Bound by Crystals and Shadows のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

The palace of Lunara trembled under the weight of shadows. Screams echoed through the halls as the skies outside turned black — thick smoke and swirling darkness swallowing the moonlight. The Shadow Demon King’s army had come. Inside the royal chambers, the Queen held a newborn close to her chest. The baby’s soft cries were drowned out by the clash of steel and the crack of breaking stone. A streak of tears ran down the Queen’s pale cheek as she looked toward the balcony, where faint shards of moonlight still pierced the storm. “ Her magic is too strong,” the King said, his voice rough and desperate. “ He’ll sense her. If he finds her, Lunara is lost.”The Queen nodded, her eyes glowing faint silver as ancient power awakened within her. “ Then I’ll send her where he cannot follow.” The King stepped closer. “ You’ll die if you open that portal.” She smiled faintly, her voice trembling. “ Then let my life buy her future.” She kissed the baby’s forehead and whispered,

Somewhere outside, a soft voice spoke in a language I didn’t know, followed by the faint jingle of metal and wind chimes. My heartbeat quickened. Was I still underwater? Was this the afterlife? No. My chest rose and fell. I was breathing. Alive. Somehow. I tried to stand, but my legs felt weak, like they didn’t belong to me anymore. The tent spun slightly, and I steadied myself on the bedpost. The crystals flickered as if they sensed my movement, their light pulsing brighter for a moment before fading again. “ What is this place…” I whispered, the words trembling. The flap of the tent shifted suddenly. A stream of light spilled in — bright and sharp. Someone was there. A shadow moved, slow and graceful, and then a figure stepped inside. A woman — tall, with hair the color of silver moonlight braided down her back. Her skin seemed to glow faintly, her eyes bright and almost too pale to be human. She looked at me with calm curiosity, then spoke in tha

The air between us seemed to still. My thoughts spun wildly. The accident, the cold water, waking up in a tent filled with glowing crystals… and now this? Pointy-eared people and kingdoms that didn’t exist on any map I’d ever seen. I pressed my palms to my eyes, trying to steady my breathing. “ This can’t be real,” I whispered. “ It can’t be.” But when I looked up again, Corin was still standing there—solid, real, and watching me with eyes that seemed to see more than I could ever understand. And deep down, I knew—whatever this place was, however I got here—it was real. And somehow, I ended up here. ----It had been three days.Three long, boring, endless days of lying on the cot while Elara insisted I rest Every time I tried to stand, she would appear out of nowhere, her silver braid swinging like a warning flag. I was tired of sleeping. Tired of staring at beige canvas walls

I didn’t speak. My throat felt tight, like his words were pressing the air out of me. “ What happened?” I whispered. He sighed, the sound rough, like gravel under his breath. “ The palace collapsed. The shadows consumed everything—every soldier, every healer, every innocent. When the light returned, all that was left were ruins… and silence. No one ever found their bodies.” “ And the baby?” I asked, my voice breaking a little. Corin’s eyes flicked toward mine—so full of regret that it made my chest ache. “ No one knows. Some believe the child died with them. Others…” He paused, shaking his head. “ Others think the baby was taken. But by whom, no one can say.” The air between us grew still, the only sound the faint hum of the buried crystals. I didn’t realize I’d wrapped my arms around myself until he spoke again. “ When the royal line fell,” he continued, “ the crystals dimmed. They were born from the same magic that flowed through the royals’ veins. Their

I shot upright, my heart slamming against my ribs. For a second, I thought I’d imagined it. But then came another—shrill, desperate. The camp was in chaos. I could hear shouting, the clinking of metal, the thunder of boots pounding against the dirt. My pulse raced as fear clawed up my throat. “ Elara?” I called out, my voice trembling. No answer. Before I could think, I threw the blanket aside and stumbled out of bed, my bare feet hitting the cool ground. The night air hit me like ice as I pushed through the tent flap— And froze. The world outside was consumed with shadow. Thick black smoke twisted through the air like living things, swirling and spreading across the camp. The crystal lights embedded in the paths flickered weakly, their once-bright glow dim and sputtering as if smothered by darkness. Shapes began to form inside the smoke—bodies. Not fully solid, but almost. Each one shimmered between mist and flesh, their limbs twisting as if they w