Heir of Celestia

The first dream came on the night the stars disappeared.

Aurelia stood barefoot upon an endless sea of clouds. They shimmered beneath her feet like white silk, stretching farther than the eye could see. Above, the sky glowed with golden light instead of blue.

In the distance stood a magnificent castle.

Its towers pierced the heavens, carved entirely from white crystal and marble. Rivers of light flowed around it like waterfalls. Bells echoed through the clouds although no one could be seen.

A voice whispered...

"Come home."

Aurelia took a single step.

The clouds trembled.

Another voice—deeper, filled with sorrow—called her name.

"You are the last..."

Suddenly the beautiful sky darkened.

Black cracks spread across the heavens.

The shining castle began collapsing.

A shadow with crimson eyes emerged from the darkness.

"I have found you."

The creature reached toward her.

Aurelia screamed.

She woke gasping for air.

Rain hammered against her bedroom window.

Her heart raced violently.

It had been the same dream for seven nights.

Only tonight...

The shadow had spoken.

She lit a candle and walked to the mirror.

Around her neck hung a silver pendant her mother had left before disappearing twelve years ago.

For the first time...

It glowed.

Not brightly.

Just enough for her to notice.

Aurelia touched it.

The glow vanished instantly.

"What are you trying to tell me?" she whispered.

No answer came.

Only thunder.

The following morning the village bustled with life.

Merchants opened their stalls.

Children chased each other through narrow streets.

Nothing seemed unusual.

Except everyone kept staring at Aurelia.

"You look pale," said old Martha.

"Another nightmare?"

Aurelia forced a smile.

"I'm fine."

She wasn't.

Every night the dreams became clearer.

Every morning she remembered more.

The castle.

The clouds.

The voice.

And those terrifying crimson eyes.

Later that evening she climbed the hill overlooking the village.

It was her favorite place.

Whenever life became difficult, she came here to watch the sunset.

As darkness settled over the valley...

A shooting star crossed the sky.

Then another.

Then hundreds.

The villagers gathered outside.

"What is happening?"

Suddenly every star froze.

Silence filled the world.

The air became impossibly cold.

Then...

Every star disappeared.

Darkness swallowed the heavens.

Aurelia's pendant burst into brilliant white light.

A powerful wind circled around her.

Far above the clouds...

A gigantic white castle appeared for a single heartbeat.

Then it vanished.

Everyone else saw only darkness.

Only Aurelia had seen the castle.

Only she heard the voice.

"Find us before the last light dies."

The journey had begun.