sensation he had felt when the Aetherion crystal had pulsed in his hand, only stronger, more insistent. It had led him here, to this broken part of the city, where the ruins of an old world lay forgotten beneath layers of history.
When she opened the door, he was momentarily struck by her presence. Aurelia Skylar was not at all what he had expected. Her eyes, sharp and unyielding, met his with an intensity that made him feel exposed. Her tousled hair and the worn clothes she wore marked her as one of the Grounders, but there was something about her—a fire in her gaze that spoke of something far greater than survival.
"Caius Vaelen," she said, her tone wary, but curious. "What do you want?"
"I need to speak with you," he said, his voice even, despite the whirlwind of emotions racing through him. "It's about the shard."
Her eyes flickered to the side for just a moment, and for a brief second, Caius thought he saw a trace of fear in them. She wasn't as composed as she wanted him to think. "What shard?" she asked, though it was clear she knew exactly what he was referring to.
"The Skyshard you found," he said, his voice dropping to a low murmur. "The one connected to the power of Aetherion."
Aurelia's expression hardened. "You've come for it, then?"
"I'm not here to take it from you," he said quickly. "I'm here to understand it. I felt the pulse, the power in the air. The same power that has been keeping Celestria and the other cities afloat for centuries is in that shard."
Aurelia's face softened just the slightest bit, though she remained guarded. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying the Aetherion is dying," he replied, his eyes flashing with a seriousness that was unlike anything he had ever shown before. "And you and I—whether we like it or not—are connected to it. The Skyshards are awakening, and if we don't act soon, Celestria will fall."
She regarded him for a long moment, the weight of his words sinking in. It was clear that she didn't trust him—didn't trust anyone from the floating cities. And he didn't blame her. But something in his gut told him they needed to work together. He couldn't do this alone.
"You think I'm supposed to just trust you?" she asked, her tone laced with skepticism. "Why should I believe anything you say?"
"Because we don't have a choice," he said. "The power inside that shard is the key. But it's more than just a source of magic—it's a weapon. If it falls into the wrong hands…"
He didn't need to finish the sentence. Aurelia could see the truth in his eyes.
After a long pause, she stepped aside, holding the door open just wide enough for him to slip through. "I'm listening," she said. "But if you think I'm going to help you save your precious city, you're wrong."
Caius didn't answer right away. He stepped inside, feeling the weight of the moment. The storm outside howled louder now, the wind crashing against the walls of the crumbling building. But inside, it was quiet—save for the steady, rhythmic pulse of the shard that Aurelia had placed on the table between them.
He knew that the storm outside wasn't just a weather phenomenon. It was a symbol of the power that had been unleashed—a power neither of them fully understood.
And the path they were about to walk would lead them into the heart of it all.