A Nascent Kaleidoscope. 소설 & 이야기

“Because I don’t think you’re doing any of this intentionally.” “But I am doing it.” Lysandra stayed quiet for a moment. Because there wasn’t really a comforting way around that answer anymore. The flowers near the windows shifted slightly. At first, it looked like nothing more than the movement of air from the cracks near the glass. Then one of the pale winter blooms nearest to Celeste slowly curled inward. The color faded from the petals almost instantly. Lysandra saw it. Celeste didn’t, or if she did, she pretended not to.

“Not all are intact. Some are… corrupted by time, lost context. But each contains a truth from the past.” I stepped closer, drawn instinctively to one vessel nearest the center. Inside, I could see a blurred scene — a woman, standing beneath a moonlit sky, her hair whipped by the wind. My chest tightened. “Careful,” Kael murmured, his hand brushing mine. “These are not toys. They’re echoes. Handling them incorrectly could… trigger things we’re not ready for.”

“It changes everything.” The kaleidoscope darkness around him brightened once more, glittering like stars trapped in deep water. Behind me, both realms answered like thunder.

Wide eyes all around watched her with curiosity, fear and wonder. "You're not a prince," she said feeling the cloak fall from her shoulders as she took another step forward. "Your a monster," she announced, just then a loud thunder boomed through the air and the lights went out. The screams of the party goers went silent. A purple light suddenly appeared, emitting from a pendant, that illuminated the face of breathtaking woman. Her eyes were like hot gold burning with fire. Her skin dark and smooth with freckles of silver. Her hair long and flowing, a sentinel being...alive.

My eyes blinked very slowly and I knew I was going to pass out… or worse. The men in the room just watched, anticipating. I blinked once. Mabel was telling her men something about releasing me. I slumped on the floor and couldn’t move an inch. Second blink. Mabel’s hands were engulfed with black clouds of smoke. Her hands were stretched out before her and the smoke twirled and moved around her fingers. Her eyes were all black as her mouth formed words I couldn’t understand. It was like she was in a trans. The room suddenly became very cold and then very warm, before my eyes closed again. My eyes opened once more and I saw green. Everywhere was green. I couldn’t see any other color except gre

The gateway’s light enveloped the group, pulling them into another disorienting transition. The swirling colors of the Veil gave way to a vast chamber unlike anything they had seen before. The floor was a mosaic of interlocking tiles, each glowing faintly. Above, the sky seemed to ripple like water, reflecting fractured images of their past battles and decisions. At the center of the chamber stood a massive pedestal, and atop it rested a glowing orb—the core of the Nexus Crystal itself, pulsing with immense energy.

the ethereal voice intoned, urging us to embrace the kaleidoscope of possibilities. The fractured nexus, once a linear guide, now presented a non-linear array of cosmic pathways. "Navigating the fractures requires understanding the harmonies of the cosmic dance," the guiding force whispered. With each step into the unknown, the cosmic currents surged, carrying us deeper into the unexplored realms where the echoes of our choices reverberated in the cosmic symphony.

Each telescope held the promise of unveiling celestial secrets that awaited discovery. The first observatory unveiled an astral nebula—a cosmic cloud of vibrant hues that swirled and danced in harmonious patterns. The celestial guide explained that within the nebula lay echoes of cosmic events, waiting to be deciphered. Victoria and Alexander, fueled by curiosity and guided by the harmonious currents, delved into the astral nebula, deciphering the celestial echoes that whispered cosmic tales.

Isabella, scanning the surroundings, whispered, "Does anyone else hear that?" As the humming grew louder, a voice – ancient and full of sorrow – echoed through the void, resonating with the very fabric of The Nexus. "Brave souls, you may have defeated your shadows, but the true trial has yet to begin. The Nexus was just the entrance to the labyrinth of your souls." Suddenly, the ground beneath our feet began to shift and transform. Massive stone walls rose around us, constructing a seemingly endless maze. High above, the sky morphed into a tapestry of galaxies and constellations, providing just enough light to make out the labyrinthine paths.

I blink it away hard and fast, not wanting to miss a single second of this moment. “What the fuck…” I whisper, swiping at my face. Caelum walks a few paces ahead of me, his silhouette carved in perfect arrogance against the pastel sky. Rose gold, washed peach, misty purples bleed across the horizon, melting at the edges, swirling wet ink on silk. But there’s no sun. I crane my neck, squint against the impossible light. It’s just a glow, soft and sourceless.