Chapter 21: Ep 21 - Shattered Throne
The air inside the Spire was still—so still it rang. The silence wrapped around them like gauze, muffling even the sounds of their breaths. Above them, the ceiling stretched beyond visibility, carved with constellations that flickered like dying stars. Every step toward the heart of the tower tightened the weight on their chests, as though the very air was made of judgment.
They came upon the chamber by accident, but none of them were surprised to find it waiting.
The Throne of Echoes.
Sera stepped forward, her boots grinding against crystal dust. The throne itself was carved from obsidian and marrowbone, set atop a shallow pool of memory-light. Faces shimmered within the waters—not reflections, but memories. Regrets.
"This is where it begins," Ayaka said, voice taut. Her knuckles were white against the hilt of her staff. "Or ends."
Without warning, the room rippled.
Light swallowed them all.
---
Sera blinked.
She was five again.
The chamber was warm, humming with glyph-song. Her mother's arms were around her, but they trembled. Fresha's voice whispered against her ear, a lullaby turned farewell.