Shining Through Novel Novels & Stories

Chapter Nineteen Shirley's Pov While moving through the passage, I caught glimpses of the outside world through the holes, seeing the bright glow of streetlights shining through the cracks. This discovery filled me with excitement and showed me that I was making progress on my journey. The darkness felt so overwhelming, but right now, I could smell the fragrance tinted with hope.

Even now, with the world trembling, they could not agree. But Serena wasn’t listening. She had already stumbled toward the crater, drawn by the pulsing aura. Each step was agony, shadows ripping at her body, trying to bind themselves to the silver light. --- The Shard Awakens The glow swelled, blinding. Then it shifted. The light condensed, shaping itself not into a stone, but into something alive. A wolf stepped forward from the heart of the crater.

Why? What had she been hiding? What had she known? The shelf was about halfway open now, the gap wide enough that I could potentially squeeze through. But I wanted more space. I needed to see everything clearly. I gave one more hard push, and the shelf finally swung fully to the side, revealing the entrance to the hidden room beyond. I stood there, breathing hard, staring into the darkness. The crystal was still in my hand, and as if responding to my need, it began to glow again. Softly this time, just enough to provide light.

Chapter 124 The Prismatic Star’s Promise The prismatic star shimmered in the nexus’s starfield, its light a delicate dance of every hue, soft yet piercing, like a dawn breaking through a shattered prism. Jessica led her companions along a path of translucent crystal, its surface refracting their reflections into countless versions of themselves some weary, some radiant, all bound by their shared scars.

The glasses perched on her nose reflected the soft radiance of the lamp, creating a tranquil ambiance in the room. As Veronica immersed herself in the narrative, the words on the pages became a soothing balm for her soul. The author's prose painted vivid images, and the plot provided a welcome distraction. The book served as a refuge, offering solace and a temporary escape from the tumultuous emotions that lingered in the recesses of her mind.

[Shocking reversal: Elaine's prize-winning piece was plagiarized! [Ex-Mrs. Shaw slandered, the true victim vindicated.] I was stunned. Why would that old news resurface? Sean strutted by my window for the umpteenth time, and I stopped him. "Are you behind the story that's going viral?" His eyes sparkled, and Max's fluffy head nuzzled my shoulder. "You caught me, Becca. You're just too clever." I exhaled a weary breath. "It's ancient history, so don't worry about it."

My body dropped instantly, just like a kite that had lost its string. The wind screamed in my ears as I fell. Faintly, I could still hear the manic laughter coming from the twelfth floor. The overwhelming weightlessness wiped out every thought in my mind. Then, my body crashed into the ground with a violent impact. It felt like every bone in me shattered at once. Pain shot through me like sharp knives, spreading from my right leg throughout my entire body. I could feel the bone in my right leg break. The agony was so intense that I couldn’t stop myself from groaning. Sweat and tears poured out uncontrollably, soaking my clothes in seconds.

Only the light and the pain. She tried to scream. She had no throat. She tried to turn away. She had no body. She tried to close her eyes, to shield herself from the radiance that was burning through the layers of her spirit like sunlight through fog, and she could not. She had no eyes to close. The light was not entering through her eyes. It was entering through the place where her eyes would be, the place where the intention of seeing lived, the place where she had been about to open her eyes and return to the world of the living. The light was stopping that intention. The light was burning it away.

She could see Perla's cottage outside through the invisible screen, and her breathing increased as the sensation of being locked away inside the greenhouse made her feel claustrophobic and scared. Nueva carefully touched the shimmering barrier, and small circular waves rippled across the plasma-filled window, but it wouldn't let her through. Then a flicker of blue glistened on the screen, blocking her way. Nueva glanced around the room, and then she heard the faint whisper. "Ego Sum Clavis" And she realized it was her necklace glowing in the dim light inside the warm conservatory. Nueva repeated the words quietly to herself, and immediately the barrier shifted, becoming lighter and inviting

"Only one way to prove that." "Careful, wife." I warned, my voice low and teasing. "I always rise to a challenge." She laughed softly, her gaze falling to the book she’d closed. "Do you know what this book’s about?" I glanced at the title again, pretending to think. "A family, right? Something about poverty and resilience?" She nodded, seeming a bit surprised though she had found the book in the beach house, probably assuming I've never read it. "It’s about overcoming tough beginnings and finding beauty in broken places. It’s sad but also hopeful." Her voice softened and she looked thoughtful.