Romans & histoires The Forest Of Vanishing Stars: A Novel

It was that time when Pidge was so excited to have Maddox back. She knew Vlora had gone to bring him back. The black sky gradually turned into dim grey and the illumination of stars got languidly lusterless. Millions of stars in the ebony sky started hiding their brightness and got slowly dissipate as if someone was going to coming. Divergent birds were gently flying in the manifest sky and their dulcet dawn chorus was easily audible.

Jilin lifted her hand from the folder and placed it on top of mine. But I withdrew from her. I pulled away from Reese too, crossed my arms over my chest and stared at this folder. "You're still alive." I felt the old pain that threatened to tear my heart apart. Even today, in my dreams, I kept hearing my parents' screams. I saw how they had torn them, how the blood flowed and how the light of life had disappeared from their eyes. "Yes, and you have to go to Historia." Very slowly I raised my eyes to her face. "What do you expect from me now?"

Collen spent the duration of the drive absentmindedly stroking Evelyn's hair even well after she fell asleep looking out the window, 'A new moon huh? It feels as though even the night's sky is trying to envelope me in darkness tonight. Despite all of the street lights, cars passing by, the lit up houses. Collen couldn't help but feel it was just a dark night. Since the moments of Joe's death his mind downright refused to be silenced.

He looked terrified. “Isolde,” his voice whispered in my mind, weak and shaking. “The Starlight... I need it. Now. I’m fading.” Before I could ask what he meant, he collapsed. I caught him, his heavy stone body pinning me to the floor. I looked around for help, but the hall was empty. Everyone had fled in fear. I looked down at Alaric. His skin was turning a dull, dusty grey. He wasn't just turning to stone anymore. He was crumbling. Small pieces of his shoulder were turning into sand right before my eyes.

I whispered. He handed me release scrolls and departed. Two attendants entered with a cedar box and silver-lilies—moon-blooms that had once been our private language. I scoffed under my breath. A week ago, this might have thawed something. Today, I wanted to hurl the poisonous flowers into the fire. I dressed in silence. The deep crimson gown—color of blood—fit perfectly, tailored to my measurements as if he still remembered my body while forgetting my soul. When the escort arrived, I followed. The carriage glided through forest paths as the sky bled gold and violet, the same colors from our mating night.

She was falling, and this time, there was no void to catch her. "The source!" Nyx cried out. "They’re burning the forest! They’re erasing the Shadow from the earth!" Silas watched in horror as Lyra’s form began to fade in mid-air. She wasn't falling like a stone; she was disappearing like a memory. The Sun-Eater had begun its final "Unwriting." And from the center of the ring, a voice boomed—not a voice of starlight, but a voice of cold, mechanical logic. "The era of the Star-Born is ended. The North is now a blank page."

In the strip of clear sky, three dark points moved across the stars. “Drones,” I whispered. “Or something that flies like them.” “Can you fly like them?” she asked. “I can disappear so they won’t find me,” I said, grabbing her arm. “Come.” We ran. The forest swallowed our footsteps; branches clawed at our shoulders, thorns snagged my trousers, but we didn’t stop. Under the thick canopy, the stars vanished, replaced by darkness broken only by our ragged breathing. One of the shapes passed so low overhead that its wake tangled my feathers.

Emma's heart was racing as they emerged onto the street, the bright sunlight a stark contrast to the dimly lit station. They dodged pedestrians and cars, their pursuers hot on their heels. Emma's breath was coming in short gasps as they ran, her eyes scanning the street for any sign of escape. And then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a black van pull up to the curb. The side door slid open, and a figure leaned out. "In," the figure said, beckoning to them. Emma hesitated for a split second before grabbing Julian's arm and pulling him towards the van. They leapt inside just as the door closed behind them, the van speeding away from the curb before they even hit the floor.

My stomach was in knots, the pain so bad I could not even make it to the bathroom. That was when a shadow fell over me. "What's the matter? Heartache got you wishing for a second chance?" I looked up to see Jack Harris, arms folded, leaning casually against the doorframe, watching me with a detached gaze. He was all in black, his features sharp against the dim light, his eyes unreadable. His lips, though, were perfectly sculpted, even in the half-light. Suddenly, I felt that wave of unfairness wash over me, and before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face.

he argues as I spot the first sign of the woods. I shoot forward, crashing to the ground the moment I am far enough out of sight to shift easily. I rake the floor with hazed eyes, barely warding off the shift as I search for masking elements. I grab the first set of weeds I see and drench myself in the plant’s scent. Then, I let go.