Knights of Eternal– Arc Two – Book One: Revive

Chapter Thirty-six: Whispers of the Past

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Lucindra (loo-SIN-duh)

Celestira (suh-LESS-tee-ruh)

Selmara (SEL-mah-rah)

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"Visions stir, secrets awaken, and a summons from afar sets the path for what is to come."

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Visions of the past stir the present, and a summons from beyond sets the path for what is to come.

*****

A few days had passed since Devine unleashed Eternal Radiance: Sanctum Reforgia, restoring both Zephyrel Academy and the Temple of Aetherion to their former glory.

For once, the Academy was quiet.

The Eternal Knights were treated as honored guests, given personal quarters in the Academy's east wing—rooms normally reserved for Zephyrel's visiting dignitaries.

Devine stirred awake, a faint pulse of unease pressing in his chest. Not from sleep, exactly. From a vision—one of the many that had haunted him in the nights before his journey.

He blinked against the soft morning light, pulling the sheets closer around his shoulders. Across the room, Conri slept on the couch, curled neatly, breathing even and calm.

The vision replayed in his mind: two silhouettes, a man and a woman, standing side by side. Both appeared regal, their presence commanding even in shadow. They did not speak, yet their gaze seemed to pierce him, weighted with expectation, sorrow, and something he could not name.

Then came the voice. Not his own, not anyone he recognized, but someone shouting a name that was not his.

"Lyrian!" The word echoed through him, strange yet familiar, tugging at the edges of memory he could not place.

Devine's heart tightened.

He sat up slowly, trying to anchor himself in the waking world, but the feeling persisted: someone, something, reaching across time to touch him.

The silhouettes wavered, fading like smoke in the morning sun, leaving only the pull of presence, a faint trace of movement in the corner of his vision.

Conri stirred on the couch, stretching and yawning, but his sharp eyes immediately caught Devine's tension.

Something was wrong.

"Devine... are you all right?" Conri asked quietly, sitting up, his gaze steady.

Concern was evident in his tone, soft but unyielding.

Devine shook his head, attempting a reassuring smile, but it faltered.

"I... I think it was just a vision. One of those dreams I've had before."

Conri's frown deepened.

"A vision, huh? You're shaking more than usual. Something's lingering. I can feel it."

Devine sighed, running a hand over his face.

"Maybe... or maybe I'm finally imagining things."

He looked at Conri, grateful for his presence. Even if the vision was just a fragment of memory, it had left a weight that he could not bear alone.

He had always been good at reading him—the subtle twitch of a hand, the distant look in his eyes, the faint tightness of his jaw.

Rising from where he had been resting, Conri walked toward the bed.

"Devine... tell me—" he said softly, his voice steady but concerned.

"What happened in the vision? I can feel it... you're not just imagining things."

Devine hesitated, fingers fidgeting with the edge of the blanket.

There was something in Conri's gaze-a mix of concern and insistence—that made it impossible to hide.

He sighed, finally speaking.

"Conri... Headmaster Kon... he wasn't my real father—" Devine admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

"He found me... at the doorstep of Akasha Academy when I was a baby. That's all I knew... all that was left of them was this."

He lifted the pendant around his neck, turning it so Conri could see. It was not the Opal Stone, but a delicate emblem he had worn since he could remember-small, intricately carved, and unmistakably regal.

Conri leaned closer, examining it.

The proximity made Devine's heart race, a subtle warmth creeping into his cheeks.

Conri's bare chest glowed in the morning light, the casual closeness intensifying the moment.

"This... this is all that was left?" Conri murmured, almost to himself, fingers hovering near the pendant as if tracing the weight of the secret it carried.

Devine nodded, swallowing hard.

"I've seen pieces of it... in visions. But I don't know the whole story yet. All I know is that it's tied to something important... something that's been calling me."

Conri's expression softened, concern still etched across his features.

"Then we'll figure it out—" he said firmly.

"Whatever it is, you're not alone in this. I'm not letting you face it by yourself."

Devine's chest tightened—not from the words alone, but from Conri's subtle presence. He managed a small, grateful smile and leaned slightly toward him, trusting for once that he wasn't alone.

Outside, the Academy remained calm. But for Devine, and for Conri, the quiet was only temporary.

Something was stirring beyond the walls, and this time, the vision had not been a warning-it had been a summons.

Before Devine could gather his thoughts further, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Who is it?" Conri called, still seated near the edge of the bed, his eyes flicking toward the door.

"It's me—" came the familiar, confident voice of Lucian.

The door creaked open, and Lucian stepped inside, pausing for just a moment.

His sharp eyes immediately took in the scene: Conri sitting close beside Devine, Devine's bare chest exposed as he adjusted the sheets, and the lingering warmth of the quiet room.

A slow, knowing smirk spread across Lucian's face.

"Well... well—" he said, his voice dripping with amusement.

"Looks like I've walked into something interesting."

Devine froze, a deep blush spreading across his cheeks.

Conri, equally aware of the situation, shifted slightly but didn't move away.

Lucian leaned casually against the doorframe, smirk widening, clearly enjoying the moment.

"I'll... just leave you two to it," he teased lightly, though the sparkle in his eyes suggested he had no intention of turning away quickly.

Devine groaned softly, pulling the sheets just enough to cover himself more comfortably.

"Lucian... it's not what it looks like," he muttered, though his voice lacked conviction.

Lucian chuckled, straightening.

"Alright, alright... I'll behave. For now," he said, giving a last, playful glance at the pair before moving toward the door.

As the door clicked shut, Devine exhaled, letting the tension in his chest ease slightly.

Conri shifted back, the brief interruption over, though both were acutely aware of the closeness they shared in that quiet, morning light.

They both exchanged a small, knowing smile, the brief, teasing interruption easing some of the morning tension.

Conri gave a subtle nod toward the door.

"We should probably get ready," he suggested, voice calm but with a quiet edge of authority that Devine had come to trust.

Lucian, still leaning against the doorframe, raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening.

"Getting ready, huh? I was just about to tell you both something... something very interesting," he said, the mischief in his voice impossible to ignore.

Devine tensed immediately.

"Lucian, wait—"

But it was too late.

Lucian's grin only deepened, clearly enjoying the effect of his words, and Devine felt a mix of dread and amusement ripple through him.

Conri, sitting upright now, narrowed his eyes slightly, sensing that whatever Lucian was about to announce, it wasn't meant to be shared just yet.

Lucian chuckled, clearly aware of the tension he had stirred.

"Relax. I'll give you a moment to... prepare yourselves," he teased, voice dripping with amusement, though the gleam in his eyes hinted he had no intention of holding back for long.

Devine sighed, glancing at Conri, who gave a reassuring nod. They shared a fleeting moment of quiet solidarity before Lucian's news pulled them back into the day.

*****

The group moved down the polished marble hallway, their footsteps soft against the gleaming floor.

Devine, Conri, Julen, Auren, and Lucian entered the sunlit breakfast room where Aeris and his family had just sat down, the table spread with fresh bread, fruit, and steaming tea.

Devine offered a polite bow; Conri followed just behind him, standing a little closer than usual—enough for Julen to notice with a raised brow. Lucian simply smirked.

Aeris looked up from his cup.

"Are you all right? You look... like you didn't sleep much."

Devine forced a reassuring smile.

Conri shot him a side glance but didn't interrupt.

Headmistress Seraphina rose from her seat, her eyes bright with anticipation.

The excitement radiating from her made even the calm morning feel electric.

"Ah! You're all just in time!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together.

"I have wonderful news to share. A royal letter has been sent to the Academy—specifically addressing the Eternal Knights!"

The knights exchanged curious glances.

Julen's lips curved in a small, restrained smile.

"A royal letter? This sounds... significant," he remarked, though his tone carried a hint of restrained excitement.

Auren leaned forward slightly, eyes sparkling.

"I wonder what it could say. Surely it must be important if it concerns all of us." Lucian smirked knowingly, his gaze sweeping across the table.

"Well, I suppose we're about to find out," he said, the teasing edge in his voice barely hiding his own curiosity.

Headmistress Seraphina lifted the letter carefully from the table, her hands trembling slightly with excitement.

"It arrived this morning—" she explained, breaking the seal with delicate precision.

"And it speaks directly to the Eternal Knights, acknowledging your deeds... and requests your presence in Celestira, the radiant capital of the Kingdom of Lucindra."

Devine's pulse quickened. Something about the mention of Lucindra—the kingdom of the regal figures in his visions-made his chest tighten.

He glanced at Conri, who gave him a subtle, reassuring nod, but the concern in his eyes remained.

The letter lay open on the table now, the inked words gleaming in the morning light. Whatever awaited them, it was clear their journey was far from over.

Devine's gaze drifted downward. Celestira.

The name tugged at something deep inside him—something warm, familiar.

Auren whistled softly.

"Isn't Celestira all the way on the southern tip of Lyranthium?"

"Exactly—" Seraphina nodded.

"You'll need a proper route planned."

Julen leaned back, thoughtful.

"How are we supposed to get there? Walking would take almost a month."

A faint grin pulled at Lucian's lips.

"Well... about that."

Devine narrowed his eyes.

"Lucian. What did you do?"

"I wasn't doing anything," Lucian corrected, lifting a finger.

"I was discovering."

Aeris's father, Professor Althrian Zephyrel, arched his brow.

"Discovered what?"

Lucian leaned forward, lowering his voice as if savoring the reveal.

"So... I went on my usual morning routine. A run, a detour, a little exploring—"

Julen sighed.

"Lucian, please."Lucian continued smugly.

"—and I stumbled into an old cavern near the west cliffs. It was hiding something incredible."

Conri crossed his arms.

"Just say it."

Lucian's grin widened.

"A royal airship."