Page 31 of Favored By the Stars

As we began our descent, the stairs seemed to go on forever, twisting and turning in ways that defied normal geometry. The air grew thick with magic, making it hard to breathe. Strange whispers echoed from the walls, speaking in languages I didn't recognize but somehow understood on a primal level.

Halfway down, Wyn stumbled, nearly losing her footing on the narrow steps. I caught her arm, steadying her, and noticed her face had gone pale.

"Are you alright?" I asked, concern coloring my voice.

Wyn nodded weakly. "It's just... there's so much magic here. It's overwhelming."

I understood. The very air thrummed with power, making my skin tingle and my Moon Mark burn. It was intoxicating and terrifying all at once.

Just as I thought we might never reach the bottom, the staircase opened up into a vast cavern. Wyn's light seemed feeble against the immensity of the space, barely illuminating the ground at our feet.

Thorn took a cautious step forward, then another. "I think we're safe for now," he said, his voice echoing strangely in the cavern. "But where are we?"

As if in answer, the cavern suddenly blazed with light. I gasped at the stunning beauty that enveloped us. Thousands of luminescent crystals embedded in the ceiling and walls flared to life, bathing the cavern in a warm, golden glow, but not the kind I associated with the Sun Court, just…light.

We revealed what had seemed like an empty space but was actually a breathtaking grotto. A vast underground lake stretched before us, its surface so still it mirrored the crystal ceiling perfectly, creating the illusion of infinite space. Around its edges grew strange phosphorescent plants I had never seen before, their fronds swaying gently despite the absence of any breeze.

"The Twilight Caverns," Volker breathed, his eyes wide with wonder. "I thought they were merely a legend."

Thorn's brow furrowed. "I've heard stories of this place. Didn't think it was real either."

Volker nodded. "A neutral ground from ancient times, before the division between the courts grew so... pronounced."

I approached the edge of the lake, my reflection rippling as I knelt. The water sparkled with an inner light, and I could see tiny motes of gold and silver dancing beneath its surface. My fingers hovered just above it, drawn by some inexplicable urge to touch the shimmering liquid.

"We need to keep moving," I said, forcing myself to look away from the hypnotic waters. "Which way leads out?"

Thorn scanned the cavern, his gaze settling on a narrow path that wound around the lake's edge. "That seems our best option. It appears to lead deeper into the cavern system."

As we followed the path around the water, I noticed strange markings etched into the stone walls, ancient symbols that seemed to shift and change when viewed from different angles.

"Can you read any of these?" I asked Volker, who was studying the markings with intense fascination.

"Some," he replied, tracing his fingers over a complex glyph. "This one speaks of the 'paths between worlds.' And this..." He moved to another symbol. "This warns of guardians who sleep beneath the lake."

A chill ran down my spine. "Guardians? What kind of guardians?"

Before Volker could answer, a low rumble shook the cavern. Tiny ripples disturbed the mirror-like surface of the lake, spreading outward in concentric circles.

"I think we may have woken them," Wyn whispered, her voice tight with fear.

The water began to bubble and churn, its once-placid surface now roiling with unseen movement. I felt my Moon Mark pulse with heat as I backed away from the lake's edge, pulling Wyn with me.

"Stay behind me," Thorn commanded, drawing his sword in one fluid motion. The blade caught the crystal light, scattering it in prismatic shards across the cavern walls.

Volker raised his hands, fingers splayed as he murmured an incantation. The air around him shimmered with protective magic, forming a translucent shield that encompassed our small group.

"What exactly sleeps beneath the lake?" I hissed at him, my eyes never leaving the churning water.

ChapterThirteen

Senara

The bubbles coming from the water made it shimmer, the surface dancing with the reflected light of the crystals that adorned the cavern walls. Volker backed up and stood beside us, his expression intense as he spoke. "If I remember correctly, old texts speak of the Twilight Guardians," he replied, his voice strained with concentration. "Ancient beings neither of Sun nor Moon, but of the in-between spaces. They were created during the First Age, before the courts divided, and when the divide happened, they were appointed as neutral arbiters. They protect the sacred pathways through the Twilight Caverns."

A pillar of water rose from the center of the lake, twisting and taking form as it climbed higher. I watched, transfixed, as the liquid solidified into a humanoid shape, tall and slender, with features that seemed to shift like the surface of the water itself. Its eyes were pools of swirling silver and gold, regarding us with ancient wisdom and suspicion.

"Who disturbs the Twilight?" The guardian's voice was like droplets falling on crystal, musical and alien and resonated not only in my ears but directly in my mind as well, sending vibrations through my very bones. "Who brings the discord of the courts into this sacred space?"

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