Chapter 1: The Girl Who BurnedThe night was heavy with the scent of rain-soaked earth and the distant hum of a city that never slept. In the forgotten alleys of Eldhaven, where gaslights flickered like dying stars, a girl named Lira knelt in the mud, her hands trembling as she clutched a shard of glowing amber. It pulsed faintly, warm against her palm, as if it were alive.Lira was no stranger to the streets. At seventeen, she'd learned to navigate Eldhaven's underbelly—dodging cutpurses, charming bakers for stale bread, and avoiding the Watch's iron grip. But tonight was different. Tonight, the amber shard had found her.It had been tucked inside a crate she'd pried open behind the Alchemist's Quarter, expecting to find nothing more than rusted tools or spoiled herbs. Instead, the shard had gleamed up at her, its light cutting through the fog like a beacon. The moment her fingers brushed it, a jolt had sparked through her veins, and whispers—soft, unintelligible—had filled her mind.Now, as she crouched in the alley, the whispers grew louder, urgent. "Lira… Lira…" Her name, spoken by voices that weren't human. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing them to stop, but the shard burned hotter, searing her skin. She gasped, dropping it into the mud.The glow didn't fade. Instead, it flared, casting shadows that danced like specters on the crumbling brick walls. Lira's breath hitched as the air around her shimmered, and a figure materialized from the light—a man, or something like one. His eyes were molten gold, his hair a cascade of midnight, and his presence felt like a storm trapped in a bottle."You've awakened it," he said, his voice low, resonant, like the toll of a cathedral bell. "And now, they'll come for you."Lira scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding. "Who are you? What is this thing?" She gestured at the shard, now pulsing rhythmically, as if synced to her heartbeat.The man stepped closer, his boots silent on the wet cobblestones. He was tall, clad in a long coat that seemed to shimmer with threads of starlight. "I am Kael, Keeper of the Emberlight. And that," he nodded at the shard, "is a fragment of the Pact—a covenant older than this city, forged to bind the realms. You've claimed it, Lira, whether you meant to or not.""Claimed it?" Lira's voice cracked. "I didn't claim anything! I just… found it!"Kael's lips twitched, a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes. "The Emberlight chooses its bearer. It sees something in you—something even you don't know yet."Before Lira could argue, a howl split the night—a sound that was neither beast nor man, but something far worse. The air grew thick, oppressive, and the gaslights dimmed as if suffocated. Kael's expression hardened. "They're here.""Who's here?" Lira demanded, her hand instinctively reaching for the knife tucked in her belt."The Hollow Ones," Kael said, drawing a blade of his own—a weapon that gleamed with the same amber light as the shard. "They hunt the Emberlight. And now, they hunt you."Lira's mind raced. She was no hero, no chosen one. She was just a girl who stole to survive, who dreamed of a life beyond the alleys but never dared hope for it. Yet the shard's warmth pulsed against her skin, and the whispers in her head grew clearer, urging her to run.She didn't hesitate. Grabbing the shard, she bolted down the alley, Kael's footsteps echoing behind her. The howls grew closer, and the shadows twisted into shapes that made her stomach lurch—claws, eyes, hunger made manifest.As they rounded a corner, Kael grabbed her arm, pulling her into a hidden alcove. His breath was warm against her ear as he whispered, "Stay still. The Emberlight will protect you, but only if you trust it.""Trust it?" Lira hissed, her voice barely audible. "I don't even trust you."His golden eyes met hers, and for a moment, the world stilled. "Then trust this," he said, pressing his hand over hers, where the shard glowed brighter. A surge of warmth flooded her, not burning now, but alive, powerful, like a fire kindling in her soul.The howls faded, replaced by an eerie silence. Lira's heart slowed, but her mind buzzed with questions. Who was Kael? What was the Emberlight Pact? And why, in all the realms, had it chosen her?As the first drops of rain fell, Kael stepped back, his gaze never leaving hers. "This is only the beginning, Lira. The Pact has awakened, and with it, your destiny. Will you run from it… or em
By - sapan Sharma