Collide: The Memory of Stars

Selene's POV

The clearing pulsed with quiet energy as Aldric circled me, his sharp eye watching my every movement.

The dark energy in my hands flickered and wavered, as unstable as my breath. I focused, trying to contain it, but it was like holding onto liquid shadow—always shifting, always resisting.

"You're gripping it too hard," Aldric said, his voice edged with amusement.

"Power like that isn't meant to be forced. You have to shape it, guide it."

I exhaled through my nose, loosening my stance.

"Easier said than done. It's like it has a mind of its own."

Aldric chuckled.

"That's because it does. And the more you fight it, the more it'll fight back. Try again."

I closed my eyes, reaching inward. The sensation of that power, that dark pulse, was familiar—too familiar.

It was the same energy I had touched when Eltharia guided me. The same power I had barely begun to grasp. But there was something else, too.

A presence.

A shift in the air. A whisper that wasn't Aldric's voice.

When I opened my eyes again, I wasn't in the clearing.

Darkness stretched around me like an endless void, but I wasn't afraid. I had been here before. I turned, already knowing what I would see.

There, standing in the empty space, was a figure—my own reflection, yet not quite me. A shadow of myself, featureless but unmistakable.

No color, no light. Just a presence, shifting like mist. The last time we met, she had returned to me a fraction of my lost power.

And now—

She tilted her head, a smirk in her tone despite the lack of a face.

"Struggling again, are we?" I exhaled, crossing my arms.

"You always show up at the worst times."

A chuckle. "Or the best times, depending on how you look at it."

I narrowed my eyes, feeling the weight of her gaze even without visible eyes.

"What do you want this time?" She stepped forward, her form flickering like a dying flame.

"Me? Oh, nothing. But you… you want something, don't you? Something more than just grasping at shadows. You want control."

I clenched my jaw.

"If you have something useful to say, say it. Otherwise, leave me alone." Another laugh, soft and knowing.

"Oh, I have something useful. A gift, even. But gifts come with understanding, Selene. Power isn't just something you take—it's something you wield. And to wield it properly, you need to understand its nature."

I watched as she raised her hand, and suddenly, the void around us shifted. Symbols—Eldorian symbols—glowed faintly in the darkness, forming an intricate pattern in the air. They pulsed, whispering something I couldn't quite decipher.

"This," she said, motioning to the glowing runes,

"is what you need. A spell, one that belongs to you. One that was always yours. But you forgot, didn't you?"

I swallowed. "I never learned Eldorian magic."

"You never needed to learn," she corrected.

"You only needed to remember."

The symbols pulsed brighter, and suddenly, the words resonated in my mind, their meaning sinking deep into my very being. A command. A truth. A force waiting to be spoken into existence.

I parted my lips, hesitating.

She chuckled. "Go on, Selene. Say it. Call it back to you."

The words felt heavy on my tongue, as if they had always been there, buried beneath layers of forgotten knowledge.

But as I spoke them, the void itself trembled. The energy I had struggled to contain suddenly surged, responding to the command in a way that was neither wild nor uncontrollable, but natural. As if it had been waiting for me all along.

"Vethariel somn exharis... thurel miran xal."

The moment the words left my mouth, the air around me twisted. The symbols flared with light before sinking into my hands, fusing into the energy that pulsed within me.

My shadowed reflection stepped back, satisfied.

"Now, you're starting to remember."

The darkness faded, and I found myself back in the clearing, my breath heavy, my hands still crackling with energy. Aldric's one open eye watched me with interest, his arms crossed.

Khael had stopped mid-training, staring at me with wide eyes. Even Axel had paused, his gaze locked onto me with something unreadable in his expression.

Aldric let out a low whistle.

"Well now… that was something. Care to explain what exactly you just did?"

I exhaled, my heart still racing.

"I think… I just remembered something important." Axel stepped closer, his gaze flickering to my exposed eyes before shifting back to my face.

"Your contacts," he murmured.

Only then did I realize—I wasn't wearing them. My true eyes, the ones I had kept hidden, were fully visible.

And yet, in this moment, I didn't feel the need to hide.

The air around me crackled with raw energy as I stood in the clearing, my hands still trembling from the weight of what had just transpired.

The ancient words still lingered in my mind, resonating with a force that felt both foreign and deeply familiar. I could feel the power thrumming beneath my skin, waiting—no, begging—to be shaped.

Aldric observed me with his arms crossed, a thoughtful expression settling on his face.

"You've taken the first step, but unlocking something and controlling it are two different things." He stepped forward, his tone shifting from amused to instructive.

"You need to harness it properly, or you'll risk losing control." I nodded, still feeling the echo of the incantation reverberate in my bones. My hands twitched, and a faint wisp of dark energy coiled around my fingers like a living thing. It pulsed, responding to my thoughts but refusing to be fully tamed.

Axel watched from a short distance, his gaze unreadable. Khael had settled down, still fascinated by the display but now absorbed in his own training again. Aldric moved to stand beside me, his lone eye narrowing as he studied the energy I was wielding.

"Again," he instructed. "But this time, don't just let it flow through you—mold it."

I took a deep breath and raised my hand, concentrating on the sensation. The energy stirred, shifting in response to my focus. Instead of resisting, I let it move like water, guiding it with intent.

Slowly, the swirling energy solidified, forming into something more distinct—more controlled.

A shape took form, jagged and sharp, yet eerily weightless. It hovered above my palm, shifting between liquid and solid, never fully settling.

The power didn't rage wildly anymore—it moved at my command, albeit hesitantly.

Aldric gave a nod of approval.

"Interesting. You're forming it instinctively, but you still need to define it."

I frowned slightly. "Define it?"

He smirked. "Every wielder's power takes a form unique to them. A weapon, a shield, an extension of themselves. Right now, your power is raw—versatile, but without identity. You need to shape it into something purposeful."

I stared at the dark energy in my palm, watching as it flickered and shifted. It didn't feel violent or destructive—it felt precise, sharp, and focused. Almost like… a blade.

The moment the thought crossed my mind, the energy responded.

It twisted, stretching out until it resembled a long, thin sword, its edges as sharp as death itself. The blade pulsed as if alive, a dark shimmer running along its surface. It was elegant, lethal, an extension of me.

Aldric let out a low whistle.

"Not bad. A manifestation of your will." He stepped back, allowing me to test it. "Try using it."

I hesitated for only a moment before tightening my grip on the hilt. The energy felt both solid and intangible at once, humming with quiet power. I swung it experimentally, and the air seemed to ripple around the motion, as if the very space around it was being cut.

Axel's voice was calm but firm. "It's not just a weapon, is it?"

I turned to him, realizing he was right. The energy wasn't just forming a physical blade—it was reacting to movement, distorting the space around it. It wasn't a simple weapon—it was something more dangerous. Something that could cut through more than just flesh.

Aldric grinned.

"Now that is something worth refining."

I exhaled, my fingers tightening around the dark blade. It wasn't just an attack—it was an ability.

A precise, deadly extension of my will. And as I stood there, feeling the weight of my newfound power, I knew this was only the beginning.

Khael, who had been watching silently, shifted uncomfortably. There was a flicker of something in his eyes—uncertainty, or perhaps recognition? I turned to him, sensing hesitation in his expression.

"What is it?" I asked softly.

Khael clenched his fists, his brows furrowing.

"I don't… know," he admitted, frustration lacing his voice.

"There's something I feel like I should remember, something about… her."

I froze. "Her?"

"The cursed one." His voice dropped lower.

"I don't know why, but I feel like I was supposed to warn you about her." Aldric's gaze sharpened as he studied the boy.

"You don't remember why?" Khael shook his head.

"No. It's like… like the memory is just out of reach. I know it's important, but I don't know why." He exhaled sharply, clearly frustrated.

"All I know is that before I became like this, before I was… saved, I had to tell you something about her."

Silence fell between us. Axel, standing nearby, kept his expression neutral, but I could tell he was listening closely.

I met Khael's eyes.

"Saved? By who?"

"I… I don't know," he muttered. "Something—someone—helped me. Someone who was on your side. They gave me a new body, but I lost a lot of my memories." He looked down at his hands.

"I think I was different before. Older. Stronger. But now… I can't remember." Aldric sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Fragments of an old life clinging to you, huh? No wonder you're so damn confusing."

Axel's voice was quiet but firm.

"It's better not to force it. Some memories return when they're ready." Khael glanced at him, and something unspoken passed between them. A silent understanding. Axel knew something—maybe not everything, but more than he let on. Yet, he chose not to pry.

I placed a hand on Khael's shoulder.

"We'll figure it out together."

His tension eased slightly, and he nodded.

"Yeah."

Aldric clapped his hands, breaking the heavy atmosphere.

"Alright, enough brooding. You all have power, but power without control is useless. You want to be ready when she comes for you, don't you?" His eye gleamed with mischief, but there was something serious beneath it.

"Then we train."

I looked down at the dark blade in my hands, at the power still lingering in my veins. The cursed one was out there. And whether Khael remembered everything or not, it was clear that I was at the center of it all. I needed to be stronger. Ready.

I tightened my grip. "let's train."

To be continued.