Planet of the Stars

Chapter 25: Calys

I woke up and headed out to the common area. The first thing I saw was Skye fast asleep on the couch with Loki laying next to her. I felt a small smile play across my face. I gently reached out and shook Skye's shoulder. Her purple eyes shot open and she sat up.

"Hey it's okay you were just asleep." I say.

"Oh Efren." Skye says, then rubs her eyes before saying.

"I need to tell you something."

"What?" I ask.

"We, as in Theo, you, and me need to go to Calys." Skye says.

I clenched my jaw. Calys was a sacred spot for crystal users. Having to go there wasn't exactly happy for me.

"Why?" I ask.

Skye looks at me with her wide purple eyes.

"You know why." Skye says.

I clench my jaw together again. I did know why.

"Efren." Skye says gently.

I nod, then turn towards the cockpit and see Helaina piloting with Lars.

"Theo, Skye, and I have to take the second ship and head towards Calys." I say.

"Crystal User stuff?" Helaina asks.

"Crystal User stuff." I confirm.

Helaina nods. I kiss her head, then head towards where we boarded the second ship. Theo and Skye were waiting.

"Ready?" I ask.

"Yeah." Theo and Skye say.

"Here we go." I say.

We board the ship, then head towards the planet Calys. From space it looked like a barren world, but that was the point. Hide its importance with something that doesn't look important. I touched down on the planet and we get out of the ship. Skye took the lead and we followed her.

She came to a stop outside the cave that's opening stretched forever above us. Skye took a deep breath, then headed in. She stopped in a large cavern. She looked at me questioningly. She was wondering if this was the right place.

I gave her a gentle nod. She nods, then sits down and closes her eyes. The blue ruins appeared around her, and on her body.

"What's going on?" Theo whispers.

"Crystal users have scared places all over the galaxy. This cave on this planet happens to be one of them."

"You're supposed to come here to be granted the title of Crystal master. I've never been to one of theses places." I say.

"But I'm not a crystal user. I'm crystal sensitive." Theo says.

"You're still welcomed here, now come on." I say, then sit down and close my eyes.

I hear Theo sit down, then there is absolute silence. I take a deep breath, and clear my mind. A white light appeared in front of me. I opened my eyes, and saw I was in a temple brightly lit and gold placed in certain areas. I took a step forward, and the white clouded in front of me before turning into a gray cloud, then solidifying into a person. They were wearing a mask and armor.

"Efren Daniel Lightman." The voice says.

"That's me." I say.

"There's anger pulsing through you. I can feel it." The man says.

"Well I'm not exactly happy." I say.

The man starts walking around me, studying me.

"You're angry with the crystal force. The very thing that you should be blessed to have." The man says.

"Well it hasn't been easy being thankful for it these past few years." I say.

"I see." The man says circling around me. "because of Skye." I tense at the mention of Skye's name.

"She's your apprentice is she not?" The man asks.

"She is." I say.

"But you've taken on two apprentices at the same time. That is forbidden." The man says.

"I wasn't going to leave either of them alone to learn their powers by themselves. If that is a crime, then I don't mind being guilty." I say.

"You're quite attached to the two of them. That is also forbidden. Attachments complicate things. I see they're also very attached to you. You have failed them." The guard says.

"I haven't." I say.

Before the man could respond I kept speaking.

"I found them alone with no family! I gave them something no other crystal user could have. I gave them a family. People who would comfort them, and catch them when they fall. I showed them a better life than either of them had, had. In my opinion that is better than teaching them how to control their powers." I seethe.

"Those are not our ways." The man hisses.

"Our ways are wrong." I demand.

The man recoils.

"You dare! You think of them as your son and daughter, but they are not!"

"They are!"

"Skye has her real father." The man says.

"That she does, but she is also my daughter. Theo is my son. Your rules are wrong and frankly old. I will not follow them any longer, and that is my final stand." I say.

The man raised his sword. It was white and thin. I summoned my swords.

"Efren!" I hear Skye in the distance yelling.

"Now I must go." I say.

"That's not how this works." The man snarls.

"Watch me." I hiss, and start forcing myself awake.

"You can run, but your destiny will stay the same and it is not good." The man says.