24. Lyra

24

LYRA

M y legs feel heavy with every step forward, but I keep going despite the discomfort. My chest heaves and my eyes droop from fatigue. I take a moment to pause, leaning on a wall to catch my breath.

"This fucking labyrinth better not shift again," I whisper. "Not now."

Suddenly, I'm no longer in the maze. The cold stone walls vanish, replaced by the familiar, worn-out furniture of my family's cramped living room back in my village. The scent of mold and desperation hits me like a punch to the gut. My parents are there, their faces twisted in anguish, eyes sunken with worry and fatigue.

"Lyra, help us!" my mother cries, reaching out to me with trembling hands. Her fingers are cracked and calloused from years of hard work. "We're going to lose everything if you don't come back to us!"

I blink hard, my heart racing so fast that it's the only thing I can hear in my ears. Sweat trickles down my back, and I fight the urge to run to them. No. This can't be real. I'm still in the labyrinth. This is just another trick, another cruel illusion designed to break me.

"You're not real," I whisper, but my voice shakes. My hands clench into fists at my sides, nails digging into my palms. "You're not here. This isn't happening."

The scene changes once more. Now I'm standing at the edge of a lush garden, filled with xaphan with beautiful wings. A twinge of envy courses through me as I eye those wings. A shimmering portal stands before me, promising an easy escape from the labyrinth.

"Just step through," a soft voice whispers, seductive and alluring. "You've suffered enough. Take the easy way out. Don't you deserve peace after everything you've endured?"

For a moment, I'm tempted. I'm so tempted. My body aches down to my bones, my spirit is nearly broken. It would be so easy to give up, to stop fighting. To let go of all this pain and misery. The shimmering portal beckons, promising relief from this endless torment.

But then I think of Sariel, of the risks he's taken for me. The way his golden eyes softens whenever he looks at me, the gentleness in his touch. I think of my real family, waiting for me to return victorious. Their faces swim before me—hopeful, expectant. I've already failed them once before. How could I do that again?

I also think of all the humans who've been deceived by these trials, who've suffered and died for the xaphan's twisted entertainment.

"No," I growl, squeezing my eyes shut against the temptation. "Fuck you. You're not real. None of this is real. I won't fall for your tricks, not now, not ever again."

I force myself to remember the cold stone walls of the labyrinth, the feel of the rough ground beneath my feet. When I open my eyes again, the illusions are gone, but the emotional toll lingers.

Tears stream down my face as I press forward. The visions may have been fake, but the pain they stirred up is all too real. I carry the weight of my family's hopes, the burden of every failed human candidate before me.

But I also carry their strength. Their determination. Their dreams.

I wipe my wet cheeks and set my jaw. Nothing is going to stop me from getting those fucking wings.

Turning another corner, I stop in my tracks at the sight before me. The artifact. A magical barrier shimmers around it, an intricate web of energy that seems to pulse with a life of its own. I can feel the power radiating from it, a force so strong it makes the hair on my arms stand on end.

This is it. The final test. Everything I've been through, every sacrifice, every moment of pain and doubt, has led to this.

I take a deep breath. I know I need to bring everything I've learned together—my physical strength, my growing magical abilities, and every ounce of mental fortitude I possess.

I reach out, my fingers trembling as they near the barrier. The air crackles with energy, and I can feel the resistance pushing against my hand. I grit my teeth, pushing harder, channeling every bit of strength I have into breaking through.

Nothing happens.

Frustration bubbles up inside me, threatening to overwhelm me. But I push it down, forcing myself to focus. This isn't about brute force. It's about balance.

I close my eyes, reaching deep within myself. I feel for that spark of magic that's been growing inside me throughout the trials. It's there, a warm glow in my chest, pulsing in time with my heartbeat.

I let it flow through me, down my arm and into my fingertips. At the same time, I steel my mind, pushing away all doubt and fear.

I am worthy. I am strong. I belong here. And fuck everyone who thinks otherwise.

As my fingers touch the barrier again, something shifts. The energy doesn't push me away this time. Instead, it seems to recognize me, to welcome me.

Suddenly, I feel it. A connection, deep and profound, to the very essence of xaphan magic. It flows through me, encapsulating me, filling every fiber of my being. For the first time, I truly understand what it means to be one with this power.

The barrier begins to dissolve under my touch, like mist evaporating in the morning sun. I can see the artifact clearly now, its surface gleaming with an otherworldly light.

In this moment of transcendence, I realize that I've already won. Whatever happens next, I've proven to myself—and to everyone else—that a human can truly master xaphan magic. I am more than what they thought I could be. I am more than I ever dreamed I could become.

With a surge of confidence, I reach for the artifact. An astonished breath escapes me as I grab it with both hands.

The moment my fingers close around the artifact, the world shifts. The labyrinth's oppressive walls melt away like ice in the sun, and suddenly I'm back where I started. My legs wobble, threatening to give out as the adrenaline starts to fade.

I blink, disoriented by the abrupt change. The roar of the crowd hits me like a physical force, and I stagger slightly. They're cheering. For me. A human. I did it. I actually fucking did it.

Tears spring to my eyes, blurring my vision. My chest heaves with sobs I can't control. Joy, relief, exhaustion—it all crashes over me in waves, threatening to drown me.

"I did it," I whisper, my voice cracking. "I really did it."

The artifact in my hands pulses with warmth, as if responding to my emotions. I look down at it, still hardly believing it's real. That any of this is real.

My gaze sweeps over the crowd. Some are cheering, others look stunned. I understand their shock. No human has ever completed the trials before.

Then I see him. Sariel. He's pushing through the crowd, his golden eyes locked on me. There's something in his expression I've never seen before. Pride, relief, and something else. Something that makes my heart skip a beat.

As he reaches me, I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. What can I possibly say? How can I express everything I'm feeling?

Sariel doesn't seem to need words. He pulls me into his arms, holding me tight against his chest. I sink into his embrace, finally letting myself feel the full weight of what I've accomplished.

"You did it, little nexari," he murmurs into my hair. "You proved them all wrong."

I pull back slightly, looking up at him through tear-filled eyes. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"Yes, you could've," he whispers, smiling slightly. "You're stronger than you realize."

I watch in awe as Sariel gently takes the artifact from my hands. His touch sends a shiver through me, a reminder of everything we've been through together. He murmurs a spell under his breath, his eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. The artifact rises into the air, hovering for a moment before dissolving into a shower of golden flakes that shimmer and dance in the air around us.

The crowd erupts into a deafening roar. My name echoes through the arena, chanted by hundreds of voices. I blink, trying to take it all in. Xaphan with their magnificent wings, humans with hope shining in their eyes, and even creatures I've never seen before—they're all here, all cheering for me.

It doesn't feel real. Just moments ago, I was fighting for my life in that labyrinth, facing down my deepest fears and pushing my body to its absolute limits. Now, I'm standing here, basking in the adoration of the crowd. My legs feel weak, and I sway slightly, overwhelmed by it all.

Sariel's hand on my back steadies me, grounding me in this moment. I look up at him, grateful beyond words for his presence. His golden eyes meet mine and he nods.

As I stand there, alive and victorious with Sariel by my side, a wave of gratitude washes over me. I'm grateful for my life, for making it through the trials when so many others didn't. I'm grateful for Sariel, for his guidance and protection, even when it put him at risk. And I'm grateful for this moment, this impossible, beautiful moment.

The euphoria of proving them all wrong overwhelms me—all the xaphan who thought that humans were too weak or worthless to accomplish something of this magnitude. I want to laugh in their faces. I want to relish in their fury as I accept the pair of xaphan wings as my own.

I earned this. And nobody can take that away from me.