Today was the day.
Today was the day she would officially become an initiate of the Luminari Order.
Elyra stood in the wide courtyard of Solara, a city surrounded by tall mountains and filled with golden sunlight. The rest of the world lay cloaked in shadow, but Solara stood alone bathed in golden light. It was the last stronghold of the Light, where believers gathered under the watchful eye of Solmara, the sun goddess.
Beyond the mountains past the sacred barrier that protected Solara, lay Eryndor—a land swallowed by eternal twilight. There, the sky was trapped in an endless cycle of dusk, painted in shades of violet and deep blue.
The sun never fully rose, nor did it set, leaving the land in an half-light state. The curse that had befallen Eryndor had stripped it of warmth, turning its rivers to ice and its forests into skeletal remains of what they once were.
The contrast between the two lands was impossible to ignore. Solara, ever shining, stood as the last hope against the encroaching darkness, while Eryndor remained a grim reminder of what had already been lost.
Elyra on the other hand, stood among hundreds of others, all clothed in the ceremonial robes of the Luminari. The white fabric marked with golden sun symbols, felt heavier than it ever had before, though she wore it with pride.
Today was the final rite. Today was her last test before becoming one of them.
The Luminari Order. They were a collective of warriors, priests, and assassins, all devoted to Solmara, the Sun-God and sworn to eradicate the darkness.Theirs was a purpose that left no room for error, no room for hesitation.
It was a way of life that left no space for weakness. Elyra had been raised in its strict teachings, shaped by it. A tool to fight the shadows, trained to hunt the Shadowborn and their cursed magic.
Initiates like her were inducted into the Order between the ages of 7 and 12, stripped of their familial ties and identities, molded into something greater. Their lives were dedicated entirely to Solmara's will, bound to the doctrines of Light's Dominion.
From the moment she'd been taken from her parents, Elyra had known this path was her only choice. The Order had become her family—no one else had ever mattered.
Now, at 23, she was ready to take her final step. She looked around at the other initiates. Young faces shaped by years of hard training, stood in neat rows before the High Inquisitor.
Some looked tired from the harsh training, while others showed the excitement she felt. They were all here for the same reason, all about to begin a new chapter in their lives. Elyra's heart swelled with pride as she surveyed the crowd. This was her family now. The only family she had ever truly known.
A hand brushed against hers, pulling her from her thoughts. Elyra's head turned slightly, a faint smile curving her lips. Her companion, Lucia, stood beside her—her only true friend in the world. They had been through the fire together since their earliest days in the Order. Lucia's face was calm, but Elyra could see the quiet pride in her eyes.
"They would have been proud of you, Elyra," Lucia said softly, her voice was barely audible above the hum of the crowd. "I'm sure Solmara sees you."
Elyra knew exactly who Lucia was talking about. Her parents. The ones she had lost when she was too young to fully understand the weight of the world they had lived
Elyra nodded, squeezing her friend's hand before releasing it. Lucia had been her constant since they were both taken into the Order. They had fought together, bled together, and survived together. To Elyra, Lucia was more than a friend. She was the sister she'd never had, the one person who made the harshness of this life bearable.
"I know," Elyra replied"But today is not about them. Today is about us."
Lucia's lips curled into a soft smile"Of course. You've earned this, Elyra. The sun will shine brighter with you in its light."
As they spoke, the hum of the gathered initiates faded into silence. A group emerged from the grand archway of the temple. The Inquisitor walked slowly with his gold and white robes.
Behind him, the Radiant Council followed—a group of six elderly figures whose presence inspired both respect and fear. Their faces, marked by time and wisdom, gave nothing away as they fixed their eyes on the initiates like heavenly judges weighing mortal souls.
Elyra's breath hitched as the Inquisitor raised his hand, signaling silence. The courtyard, once filled with excitement became as still as a graveyard.
"All of you have come here seeking the light," the Inquisitor's voice rang out llike a drumbeat in the tense air. "You have devoted your lives to Solmara's will, bound by the oath of the Luminari. But devotion is not enough. Faith is not enough. You must prove yourselves worthy in the eyes of the Sun-God.
Elyra breathed in. She had expected this—the final test, the ultimate trial before ascending as a true warrior of the Light. But something felt wrong
One of the elders stepped forward, his voice carrying the wisdom of centuries. "For the first time in centuries, we invoke the Rite of Ascendancy."
A murmur of confusion swept through the initiates, then quickly turned into horror. Elyra felt her stomach drop. The Rite of Ascendancy? No. No, that was a legend, a myth whispered in the dark corners of the temple. A trial spoken of in fear, buried in history.
The Inquisitor's next words were a blade to her soul.
"Let it be known," the Inquisitor intoned "only one will walk from this trial. Only one will claim their place in the Luminari as a true servant of Solmara. Those who fail will be cleansed. Purged. Their bodies will return to the dust from which they came. The light of Solmara does not tolerate weakness, and neither will we."
The initiates erupted into horrified whispers. This wasn't the test they had trained for. This wasn't what they had spent their entire lives preparing to become. The Luminari were warriors, but they were not meant to kill their own. Were they?
Lucia, beside her, remained still. Too still. Elyra turned to her friend, expecting shock, fear—anything. But Lucia's expression was eerily calm, her dark eyes were unreadable. It was as if she had already known. Already accepted it.
Lucia finally turned to her, but her voice was barely above a whisper. "May Solmara guide you, Elyra," she said. "May the best one win."
Elyra's heart hammered in her chest. Panic surged through her, clawing at her throat. She reached for Lucia's hand. "No," she whispered, her voice breaking. "We don't have to do this—"
But Lucia's gaze never wavered . Elyra's vision blurred as tears welled up, but she refused to let them fall, forcing them back with all her strength.
"This isn't... what we signed up for," Elyra choked out. "We were supposed to fight the darkness—not each other."
Lucia's smile deepened,it was almost bittersweet. "The darkness is within us all, Elyra. Even the light casts shadows."
Before Elyra could speak again, the High Inquisitor's chant filled the courtyard. The ground shook as Solmara's light burst above bathing everyone in a golden glow. The moment he finished, chaos broke out.Today was the day.