The grand city of Noctis-Lux hummed with life as golden airships drifted through the sky, their engines pulsing like the heartbeat of a mechanical beast. Below, the streets shimmered under the glow of crystal-powered lanterns, illuminating the contrast between the towering spires of the Light Council and the shadowed alleys of the Undercity.
At the highest point of the city, in the Skyward Palace, Queen Celestine Vaeloria stood before her mirror, gazing at the woman who stared back.
Her long, dark hair shimmered with hues of deep violet and indigo under the dim candlelight. Her emerald eyes, sharp and intelligent, held a quiet sorrow. She adjusted the golden-framed glasses perched on her nose—ornate lenses embedded with delicate gears, an invention of her own design. They allowed her to see beyond what was visible, beyond illusions and deception.
Yet tonight, even with them, she felt as though she couldn't recognize herself.
A whisper curled around the edges of her mind, faint and distant.
"The Queen of Duality… The one who will fall… or rise."
Celestine stiffened, her fingers tightening around the silk of her gown. It was not the first time she had heard that voice. For weeks, it had plagued her dreams, leaving her restless.
She turned sharply away from the mirror and walked toward the grand window overlooking her kingdom. From this height, she could see it all—the radiant glow of the upper city, where knowledge and invention flourished under the rule of the Light Council, and beyond it, the sprawling darkness of the Undercity, where the Shadow Syndicate whispered of forgotten truths.
Balance. That was what she was meant to maintain.
A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.
"Enter," she commanded, her voice steady despite the unease curling in her chest.
The doors swung open, revealing Lord Alistair Dorne, clad in the ivory and gold of the Light Council's enforcers. His piercing silver eyes studied her carefully as he stepped forward, his mechanical sword resting at his side.
"My Queen," he said, bowing low. "The Council has summoned you. There is… news."
Celestine exhaled softly, steeling herself. She had ruled Noctis-Lux for years, navigating the delicate threads of politics and power. But something about tonight felt different.
Darker.
As she stepped forward, the whisper in her mind returned, stronger this time.
"Beware, Celestine. The reflection is cracking."