(~797 words — part 11)
They found the mirrors first.
Shattered pieces scattered through the trees, reflecting things that weren't there—Nyari's eyes glowing red instead of gold, Elen's hair charred and dripping shadow, a world burning behind them.
"Illusions?" Elen whispered.
Nyari crouched, picking up a shard.
"No," she murmured. "They're choices."
Elen blinked. "What?"
"Reflections of what we could be." Nyari's tail twitched. "Someone is showing us what happens if we break."
She rose.
"They're leading us."
Elen looked down the path where the mirror trail continued.
"This is a trap, isn't it?"
Nyari nodded.
"And I'm walking into it."
🔥 The Fourth Star
The trail ended at an abandoned temple—marble arches cracked and choked with vines, sunlight gleaming off hundreds of perfectly placed mirrors.
And in the center stood a girl.
Barefoot. Smiling.
Hair like wildfire. Eyes like molten glass. A ribbon of flame coiled lazily around her wrist.
She turned slowly as Nyari stepped into the light.
"Finally," the girl said. "I was wondering how long it would take the tiger to come say hello."
Nyari's claws twitched.
"You're the Fourth Star."
The girl tilted her head.
"I'm Blaze. That's what I call myself now. The name I had before? It burned away."
🧨 The Spark of Tension
Elen stepped forward. "We can help you—"
Blaze raised a hand.
A pillar of fire erupted in front of her.
"Don't insult me with kindness, echo-girl."
Elen flinched.
Nyari stepped in front of her. "She's not your enemy."
"No?" Blaze smiled faintly. "Then what are we, Nyari? Because I've seen the truth."
She gestured around the temple.
"The mirrors showed me everything. I wasn't chosen. I was broken. And the moment I accepted that—I stopped being weak."
⚔️ Trial by Flame
Blaze raised her hand.
"I'm not here to be saved."
She summoned a sword of flame from her palm—blazing, flickering, yet shaped like glass. Her eyes narrowed.
"I'm here to see if you're worth saving others."
And then she attacked.
🌀 Light vs. Flame
Nyari moved fast—but Blaze was faster than any star she'd faced.
Her flame bent—curling through space like a dancer's ribbon, chasing her even after she dodged. The mirrors amplified it—reflecting the fire until it circled from behind.
Nyari flipped over a burst of heat, landed on a crumbling pillar, and hurled a streak of light downward.
Blaze deflected it with a spin, fire arcing outward in a halo.
"You fight like a hero," she mocked. "Clean. Controlled. Boring."
Nyari landed hard, tail flicking.
"You talk like someone who's afraid they'll be forgotten."
That hit.
Blaze snarled and launched forward.
💔 The Turning Point
They clashed—again and again.
Light and fire tore through the temple ruins, setting mirrors ablaze, cracking pillars, shaking stone.
Elen watched from the edge, eyes wide.
She wanted to help.
But she knew—
"This isn't just a battle.
It's a test of belief."
🐯 Nyari's Truth
Blaze slammed Nyari to the ground, flames licking her shoulders.
"Why do you fight?" she hissed.
Nyari's eyes glowed brighter.
"Because I care."
She surged upward, kicking Blaze back into a standing mirror, shattering it.
"I fight because I want people like you to live long enough to choose something better."
She threw her dagger.
Blaze raised her hand.
But this time, the dagger passed through her flame—and struck the ground beside her.
Blaze blinked.
"You… missed?"
Nyari stepped forward, breathing heavy.
"No."
She pointed at the shards.
The broken glass reflected Blaze's face—
Crying.
🌧️ The Collapse
Blaze stared.
Then looked at her own trembling hands.
"…I didn't want to hurt anyone," she whispered. "I just… didn't want to feel weak anymore."
Nyari approached slowly.
"You weren't weak."
She held out her hand.
"You were alone."
Blaze stared at it.
Tears ran down her cheeks.
And for the first time—she took Nyari's hand.
🕯️ Aftermath
They camped outside the ruins.
Blaze sat in silence beside the fire, holding a piece of one of her own mirrors.
"I thought if I burned bright enough… the fear would go away."
Nyari offered a small smile.
"It doesn't. You just learn to walk with it."
Elen looked between them.
"…So what now?"
Nyari looked to the stars.
"There are more of us. Still out there. Still hunted. Still hurting."
She looked back at them both—Blaze to her left, Elen to her right.
"We're going to find them."
🧿 Far Away…
A cloaked figure stood before a dark altar.
One hand raised.
One name spoken.
"Nyari…"
A ripple of corruption spread outward.
Seven shadows stirred in response.
"You will kneel… before the end."
To be continued in Chapter Thirteen: "Starseekers"
(Nyari's group grows—but the next awakened is not alone. A rival team has begun gathering twisted fragments of their own, determined to become gods of their own design… and Nyari is standing in their way.)