Toward the Grey

The truth was about to be revealed.

Lyra held her breath as fear grew inside her. Time seemed frozen; not a single leaf stirred, not a breath could be heard. Silence had fallen between them like a suffocating fog.

At last, Alice spoke.

Her voice, soft yet resonant, echoed like a melody from the past.

— "It was around twenty-five years ago," she said, as if whispering a legend. "We had gathered in Aserya to celebrate your mother's twentieth birthday. Everyone was there—goddesses, fairies, even the souls of the stars. Because your mother… she was so beautiful, her presence stirred storms of envy."

Alice's eyes drifted to the distance.

— "There was a tradition in Aserya," she continued. "When someone turned twenty, they ascended to become a god or goddess. Your mother was to take the throne that day. Her crown would be placed upon her head, and her true power revealed. We were thrilled… but also uneasy."

Lyra's heart raced with every word.

Alice's voice trembled slightly.

— "She was my dearest friend. The most radiant. All eyes were always on her. Every man competed for her attention. But your mother… she never gave her heart to anyone."

She paused, then locked eyes with Lyra.

— "There was a veil in Aserya, separating good and evil. For we knew—good cannot exist without evil, and evil cannot exist without good. That veil… was the finest thread of fate. And your mother… touched it in a way no one expected."

Her voice softened to a whisper.

— "We didn't realize it at the time, but that day… something changed at the heart of both good and evil."

Lyra's pupils widened.

Her soul rippled with the weight of every word.

— "In our world, we had gods and goddesses of both light and darkness. Guardians of balance, for centuries. But that day… everything changed."

Alice paused to take a deep breath.

— "That same day… in the realm of darkness, someone else turned twenty. Malgor—your father."

Lyra's heart thundered in her chest.

— "It had been five hundred years since the last gods were chosen. No one knew why both sides would crown new rulers on the same day. Even the silence of the universe seemed to gain meaning that day."

Alice's voice trembled, but she held nothing back.

— "When your mother took her throne, your father did too—on the other side. At the same time. Like two ends of the same destiny."

After a brief silence, she continued:

— "The eldest among us, the wise and revered goddess of light, stepped beside Clara to crown her and reveal her gift. At the same time, in the shadows, a similar ritual was unfolding for Malgor."

Alice took Lyra's hands in hers.

— "That day, it wasn't just two crowns placed upon two heads. That day, the balance of the universe shifted. And you… you were the child born between those two crowns."

At Clara's coronation, the entire universe held its breath.

Time stood still. The world fell silent.

Because that was the moment the story truly began.

The ancient goddess spoke in a voice full of grace:

> "Her time has come. From this moment forth, you shall be the goddess of light, Clara."

The words struck like lightning.

Everyone was stunned.

Clara—your mother—was still young, just like you are now. Inexperienced. Unready.

And at that very same moment, on the other side, Malgor was crowned as the god of darkness.

In our world, it was forbidden for the forces of light and darkness to even acknowledge each other.

We couldn't see one another, speak, or cross into each other's realms.

While we balanced all that was good, they balanced all that was dark.

And now, leading the forces of good stood your mother, Clara.

Leading the darkness stood your father, Malgor.

Two opposing forces stood face-to-face at the center of the universe.

Years passed.

Clara fulfilled her duties with compassion and radiance.

Malgor was consumed by rage and shadow.

She was pure white; he, the deepest black.

They were living opposites—light and darkness embodied.

But then, chaos erupted in the universe.

To restore balance, both were summoned before the Council of the Gods.

That was the moment everything changed.

Alice's voice faltered.

— "It was the first time your father saw Clara… and his heart began to beat for her. And Clara… fell for him, too. But their love was forbidden. Black and white must never merge."

Their forbidden love grew into legend.

Clara, desired by all, had stolen the heart of darkness.

Lyra stood frozen, overwhelmed by revelation after revelation.

Each truth weighed heavier than the last, crumbling everything she thought she knew.

Alice continued, voice hushed:

— "Eventually, they could hide it no longer. They decided to meet one last time… to end everything. But their love… refused to die."

Alice's tone darkened.

— "That secret meeting—Clara brought me. Malgor brought his brother. Waltor. Yes, Lyra… Waltor was your uncle. And he was cursed."

Her voice turned bitter, and her eyes clouded.

— "They disappeared behind a veil of invisibility. For hours, we waited. Outside, storms raged within us. Waltor couldn't accept his brother's love for a goddess of light. 'This is betrayal!' he shouted. 'This is the end of balance!'"

Alice stared into Lyra's eyes.

— "That's when the first spark of war ignited between me and Waltor. Our words were like blades. Our eyes burned with fury."

She paused, then whispered:

— "When Clara and Malgor returned… their faces were pale.

They had made a decision.

To never see each other again.

To bury their love in eternity."

Everything seemed to return to normal.

The realms of light and shadow resumed their ways.

But beneath the surface, the darkness stirred again.

Waltor…

Blinded by rage, began to hate his own brother.

His heart burned—with ambition and vengeance.

His intent was clear:

To steal Malgor's crown and cast the entire universe into his own shadow.

Malgor, of course, was no saint.

He was, after all, the god of darkness.

But after meeting Clara… he had learned to temper his cruelty with justice.

He remained ruthless—yet now, he was a just kind of evil.

Time passed.

And then… it was my turn.

I reached my twentieth birthday.

The ceremony was grand.

Like everyone else, I wondered what my gift would be.

But instead of receiving a power, I was given only these words:

> "You are the guardian of what is to come."

What did it mean?

What was I to guard? From whom? Why?

I searched for answers endlessly.

Eventually, I sought out an ancient seer who could glimpse the future.

I begged:

> "Please… give me a glimpse of what lies ahead. I need to know my purpose."

That day… I was not alone.

Waltor was there too.

A coincidence? I no longer believe in those.

He asked only one question:

> "Will I take Malgor's place in the future?"

The seer looked at us both… then closed her eyes.

And that… was when destiny shifted once again.

The seer made a request:

To see the future, she needed a piece of each of us.

But we wouldn't know what that piece would be.

"It may be a memory," she said. "A power. A hidden feeling in your heart. But once given, it can never be reclaimed."

After a long silence, we both bowed our heads in acceptance.

Curiosity—destiny's most dangerous whisper—had won.

She turned to me.

Lifted her hands.

Looked to the sky.

And then… a light appeared.

Not white. Not black.

Grey.

— "This light is your purpose," she said.

— "This light is the balance of the future.

Your mission is to protect it."

Something within me broke free.

A piece of me flowed into that light.

She looked at me once more:

> "This light… is Lyra."

I swallowed hard.

I understood.

Your fate was written that very day, Lyra.

Then she turned to Waltor.

His eyes, darker than mine, full of hunger.

The seer whispered:

> "If you destroy the grey light… you will not only replace your brother. You will rule the entire universe."

Waltor's eyes gleamed.

He withdrew in silence, but I knew storms raged within him.

I rushed to Clara, trembling.

I told her everything.

Tears welled in her eyes.

She couldn't hold back.

And I… I knew her too well.

I saw what hid behind those tears.

Every second of her silence pierced me like a blade.

I fell to my knees and begged:

> "Please, Clara… tell me the truth. What is this grey light? What am I supposed to protect?"

Her eyes drifted into the void.

Her hands trembled… and held her belly.

She whispered:

> "I think… I know."

My heart pounded.

> "How?" I asked. "How can you know?"

Clara looked away.

Her tears fell silently onto her white dress.

Then came her broken confession:

> "Alice… I'm sorry. Forgive me. But I… I am pregnant."

Time stopped.

> "The grey light… is the child I carry."

> "My light… Malgor's shadow… have merged inside me. And now, within me grows a being who is neither fully light… nor fully dark."

Clara's voice cracked:

> "She is not what you must protect, Alice.

She is the one you must protect."

And in that moment…

everything made sense.

The grey light.

The prophecy.

Waltor's hunger.

And Lyra—

You