The moon of Aselari hung low that night, casting a bluish sheen over the ruins of the ancient fortress of Elmerion, where time had grown tired and ivy clung to broken stone like forgotten promises. Beneath its crumbling towers, Kelen and Lys stood in silence, watching as the creature of resonance—formed from their duet—circled high above them, trailing stardust with every beat of its translucent wings. It was not bound by gravity, nor shape, shifting between the form of a phoenix, a serpent, and a child cloaked in light.
They had named it Solmere, after the first chord ever sung by Mira at the dawn of time.
Now, Solmere acted as both guide and witness, for it alone could feel the pull of the other shards scattered across realms unseen.
"North," Lys whispered, her eyes glimmering. "There's a voice crying in a forgotten key. And it's breaking."
