Beyond the Stars

Chapter 16: The River

The river's glow shimmered like liquid starlight, stretching across the clearing in colors too beautiful to be real. Each ripple carried fragments of constellations, as if the night sky itself had been poured into the stream. It wasn't just water—it was alive, humming softly with power. My chest tightened. This was it. Cassiopeia's River of Truth. The end of my journey, or maybe the beginning of something greater.

But now came the impossible choice.

Miriam's words rang in my ears: "Only one question can be asked. One in a lifetime. Choose wisely, for the river will never answer you again."

One question. Just one.

I sank to my knees at the bank, staring at my reflection wavering on the galaxy-water's surface. My reflection looked foreign—my dark hair tangled from the journey, my eyes too tired, my cheeks pale from hunger. And yet, there was something fierce in those eyes, something I hadn't noticed before.

"What will you ask?" Blessica's voice broke the silence.

Her question pierced me. What would I ask?

I thought of my mother back on Earth—her warm hands, her nagging lectures, her laughter echoing in the kitchen. Did she know I was here? Did she miss me? Who was I really? Why had I been dragged into this world of crowns and wars and secrets? Those questions had tormented me since the day I stepped into Cassiopeia.

But then, I glanced at my friends.

Blessica's worried frown, Alon's restless tapping, Danilo's folded arms, Baron's tense jaw, Cedric's defiant glare, Carmen's raised brow. Therondians and Caspians, sitting together at the river's edge, unable to look each other in the eye without sparks of hatred. In only two months, they had become part of my life. As annoying, dramatic, and hot-headed as they were, they mattered to me.

Could I really choose myself over them?

The journey had already taught me so much. Selene, the girl in cinders, had endured cruelty but never stopped being kind. Elias, the thief, had shared what little food he had. Miriam's entire village had thrived because of Sinag and Hiwaga's generosity. Everywhere I went, I saw pieces of goodness in broken people. And I remembered what my mother always told me: "Don't live for yourself alone, Angeline. Help others, even if it costs you something."

Maybe... maybe if I asked about the kingdoms, if I could heal the rift between Caspian and Therondia, then someday the truth about me would also be revealed. A united Cassiopeia could help me find the answers I couldn't reach on my own.

I stood, breathing deeply. "I've decided."

Miriam nodded gravely. "Then step into the river. Let its waters embrace you."

I waded forward, the icy chill soaking my dress. The water sparkled against my skin, not heavy like normal water but weightless, as if the stars themselves were carrying me. I inhaled sharply, then submerged my entire body, head and all.

Instantly, everything changed.

At first, panic seized me. I expected to drown. But strangely, I could breathe. Each breath was filled with light, cool and clear, flowing through me like air. The world around me shifted, and the river pulled me into visions.

"Why has there been a fight between Caspian and Therondia from then until now?" I whispered in my heart.

The river answered.

I opened my eyes to find myself standing in a field beneath a vast night sky. The barrier that once divided the kingdoms was nothing more than a low wall of stone, small enough to step over. Cassiopeia's constellation glowed brightly above, her stars forming a crown.