Celestial Bonds - Shattered Paths (Book 3)

Chapter 7: Threads of Destiny

Jax

The air in the archives was musty, filled with the scent of ancient parchment and dust. I sat hunched over a stack of texts, squinting at the faded symbols in the dim light. My mind raced, struggling to make sense of the prophecy's intricacies. It was like chasing shadows—always moving, shifting, just out of reach. The Crown was at the center of it all; somehow, we were tangled in its web. But how and why? Those questions gnawed at me relentlessly.

I rubbed my temples, staving off the pounding headache threatening to overtake me. Lyara had left the archives hours ago, her expression pale and haunted after reading about the previous bearer of the Crown. I could still see the fear in her eyes, the way she glanced at me before leaving as if silently pleading for answers. But I had none, and that realization gnawed at me.

I pushed the scrolls aside, frustration bubbling to the surface. All of this felt like a losing game. The more we uncovered, the more convoluted the prophecy became. And then there was the matter of Kian and Lira. My stomach tightened at the thought of them. I could feel the tension between us all, the way it was warping every interaction. Kian's stony silence whenever I entered a room, the way his eyes would harden if I glanced at Lyara... it was suffocating.

Then there was Lira. She was always watching and calculating, and I couldn't tell where her loyalties truly lay. She was Kian's advisor, yet sometimes I caught glimpses of something more in her eyes when she looked at him—a hint of concern and maybe even longing. It unsettled me, and part of me wanted to confront her, to tear down the walls she kept so carefully in place. But I didn't know how. I didn't know if I was ready to face whatever truth might lie there.

I shoved my chair back and stood, pacing the narrow aisle between the shelves. There had to be a way to make sense of all this. I just needed a fresh angle. I found myself thinking about Kian again, about our last argument. He'd confronted me about my relationship with Lyara, his voice dripping with anger and something that felt like betrayal. I couldn't blame him. We had been friends once—brothers, almost. And now, we were standing on opposite sides of an emotional chasm that threatened to engulf us both.

I heard the door creak open, and my body went rigid, expecting Kian's imposing figure or Lyara's quiet presence. But it was Lira who stepped into the room. Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, neither of us moved. She had that guarded look on her face, which she wore when holding something back. I wouldn't say I liked that look because it meant she knew more than she was letting on.

"I thought you'd still be here," she said quietly, crossing the room toward me. Her movements were precise and controlled, as if she was always calculating each step.

"Where else would I be?" I replied, trying to keep the irritation from my voice. "The answers aren't just going to present themselves."

She sighed and glanced at the pile of scrolls on the table. "No, they're not. But sometimes you need to step back to see the whole picture." Her gaze shifted back to me, and I saw a flicker of concern there that caught me off guard.

"What are you hiding, Lira?" I asked bluntly, unable to hold back the question any longer. "You know more than you're saying. About the council, the Crown... about Kian."

Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she schooled her features back into calm neutrality. "You're not the only one struggling with all of this, Jax," she said softly. "We're all searching for answers, and none of us have the luxury of knowing where this path leads."

I felt a surge of frustration. "That's not what I asked. You've been keeping secrets, and it's tearing us apart. Kian, Lyara, me... we can't keep doing this."

Lira's gaze hardened, and I saw a glimpse of the steel beneath her calm exterior for the first time. "And what exactly do you think I'm keeping from you, Jax?" she challenged. "Do you want me to tell you that the council plans to push Kian into a corner to force him to make choices he's not ready for? Or that the Crown's power isn't something we can truly control?"