THE CALL OF THE DREAMWORLD

  After the events at the Ruins of Eldros, exhaustion weighed heavily on Ethan’s body. The symbols he had seen, the monstrous presence hidden beneath the ruin, and the whispers in his mind all swirled together in a tangled mess of unanswered questions.

  But tonight, something else called to him.

  Solis, perched atop Ethan’s desk, flicked one of his twin tails rhythmically. His silver eyes glowed faintly in the dim candlelight, watching as Ethan’s breath slowed, his body succumbing to sleep.

  The twin-tailed cat sighed softly.

  “Time to open the door, Fireborn.”

  With a slow, deliberate movement, Solis draped his tail over Ethan’s forehead.

  The moment the soft fur made contact, reality shifted.

  Ethan’s body remained in bed, but his consciousness was pulled elsewhere. The world blurred, stretched, twisted—until he found himself standing beneath a night sky unlike any other.

  Ethan stood in an endless void, stars flickering all around him. Unlike the real world, everything here felt weightless—untethered.

  Then, a figure appeared before him.

  His heart clenched.

  “Sophia…”

  She sat on a celestial throne, composed of woven constellations, the fabric of space itself shifting around her. Unlike before, where she had appeared only as a vision, now she was real—her golden eyes meeting his.

  She smiled.

  “Brother. You’re finally here.”

  Ethan took a step forward, but he hesitated. The last time he had seen her, she had been more of a presence than a person. Now, she felt alive.

  He swallowed. “Where… where are we?”

  Sophia glanced around, then gestured to the vast sky. “This place is between the waking and the divine. A world where dreams connect to something greater.”

  Ethan clenched his fists. “Then you can answer my questions.”

  Sophia’s expression softened. “I know what troubles you, Ethan. The ruin… the monster… the shadows that coil beneath our world.”

  Ethan exhaled sharply. “What was that thing beneath the Ruins of Eldros? Why did it feel—wrong?”

  Sophia’s expression grew solemn. She raised her hand, and the stars shifted, forming an image before him.

  A sun burned brightly in the cosmos—but something was wrong.

  Its light cracked, splintering apart. A great shadow spilled forth, coiling into the darkness of space, sinking down toward the mortal realm.

  Ethan’s chest tightened.

  “The Fallen Sun…” Sophia whispered. “That is where it began.”

  Sophia turned to face him, her eyes filled with both warmth and sorrow.

  “You’ve felt it, haven’t you? The absence of Leo left a hole in the heavens. And nature does not abide imbalance.”

  Ethan’s fingers curled at his sides. “The world needed Leo’s power… so something else filled the void.”

  Sophia nodded.

  “The fallen sun cast a shadow.”

  She raised her hand again, and the stars reshaped.

  A burning lion stood on one side, its golden mane radiating power, its eyes fierce and untamed.

  But on the opposite side, there was something else.

  A dark figure coiled in shadows, its body obscured. It was not a lion, but its presence was unmistakable—the absence of light given form.

  Ethan’s throat dried.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “This… this is what’s corrupting the land, isn’t it?”

  Sophia’s gaze remained firm.

  “When Leo fell, its opposite took root on Earth. Darkness filled the void. Some call it corruption, others call it decay—but in truth, it is simply the balance shifting. Leo was light, and without it… its shadow grew.”

  Ethan’s mind reeled. The monstrous creatures, the twisted lands, the feeling of something watching him from the abyss—it all connected.

  “And the monsters?” he asked. “The ones I saw…?”

  Sophia’s expression darkened. “Some creatures, when exposed to the lingering energy of the Fallen Sun, become twisted reflections of what they once were. That ruin you explored was once a place of great power, but over time, it was swallowed by the shadow.”

  Ethan clenched his jaw. “Then this isn’t just some random corruption—it’s spreading.”

  Sophia nodded. “Yes. And it will only grow stronger if left unchecked.”

  Ethan took a deep breath, steadying himself. “If the shadow is growing, then… why aren’t the other constellations stopping it?”

  Sophia’s expression shifted. “Not all of them see this as something to stop.”

  Ethan’s blood ran cold.

  “The twelve constellations were never truly equal,” Sophia continued. “Some have always sought to harness power wherever they can find it. Light, darkness—it matters not to them, so long as they remain strong.”

  She raised her hand again, and Ethan saw visions of three constellations whose energies twisted in unfamiliar ways.

  ? Scorpio—A figure cloaked in shifting black mist, wielding a dagger wreathed in obsidian energy.

  ? Aquarius—A robed visionary, holding a vessel overflowing with dark liquid, studying it with fascination.

  ? Capricorn—A warrior standing atop a mountain of bones, his horns glowing with unnatural energy.

  Ethan’s stomach twisted.

  “These houses… they’re using the shadow’s power?”

  Sophia exhaled. “Some of them are. Not all Scorpios, Aquarians, or Capricorns are tainted, but their celestial patrons… some of them do not see the shadow as a threat. They see it as an opportunity.”

  Ethan’s fists clenched.

  “If they’re embracing the darkness, that means there are students at the academy who—”

  Sophia placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. “Do not rush, Ethan. Not everyone in those Houses follows the same path. You must be careful with whom you trust.”

  Ethan swallowed the rising anger in his chest.

  “Then what do I do?” he asked.

  Sophia’s gaze softened. “You are not ready to challenge the darkness directly. Not yet. But your power is growing. Your ability to rewrite the world’s alchemy is a gift that has not been seen in ages. And soon… you will learn how to wield it as a weapon.”

  Sophia took a step back, her presence beginning to fade. The stars around them flickered.

  “Time is running short, Ethan. The longer you wait, the stronger the shadow grows.”

  Ethan reached for her. “Wait—I still have more questions—”

  Sophia smiled faintly. “Then find the answers. Look beyond what the academy teaches you. Seek the truth in places others fear to tread.”

  Her voice softened.

  “And remember, brother… you are not alone.”

  Ethan’s vision blurred. The dream world collapsed, the celestial throne vanishing into an ocean of stars.

  And then—

  He woke up.

  Ethan’s eyes shot open. His breath came fast, his heartbeat pounding in his chest.

  The room was dark. The only light came from the faint glow of Solis’s silver eyes, watching from where he sat beside Ethan’s pillow.

  The twin-tailed cat flicked his tail. “You were talking in your sleep.”

  Ethan swallowed, still feeling the lingering warmth of the dream.

  “That wasn’t just a dream,” he murmured.

  Solis’s tail curled. “No. It wasn’t.”

  Ethan sat up, running a hand through his hair. His sister’s words echoed in his mind.

  The shadow of the fallen sun… The constellations choosing sides… The corruption spreading…

  His fists clenched.

  He wasn’t just going to sit back anymore.

  He had work to do.

  The academy slept beneath the moonlight, its grand halls and towering spires bathed in silver. Students lay dreaming of power, of glory, of futures shaped by their constellations.

  But beneath the surface, in the hidden veins of the academy, another kind of gathering took place.

  Deep underground—beyond the eyes of professors and councilors—there lay a forgotten chamber, a remnant of an era long past. The walls were carved with symbols that pulsed faintly with a dark energy, whispering secrets older than the academy itself.

  Figures cloaked in shadowed robes stood in a circle, each wearing a mask—some smooth and expressionless, others twisted into eerie, inhuman shapes.

  A faint murmur filled the chamber as they welcomed the new initiates.

  Five students stood before them, trembling in uncertainty. Each was draped in a black robe, their faces still uncovered, their gazes darting between the masked figures that surrounded them.

  Among them stood a boy from House Capricorn, a girl from House Aquarius, and three others from Houses Scorpio, Gemini, and Libra.

  They had been chosen.

  And now, they would be tested.

  A figure stepped forward from the darkness. Their mask was a porcelain white, featureless except for the deep cracks that ran across its surface, as if it had shattered once before.

  When they spoke, their voice was both gentle and commanding.

  “You have come here seeking true power.”

  The initiates stiffened.

  “You have been told that your gifts are bound by the stars. That the constellations shape you, limit you, command your fate.”

  A pause. The air grew heavy.

  “But we know the truth.”

  The masked figure raised a silver chalice, filled with a dark, swirling liquid that shimmered unnaturally in the dim candlelight.

  “The stars do not rule us.”

  Their voice dropped to a whisper.

  “We rule them.”

  A murmur of agreement rippled through the cloaked figures.

  One of the new recruits, the Capricorn boy, hesitated. “What is that?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

  The masked leader turned toward him. “A gift. A blessing from the Fallen Sun.”

  At the mention of the name, some of the figures bowed their heads in reverence.

  “The constellations hoard their power, giving it only to those they deem ‘worthy,’” the leader continued. “But the Fallen Sun? It offers freely—to those with the will to take it.”

  The Aquarius girl’s eyes flickered with hesitation. “But… isn’t it dangerous?”

  A chuckle echoed from one of the masked figures. “Power is always dangerous. The question is—will you wield it? Or will you let it pass you by?”

  Silence.

  The leader extended the chalice.

  “Drink, and step beyond the limits the stars placed upon you.”

  The initiates exchanged glances.

  Then—one by one—they accepted the cup.

  The Capricorn boy went first, swallowing the dark liquid with an unreadable expression.

  Then the Scorpio girl, her fingers trembling as she drank.

  The Gemini and Libra recruits followed, their faces marked by both fear and excitement.

  Finally, only the Aquarius girl remained.

  She stared at the chalice, her mind racing.

  Then, slowly, she reached out—her fingers brushing the rim.

  The leader’s voice softened.

  “Embrace the gift. Let the shadows welcome you.”

  A breath. A moment of hesitation.

  Then—she drank.

  The moment the last drop touched her tongue, something changed.

  The air shivered, and a pulse of black energy surged through the chamber. The recruits gasped as their auras flared, twisting, darkening—

  Their constellation marks burned black for a moment before fading, altered in ways they could not yet understand.

  The leader lowered the chalice, satisfied.

  “Now,” they said, “you are truly one of us.”

  A crescendo of whispers rose from the masked figures.

  “The stars do not bind us.”

  “The light has fallen, but we shall rise.”

  “The balance shifts. The time draws near.”

  The leader turned toward the recruits, their cracked mask tilting ever so slightly.

  “Welcome to the Brotherhood of the Eclipse.”

  The shadows closed in—and the light vanished.