Page 13 of The Stars

Dante pushed himself to his feet, his legs shaky, the sand shifting under his shoes. The weight of the moment settled on his shoulders like a heavy cloak, his mind racing with questions. What was he supposed to do now?

He turned in a slow circle, scanning the beach, the distant cliffs, and the endless sea. Everything felt impossibly different, untouched by time, like stepping into a long-forgotten myth. The air smelled of salt, the breeze carrying the distant cry of seabirds. He felt impossibly small, standing on the edge of a different world.

A deep breath of the warm, salty air filled his lungs as he began to walk along the shoreline, the sand shifting beneath his boots with each step. The distant cliffs loomed ahead and, beyond them, who knew what waited?

As he walked, his pulse finally began to slow, the panic receding. But there was no denying it—he was far from anything familiar. And he had a long road ahead of him in this strange world.

Chapter Five

Amy hadn’t realized she’d been the one to scream as Dante disappeared before her eyes.

This had to be a trick. Right?

Her friends and brother were somehow playing a huge joke on them. Dante must be in on it. That’s it. That makes sense.

But then she replayed what she’d just witnessed.

Dante’s entire body had… shimmered and vanished when Brea had touched his shoulder.

Now, Brea was moving towards her.

“No!” She held up her hands. “I…” She looked towards her brother. Joe was nodding at her and had a strange smile on his lips. Then he mouthed, “Trust us.”

She shook her head. “This isn’t right.”

Before Brea could touch her, Mia stepped forward.

“Remember who you are,” she said. “It’s time to wake up, Pandora.” She lightly touched her fingertips to Amy’s temples. Her entire world spun quickly and an odd warmth spread through her.

Memories flashed before her eyes, too quickly for any of the scenes to make sense.

Mia stood in a great hall under a dark sky filled with three moons. There were huge, intricate glass chandeliers hanging from large beams that crossed high overhead.

Before her was a single large golden chair on a pedestal. Two suns were setting directly behind the throne.

Amy was slightly shocked to see herself and Hope, Dante’s sister, standing at the head of the room.

Hope was dressed in a long flowing silver and lavender gown and her dark skin practically glowed, as if it had been sprayed with tiny golden sparkles. A large sleek silver crown sat on top of her jet-black hair.

Amy was dressed in a flowing golden gown. Her paler skin appeared as if it were made of stardust, and her long golden hair held a crown of gold that gleamed brightly in the dying sunlight.

Then Hope moved forward and lifted her arms.

“Welcome, Mia Li, daughter of Malik al-Ahmar,” Hope said clearly. “We are sorry for keeping you waiting so long for answers. We needed to be assured of a few things and had to get everything in order for our departure.”

“We have been expecting you for a very long time,” Amy added.

“I am Elpis,” Hope said with a slight smile. “This is my sister Pandora.” Hope turned towards Amy, who smiled in return.

Then, just as quickly as the images appeared, they were gone. Brea’s hands replaced Mia’s on her face, and Amy blinked a few times to focus on the other woman’s silver eyes.

The world around Amy felt like it was collapsing, unraveling thread by thread. Brea’s voice echoed in her head, distant and haunting, the words taking on a weight that pressed against her chest.

“You must go forward to wake and see the possibilities,” Brea had said, her voice trembling with emotion as if burdened by a truth too heavy to bear. A tear slipped down her cheek, catching the faint glimmer of moonlight. “When you see him again, everything will be revealed. This is what we know. This is all we can tell you. You are the next step in saving this world.”

Amy’s mind reeled at the words—saving the world? How could that possibly be true? She was just... her. Ordinary, flawed, and lost in a storm that she didn’t understand. But before she could protest, before she could demand answers, she felt the strangest sensation. Brea’s touch seared into her skin, sending an electric pulse deep into her core. The spots where Brea had made contact began to burn, then tingle, a quick zap of electricity rushing from those points into her very bones.

It spread fast—hot, sharp, invasive—like a live wire snaking through her insides. She gasped, her body jerking involuntarily as the electric charge consumed her, ripping through muscle and tissue, a force so violent that she felt like her very atoms were being torn apart. A scream ripped from her throat, but the sound was swallowed by the air around her. It echoed only in her own mind, a chilling, hollow scream that went unanswered.