Lahat ng Kabanata ng Luminous: The Throne: Kabanata 71 - Kabanata 80

“Princess Alessia. It is time.” The words came from a healer standing respectfully at the door, but Alessia didn’t yet move. She stood rigidly before the dressing mirror, her fingers trembling over the silver clasp of her cloak. The room was still dim. Dawn had barely broken over the Citadel. Soft strands of sunlight cut through the curtains like gentle blades, illuminating the dust motes floating in the air. Her reflection stared back at her: pale, nervous, silver-eyed, and sixteen. Too young for this. Too old to run away. Kael stepped behind her, appearing in the mirror over her shoulder like a silent shadow. “You don’t have to go through with this,” he murmured. “We can refuse.” Alessia shook her head slowly. “If I refuse now, I walk into the Trial of Essence already afraid of him.” Kael’s jaw tightened beneath his mask. “Being cautious isn’t fear.” “Yes,” she whispered, “but this isn’t caution. This is cowardice. I feel it.” She met his eyes in the reflection. “I won’t let h

“Alessia, stay close. Do not drift.” Kael’s voice was sharper than usual as he guided her down the sunlit hallway toward the Conclave Arena. Morning bells echoed faintly across the Citadel, announcing the start of the Trial Day. The air hummed with tense energy—luminous threads vibrating violently through the walls as if the building itself sensed what was coming. Alessia’s pulse thrummed in her ears. Her steps were steady, but her hands trembled slightly under her cloak. Kael noticed immediately. He moved closer, his presence warm and grounding. “Breathe,” he murmured. “Slow.” She inhaled the scent of silver flowers blooming along the corridor. The distant hum of gathered crowds. The sharp cold of Lunaris luminous seeping through the air. She exhaled a shaky but controlled breath. Ariadne walked ahead of them, flanked by Solaris guards in gold armor. Ianthe and Eryx walked behind Alessia, keeping a tight protective formation. Seraphine, clutching a tray of “emergency pastries,”

“Alessia! Answer me!” Kael’s voice echoed through the sealed Lunaris chamber door, raw with urgency. His fists slammed against the silver barrier again, shadows surging violently around him. The guards attempted to step back, intimidated by the sheer force rippling from him. Ariadne watched with tense composure, though her fingers had tightened around the hilt of her ceremonial blade. Ianthe stood beside her, eyes narrowed, head tilted slightly. “She’s fighting well,” Ianthe said quietly. Kael spun toward her. “You can sense anything through that barrier?” Ianthe smirked faintly. “You think I would stand here calmly if she were losing?” Kael’s breathing slowed slightly. “I… can’t hear her.” “You’re hearing the fear inside yourself,” Ianthe corrected sharply. “Not hers.” Kael stiffened. Eryx leaned forward, listening. “The lunar currents inside are stabilizing… I think she passed the illusion stage.” Seraphine clutched his arm, shaking. “I can’t sense anything, but I can feel s

“Why didn’t you save me, Luna?” The voice struck her like lightning—too real, too sharp, too close to the deepest part of her she tried to bury. Alessia was stunned; breath ripped from her lungs as the darkness of the Noctis chamber thickened around her. Her brother stepped forward—or not her real brother. He couldn’t be. He was dead and long gone and was left behind in another life, but the illusion wore his face perfectly. His eyes. His soft hair. The faint scar on his chin from when he fell off the playground slide. His smile—no, not a smile. A shadow of one twisted with pain. He took another step. “Why didn’t you help me?” Alessia’s knees buckled. She dropped to the cold stone floor with a choked sob. “You’re not real…” He stopped only a few feet away, his form flickering faintly with Noctis's luminousness, but everything else—his posture, his expression, his trembling hands—was painfully familiar. “Luna,” he whispered, voice cracking, “you promised we’d protect each other.”

“Breathe, Alessia. Slow… you’re safe now.” Kael’s voice trembled, the slightest break in its usual steadiness. He held her against his chest, one arm wrapped around her back, the other cupping the back of her head as though shielding her from the world. Alessia clutched his cloak, her fingers curled into the fabric like she was afraid she might fall back into the illusions if she let go. Her body shook uncontrollably. Her lungs burned from screaming. Her eyes flickered with exhaustion, but she was out. She was here. She was real. Kael’s heartbeat—strong, fast, completely alive—pulsed beneath her ear. It grounded her more than the entire world of Luminary ever had. A hand touched her shoulder. It was Ariadne. She lowered herself to one knee beside them. “My love… look at me.” Alessia forced her head up. Ariadne’s golden eyes filled with pain when she saw her daughter’s tear-stained face, trembling lips, and dim silver glow. “Oh, Alessia…” Ariadne whispered, pulling her into a g