NOVEL NEXT Chapter 2: A Star Falls
The village near the mountains was in shambles. People flooded to the streets with white faces and terror written plainly on their features. The word was wild. Whatever it was, a star from heaven had fallen and down to Earth. Some stated it was an omen; others said gods or demons.
Kael stood in the courtyard, his grip tight on the buckets as he hurried to finish up the last of his chores before the princes came back. His arms screamed at him to slow down, but his mind continued to dwell on all that had occurred that day. He wished he could be inside, safe within his little rooms.
Then, it happened.
It had been clear as night just moments before, lit up with a fiery streak in the sky. The air hummed with energy and the temperature had risen sharply. Kael was frozen in place, his eyes wide as he watched the streak of light grow larger and brighter. It wasn't falling; it was coming straight for him.
A deafening roar filled the air as the star plunged, its glow blinding. Kael let the buckets go, covering his face with his arms, but it was already too late. The fiery light slammed into the courtyard with an earth-shaking crash, knocking him off his feet.
Everything was chaos for a moment. Dust and debris filled the air, and the ground beneath him seemed to be alive, trembling and groaning. Kael coughed, trying to catch his breath, his ears ringing from the explosion.
When the dust began to settle, Kael pushed himself up on trembling arms. The courtyard was unrecognizable. The fountain had been obliterated, replaced by a massive crater that still glowed with a strange, pulsing light. And at its center, something shimmered—liquid, almost alive, radiating an unearthly energy.
Kael's heart pounded as he stared at the glowing substance. It was beautiful and terrifying, unlike anything he had ever seen. His instincts screamed at him to run, but he couldn't move. The liquid seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat, and before he could comprehend what was happening, a tendril of light shot out from the crater, heading straight for him.
Kael tried to scream, but the sound caught in his throat. The light struck him square in the chest, and a searing pain tore through his body. It was as if every cell in him was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his chest as the liquid light seemed to flow into him, merging with his very being.
Time seemed to stop. Kael's vision blurred, and he felt like he was floating in a vast, endless void. A voice echoed in his mind, alien and cold.
"Integration complete. System activation in progress."
Kael gasped, his body jerking violently. His senses returned in a rush, sharper than ever. He could hear the distant cries of people beyond the courtyard, the crackling of flames from the crater, even the faint rustle of leaves in the wind. His body felt lighter, stronger, but his chest still burned with an intense heat.
Footsteps approached, and Kael turned to see Steward Harlan running toward him. The older man's face was pale with shock, his eyes darting between Kael and the glowing crater.
"Kael! Are you hurt? What happened?" Harlan demanded, kneeling beside him.
Kael tried to speak, but his voice came out as a croak. He swallowed hard, finally managing to say, "The star… it… it hit me."
Harlan's eyes widened. "Hit you? But you're still alive?"
Kael nodded weakly, clutching his chest. "I don't know how. It… it went inside me."
Harlan's expression darkened. He looked toward the palace, then back at Kael. "We need to move. Now. If the king finds out about this…"
Kael didn't need him to finish the sentence. He struggled to his feet, leaning on Harlan for support. The world around him felt strange, almost hyper-real. Colors seemed brighter, sounds sharper. But there was no time to dwell on it.
As Harlan led him away from the courtyard, Kael glanced back at the glowing crater one last time. Whatever had happened to him, he knew one thing for certain: his life would never be the same again.