Silence began to flow slowly through the radiant city, not a silence empty of life, but a solemn stillness carrying within it a hidden anticipation, as if everything in that place was preparing for something far greater, and in the midst of that light—which did not resemble sunlight nor any light she had ever known—Eileen stood motionless, her eyes fixed on that woman she had not been able to look away from since the moment their gazes met, Azira... the queen whose name echoed among the people as though it were a part of that very light, yet to Eileen she was not merely a queen, but something else, something closer... and more dangerous at the same time, because the look directed at her had not been fleeting, nor coincidental, but a direct, aware gaze, as if she could see what no one else could.
Eileen's breathing quickened without her noticing, and a question trembled within her that she could not suppress—how could she see me? How could she look at me this way while everyone else passes through me as if I do not exist at all? And why, despite all of this, do I feel as though I know her? It was not merely admiration or surprise, but a strange, deep sensation, as if something inside her was reacting to that woman's presence, as if there was a connection she did not understand, yet could not ignore.
Azira took a small step toward her, very slowly, as if she did not want to break that moment, or perhaps she was trying to confirm what she was seeing, her movements calm yet clearly directed toward Eileen alone, she did not look at the crowd, nor at the guards, nor did she pay attention to anyone else except the girl standing among the people as though she belonged to another place, then she stopped at a close distance, and her voice finally emerged, calm yet carrying a distinct weight, "How did you get here?" The question was simple in its wording, but not in its meaning, as though she was not asking about the place alone, but about existence itself.
Eileen opened her mouth, trying to speak, to explain, to say anything, but she did not know where to begin, "I..." the word came out weak, uncertain, as though the words refused to form, because she herself did not understand what was happening, she did not know how she had arrived, nor why she was here, nor how she had become visible to a single person in a world that did not acknowledge her existence.
Before she could complete anything, a voice from behind cut through the moment, the minister stepped forward with measured urgency, bowing slightly as he spoke in a formal tone, "My lady, we must move, everyone is waiting for you," his voice pulling Azira back to reality, to her role, to the place that did not allow her to linger upon shadows no one else could see.
But Azira did not turn immediately, her eyes remained on Eileen, steady, as though resisting the act of leaving, then she said quietly, without shifting her gaze, "Minister Azon... do you see what I see?" A brief silence followed, the minister raised his head, looked around, carefully scanning the surroundings, yet he found nothing unusual, nothing beyond the people, the light, and the guards, so he turned back to her and said, "What do you mean, my lady? I see nothing," then quickly added, as if to end the hesitation, "My lady, let us move."
Azira moved at last, but slowly, her body turning forward, while her eyes remained fixed on Eileen for a few lingering moments, a long, unreadable gaze that Eileen could not interpret, yet she felt its weight, felt that it was not mere doubt, but the beginning of recognition, then that gaze broke as Azira moved away, leaving behind questions with no answers.
Eileen remained where she stood, her breathing uneven, her voice barely a whisper, trembling, "How... did she see me? How can she see me when no one else can?" She had no time to think further, because movement returned around her, people shifted, bowed, and began gathering toward the platform, as if everything was returning to its natural course, as if that moment had never happened.
Eileen moved with them without realizing it, curiosity stronger than fear, she wanted to see, to understand, to get closer to this woman who had suddenly become the center of everything within her, until she reached a place near the luminous platform, where the guards stood in composed order, organizing the people, surrounding the space with an undeniable presence, while Azira stepped forward to the front, a calm smile upon her face, she raised her hand, and in a single instant, the voices fell silent, the cheers vanished, as though the entire city had yielded to a single gesture.
Eileen watched in astonishment, whispering to herself, "What is this queen doing?" but no answer came, because Azira raised her hand toward the sky, her fingers extended steadily, then she began to speak, words in a language Eileen did not understand, yet could feel, a magical tongue, deep, resonant, carrying power that needed no translation, "Elyra... Venshir... Lumina Veyl... Arcanis Sol..." and with the final word, the air turned, a surge of energy rippled across the sky as if the world itself trembled, people struggled to remain steady, some grasped those beside them, others held their stance, while Eileen lifted her gaze quickly, her heart pounding, "My God... what is happening? What is this energy?"
Then she heard it—the sound of wings.
She looked higher, her eyes widening as she saw a massive flock of birds, yet they were not ordinary birds, their wings translucent, as if formed from light itself, their bodies glowing in blue, with living currents of energy flowing within them, and with every movement they left luminous trails that painted the sky, moving in perfect harmony as if they were a single dance, a sight beyond easy description, "What are these birds?" Eileen whispered, her voice low, "I feel... awe..."
Azira raised her hand once more, moving her fingers lightly, and said in a calm yet commanding voice, "Dance... O luminous birds," and in the next moment, the flock moved, spreading, circling, flowing in all directions, their movement not chaotic but precise, beautiful, yet immense in power, and with every motion, light began to fall, multicolored particles, dense, polished, radiant, descending upon the people, upon their faces, their hands, the ground, one of them fell upon Eileen's face, she closed her eyes without realizing, and felt something she had never known before, warmth, comfort, a deep peace, as though all the unrest within her vanished for a moment, she opened her eyes slowly and whispered, "What a beautiful feeling..."
She lifted her gaze toward Azira, the queen's image reflected in her eyes—standing firm, her hand raised toward the sky, controlling all that light—Eileen smiled, a genuine smile that emerged without thought, "What a magnificent queen you are..." while the birds continued their dance, and the people resumed their cheers, "Azira! Azira!" Eileen looked at a woman standing beside her child, both smiling, a simple yet true happiness, she lowered her voice and said softly, "Ray... Sera... I wish you were here... to feel what I feel... to see what I see... I don't know how I came to this place... but I am in a strange... and beautiful place... and what makes it beautiful... is this queen."
But that beautiful feeling did not last long...
Slowly, and without any clear warning, something began to change in the air, not a sound nor a movement easily noticed, but a subtle, heavy sensation, as though the light itself was losing its stability, as though the harmony that filled the sky moments ago was beginning to fracture from within.
Eileen stood still, her faint smile fading without her realizing, she lifted her gaze slowly, her eyes following the birds whose movement was no longer the same, no longer in harmony, but slowing, scattering, as if something unseen had disrupted them.
"What is happening...?"
she whispered softly, yet her heart was beating differently now, heavier... slower... as if her body sensed danger before her mind.
One of the birds suddenly stopped midair.
Then another.
Then the entire flock began to lose its rhythm.
The light falling upon the people was no longer gentle, it began to dim, and the colors that filled the place moments ago lost their brilliance, as though they were being drawn away.
The people began to look around.
The cheers faded.
Silence returned... but this time it was not peaceful.
It was tense.
Frightening.
Eileen raised her head further, searching for the cause, until—
she saw the shadow.
Above.
Distant... yet expanding.
Moving slowly, yet swallowing the light piece by piece, as though the sky itself was being torn apart.
Her expression tightened, and something clenched in her chest.
"This... isn't normal..."
Then—
the sound came.
A deep, heavy sound emerging from the sky itself, not a scream, but something that shook the inside before it could be heard, as if it passed through bone, through the heart, freezing everything in place.
Her breath halted.
She stood frozen.
Then it appeared.
A massive form cutting through the sky, enormous wings stretching as if to consume the light, each beat sending force through the air, shattering the glow around it, as though its very presence was enough to distort this perfect world.
It was not a normal bird.
It was a being.
Its feathers dark, fractured with strange energy, as if something alive moved within them, and its eyes... glowed with a cold color, unlike the light that filled the city, but opposing it entirely.
"No..."
the word escaped Eileen barely audible.
She stepped back unconsciously.
Below, the people began to move, chaos had not yet erupted, but tension spread, the guards stiffened, the minister lifted his gaze sharply, staring into the sky with clear concern—
but Azira...
remained still.
She did not move immediately.
She looked upward, steady, her eyes not filled with fear... but something else.
Something like recognition.
And that made Eileen's heart tighten further.
"She... knows it...?"
Then—
the creature screamed.
A sound that pierced the sky.
And in that same instant—
everything broke.
The luminous birds vanished, the light that filled the city shattered, the air itself seemed to collapse under pressure, as though the peace from moments ago had been nothing but a fragile illusion.
Eileen placed her hand on her head, her vision shaking, sounds overlapping, the city began to fade before her eyes, buildings, people, light—everything dissolving slowly, as if the world was being pulled away beneath her.
But before everything disappeared—
Azira looked at her once more.
Directly.
A clear gaze this time.
Without doubt.
Without hesitation.
And she said in a low voice... yet it reached her clearly:
"You must leave... this place is no longer safe for you."
Eileen's eyes widened.
"What...?"