The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the faint rustle of the Codex of the Gods as it hovered beside Lethyxia, its pages turning of their own accord. She extended her hand, and the book settled in her palm once more.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAMajhNWU6Qa
“This will be our weapon,” she declared, her voice firm. “The Codex holds the truths of gods and mortals alike—their secrets, their vulnerabilities. If we are to face Noctarion, we must understand him as he understands us. Knowledge is our greatest ally.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAmMv3smWtDI
Helena nodded hesitantly, though her fear was far from assuaged. “And what about Mooniegale’s daughter? What is your plan for her?”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAXmfvYTTlM3
Lethyxia’s lips curled into a faint, almost predatory smile. “We bring her to us. If she is as cunning as her mother, she’ll seek answers—and we will ensure that every path she takes leads her straight into our grasp. One way or another, Helena, this game will end with us as victors.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAAoIuWtIMTf
As the moonlight faded behind thick clouds, casting the room into darkness, Lethyxia’s voice echoed, chilling and resolute. “And if Noctarion wishes to interfere, let him. Even gods can bleed.”
Helena shuddered at Lethyxia’s words, her unease deepening. The sheer audacity of challenging Noctarion—the Eternal Sentinel, a being feared by even the gods themselves—felt like courting doom. Yet, she knew better than to question Lethyxia’s resolve. Her queen had faced greater odds and emerged victorious, carving an empire from the chaos of divine games.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAxlbqk6BYDq
“What will you have me do, Your Highness?” Helena asked, her voice trembling but steadying under Lethyxia’s piercing gaze.
63Please respect copyright.PENANARjuxIMeALj
“You’ll begin by locating the girl,” Lethyxia instructed, her tone firm. “Her existence disrupts the balance. She must be found before she fully realizes what she is capable of—or worse, before Noctarion aids her in unlocking her potential.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAYOjYB0wTnW
Helena nodded, swallowing her unease. “And when I find her?”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAdBJZL0Cw7B
Lethyxia turned her back to Helena, staring out into the night. “Bring her to me alive, by any means necessary. But tread carefully. She is no ordinary mortal; she carries remnants of her lineage. Underestimate her, and you won’t live to regret it.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAWoWQOFDkr6
Helena’s stomach twisted, but she inclined her head. “As you command.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAw30nlp2sbl
As Helena left the room, Lethyxia let out a slow breath, her fingers brushing the cover of the Codex. Her gaze turned skyward, where stars glimmered faintly behind the clouds. She murmured softly, her words meant for no one but herself.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAc0GA6ni4YT
“Noctarion, what game are you playing this time? Is she your gambit—or your redemption?”
63Please respect copyright.PENANACoDVVjIotV
The book in her hands pulsed once, a faint glow emanating from its cover. Lethyxia’s eyes narrowed, her grip tightening. “If you think I’ll let you undo everything I’ve built, you are sorely mistaken.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANA8DiKaTC11t
63Please respect copyright.PENANAK2WFc0WvgI
---
63Please respect copyright.PENANAKaEBzG8EyE
Helena made her way through the winding corridors of the Temple, her heart pounding. The memories of Mooniegale’s daughter, now a haunting presence, replayed in her mind. She couldn’t shake the sensation that the girl had been watching her even in death, her piercing gaze a constant shadow.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAINJ4H5UFZk
She stepped into the war room, where a group of scouts and shadow weavers awaited her. “We have a new target,” Helena announced, her voice stronger than she felt. “A girl tied with noctarion . I want her found and brought back here. Alive. No mistakes.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANANWWQXEyYyY
The shadow weavers exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions betraying their fear. “A girl connected to the Eternal Sentinel? That’s only a myth!” one of them blurted out.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAUFWd57TVzi
Helena’s glare silenced him. “Do as you’re told, or I’ll remind you why you serve this crown,” she snapped. “Prepare the search teams immediately. We leave at first light.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANACgk3ZYJLzI
63Please respect copyright.PENANAWt7R7acj3V
---
63Please respect copyright.PENANAMrbscckFS2
Meanwhile, in the depths of an ancient forest the willow tree, a girl sat by a shimmering pool of water. Her reflection rippled as she gazed into the surface, her white silver eyes glowing faintly.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAwi0fO13PXH
“They’re coming for you,” a deep, resonant voice spoke from the wind.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAbWFYzu9aFM
She didn’t flinch, her gaze remaining fixed on the water. “I know,” she replied softly. “They always come.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAVbtzAXKJls
Noctarion stepped forward, his eyes glinting with starlight as he regarded her. “Will you run?” he asked.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAAmD5MR3v6B
Xia's lips curved into a faint smile. “No. I’ve been running for too long. If they want me, they’ll find me. But I won’t be the girl they remember.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAd3YClrHVFL
Noctarion’s gaze softened, a rare flicker of something close to pride crossing his features. “Good. You are stronger than they think, child of the cursed bloodline. The question is, will you rise above their expectations—or fall beneath them?”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAfQvga3gTRj
She stood, her figure illuminated by the moonlight filtering through the trees. “I suppose we’ll find out, won’t we?”
63Please respect copyright.PENANA59GkTGowFl
The night deepened, and the forest seemed to hold its breath as the girl and the Eternal Sentinel vanished into the shadows. The game had begun, and the pieces were now in motion.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAkDU0ZSh7HK
63Please respect copyright.PENANAc41bLSUsSD
Helena's team worked tirelessly into the night, poring over ancient maps, texts, and reports from spies scattered across the dominion.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAk2Yp1dMtiT
Whispers of a silver-eyed girl in the borderlands had surfaced over the years, but none had connected her to Mooniegale’s lineage until now. The possibility that she had survived—or worse, had been reborn—gnawed at Helena’s resolve.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAtXPS7AmWYw
As the shadow weavers prepared their magic and scouts loaded provisions, Helena lingered in the war room, staring at a map of the forest where the girl had last been sighted. The air was thick with tension, every shadow seeming to carry the weight of Lethyxia’s command.
63Please respect copyright.PENANA2QmGtimo0Q
One of her lieutenants, a grizzled man with a scar running down his cheek, approached cautiously. “high priestess,” he said, breaking the silence, “do you truly believe we can capture someone tied to Noctarion? If the tales are true…”
63Please respect copyright.PENANA4mzP1zDQxz
Helena cut him off with a sharp glare. “Tales are meant to frighten fools. We have our orders. Whatever she is, she is mortal. And mortals can bleed.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAshabWzl2sq
63Please respect copyright.PENANA3lzCJhcPW1
---
63Please respect copyright.PENANA4jMpm6ld0u
In the heart of the ancient forest, xia leaned against the willow tree, her mind racing. Memories of a life long past flickered at the edges of her consciousness—fragmented and distorted, like shards of a broken mirror.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAjpLmY8Lkoz
She didn’t know who she had been before, but she felt the weight of it, the burdens of decisions and sacrifices she couldn’t remember making.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAR3vVw9doRS
“I won’t let them control me,” she muttered, her fists clenching.
63Please respect copyright.PENANAfq0wMN8LTa
“Control is an illusion,” Noctarion’s voice rumbled, deep and soothing like a distant storm. He stepped into view, his celestial presence warping the space around him. “Even I, for all my power, answer to the whims of a greater force.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANA7ZeAPqYx5Z
She turned to him, her silver eyes alight with defiance. “Then why help me? What do you gain from this?”
63Please respect copyright.PENANA9NehLet9gq
Noctarion’s expression was unreadable, his starlit gaze fixed on her. “You carry a legacy that can tip the scales of this world. Your choices will shape the fates of gods and mortals alike. Whether you rise or fall, I will bear witness.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANA6LkiLCJexW
Xia frowned, her heart pounding. “Witness? That’s all I am to you—a spectacle?”
63Please respect copyright.PENANA8Vzp4Fhnp5
He stepped closer, the ground beneath him darkening as though the stars themselves bent to his presence. “You are more than you realize. But the path you choose is yours alone.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAwwI2vkroas
For a moment, silence enveloped them, broken only by the rustle of leaves in the night breeze.
63Please respect copyright.PENANArR0F7LSRnk
“What do you see in me, lio?” she asked softly.
63Please respect copyright.PENANA0J3TPaSkNb
The Eternal Sentinel regarded her with a rare tenderness. “I see the embers of a fire that once burned brighter than the sun. I see a destiny forged in sacrifice and redemption. And I see a choice—a choice that will determine whether this world thrives or crumbles.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAa9FnhcnztB
Xia's gaze dropped to the shimmering pool, her reflection rippling as if in answer. “Then I’ll choose to fight. For myself, for those who can’t, and for the truth of who I am.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAVizACCcBh2
Noctarion nodded, his form shimmering with celestial light. “Then prepare yourself. They will come with chains, with fire, and with lies. And you must be ready to burn brighter than them all.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANARewKCQKQCu
Xia straightened, determination hardening her features. “Let them come.”
63Please respect copyright.PENANAodUm8FLoX8
63Please respect copyright.PENANA0PaFpLbtV9