Nightfall Prophecy

Chapter 27: The Forgotten One

The battlefield was no longer just a war zone—it had become a nightmare.

The entity that emerged from the rift towered over them, its form shifting like liquid darkness, its presence seeping into Celestine's bones like ice. The glow of its twin eclipsed eyes bore into her, unrelenting, ancient.

Lucien and Draven stood tense on either side of her, their weapons raised, but even they could feel it—this was beyond anything they had ever faced.

Valerius, usually a picture of arrogance, remained still, his golden eyes unreadable. "You were not meant to wake," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

The entity's laughter was a hollow echo. "And yet, here I am. Because she exists."

Celestine swallowed hard, her pulse a rapid drumbeat. "Who are you?"

"The Forgotten One," it intoned, its voice vibrating through the very air. "The first. The last. The truth hidden in your blood."

Pain lanced through her skull again. More memories, more visions—

A throne shrouded in eternal shadow. A crown of bone resting upon her head. A voice whispering her name in reverence and fear.

Lucien noticed her trembling and stepped closer. "Celestine, stay with me."

She forced herself to focus, locking eyes with the entity. "What do you want?"

The Forgotten One's smoky tendrils coiled around the air, reaching toward her but never quite touching. "To see if you are worthy."

Before she could react, the world around her shattered.

Darkness swallowed everything.

And Celestine was falling.

Chapter 28: Trial of the Abyss

Celestine plunged into the darkness, the sensation of freefall gripping her like unseen hands. Cold seeped into her skin, deeper than any winter frost, as whispers filled the void around her.

Prove yourself... or be forgotten.

She gritted her teeth, twisting in midair, trying to summon her magic—but nothing answered. Panic coiled in her chest. The abyss had stripped her of her power, leaving her vulnerable.

A flicker of silver light cut through the blackness. Lucien's voice, rough with desperation, echoed in the distance. "Celestine!"

She reached out, but before she could grasp the light, the darkness pulled her under.

Then—

She landed.

The impact knocked the breath from her lungs. The air was thick with an eerie silence, the kind that pressed against the ears like a tangible force. Celestine pushed herself up, her palms scraping against smooth, polished stone. A dim glow pulsed beneath her, illuminating intricate runes carved into the floor.

She was in a vast chamber—endless, empty, yet filled with the weight of unseen eyes watching.

A single voice broke the silence.

"Rise, heir of the forgotten blood."

Celestine turned sharply. Before her stood a figure draped in tattered black robes, its face hidden beneath a silver mask etched with arcane symbols. The presence radiated power—ancient, unyielding.

"Who are you?" she demanded, steadying herself.

The figure tilted its head slightly. "I am your judge. And this... is your trial."

A rush of wind howled through the chamber, and suddenly, shadows burst from the walls, shifting into monstrous shapes with glowing eyes and jagged claws. Celestine's heart pounded. She was unarmed, weakened, alone.

The figure raised a skeletal hand. "Survive, and you may claim your destiny. Fall... and you will be erased from history."

The creatures lunged.

Celestine took a step back, her mind racing. Then, something inside her clicked. The memories Valerius had tried to unlock, the bloodline she had denied—

She was power.

Her body moved on instinct. She dodged the first strike, twisted to evade another. When a claw slashed toward her, she caught it mid-air—

And the creature screamed as it turned to ash beneath her touch.

A new fire burned in Celestine's veins. The abyss wanted to test her?

Then she would show it exactly who she was.

Chapter 29: The Awakening Flame

Celestine's body burned with a power she had never felt before. The creatures recoiled, their shrieks piercing the endless void, but she did not waver. The abyss had sought to break her, to make her kneel.

But she would not be broken.

The silver-masked figure watched her with an eerie stillness. "You have taken the first step," it intoned. "But fire alone is not enough. You must learn to wield it."

The ground beneath her trembled, and from the darkness, a new form emerged—a towering beast wreathed in midnight flames. Its eyes burned like molten gold, locked onto Celestine with a predator's hunger.

Lucien's voice echoed faintly, distant yet desperate. "Celestine, fight it!"

Draven's magic flared from the unseen edges of the abyss, a pulse of violet energy seeking to reach her. But the trial was hers alone.

The beast lunged.

Celestine raised her hands, willing the newfound energy within her to respond. A searing heat surged through her veins, and with a cry, she released it. Blinding white fire erupted from her palms, colliding with the beast's charge.

The impact shook the abyss. Light clashed against shadow, and for a moment, the world stood still.

Then, the beast roared—

And knelt before her.

The masked figure inclined its head. "You are no longer just the heir of forgotten blood. You are its master."

Celestine exhaled, her chest heaving. This was not just survival. This was her ascension.

The darkness around her began to dissolve, and for the first time, she felt the pull of the real world returning.

She had passed the trial.

But what awaited her on the other side?