A New Dawn, A New Purpose

  Selene stared at her hands, still trembling from the trial. The golden dust of her parents’ illusions had long since vanished, yet the weight of their words lingered in her chest.

  "You were never meant to exist."

  Even now, the echo of those words cwed at her mind.

  But she clenched her fists.

  "No more doubts. No more chains."

  Renji stood beside her, his usual smirk repced with something more serious. "So… that was one hell of a test."*

  Selene let out a slow breath. "Yeah. But it’s over now."*

  Asher, still shrouded in his dark robes, observed them with a piercing gaze. "Not quite."*

  Selene turned to him. "What do you mean?"

  Asher stepped forward, his boots echoing against the stone floor. "Your trial was only the beginning. Now, you must face the truth."*

  The torches lining the chamber fred brighter, their golden fmes casting eerie shadows against the towering walls. A sense of foreboding filled the air.

  Selene narrowed her eyes. "Truth about what?"

  Asher raised his hand—and the world shifted.

  ---

  Revealing the Eternal Wheel

  The chamber melted away, dissolving into golden light.

  In its pce, an endless void stretched before them—dark, vast, and filled with shimmering fragments of time itself.

  Selene’s breath caught in her throat.

  Floating above them was an immense celestial construct—a massive wheel of glowing inscriptions and ancient runes, rotating ever so slowly. Ethereal chains wrapped around its core, anchoring it to some unseen force.

  Renji staggered back. "What the hell is that?!"

  Asher’s expression remained unreadable. "The Eternal Wheel."

  Selene’s heart pounded. "The one that governs fate?"

  "Yes." Asher’s gaze flickered with something unreadable. "And the one that has marked you as an anomaly."

  Selene clenched her fists. "Because I wasn’t supposed to survive."

  Asher nodded. "The Wheel operates on bance. It corrects deviations—erases those who should not exist. Until now, it has tolerated you. But after your trial?"He turned to face her fully. "The Wheel has taken notice."

  A chill ran down Selene’s spine.

  "Then what happens now?"

  Asher’s voice was calm, but the weight of his words hit like a bde.

  "It will try to erase you."

  ---

  The Judgment of Fate

  The Wheel began to turn faster.

  Its runes glowed brighter, and suddenly—

  The chains snapped.

  Selene’s instincts screamed.

  A pulse of energy exploded from the Wheel, sending shockwaves through the void. The air itself rippled as something descended from the celestial machine.

  A figure emerged.

  A being wrapped in gold and shadow, its form shifting between solid and ethereal. A mask of pure light covered its face, and from its back extended six radiant wings.

  Renji’s hands went to his weapons. "Selene… I don’t think that thing is friendly."

  The celestial figure raised its hand.

  "Selene of the Broken Thread,"* it intoned, its voice neither male nor female, but something inhuman. "You have defied the Bance. Your existence threatens the design. Submit, and be erased."*

  Selene gritted her teeth.

  "And if I refuse?"

  The figure tilted its head. "Then you shall be unmade."

  The Wheel shuddered—and suddenly, chains of pure light shot toward Selene.

  She leapt back, barely avoiding them as they crashed into the ground where she had stood.

  Renji charged forward. "Like hell we’re letting that happen!"*

  He swung his bdes—only for them to pass through the figure like mist.

  Selene’s pulse raced.

  "It’s not fully here!"* she realized. "It’s an avatar of the Wheel!"*

  "Then how do we fight it?!" Renji growled.

  Asher finally spoke. "You don’t fight it."

  Selene snapped her gaze to him. "What?!"

  Asher’s eyes burned with intensity. "You reject it."

  ---

  Defying the Wheel

  The celestial figure raised its hand again. More chains of golden energy erupted from the Wheel, aiming for Selene’s chest.

  This time, she didn’t move.

  She stood her ground.

  "I refuse."

  The chains stopped—mere inches from her heart.

  The celestial figure hesitated.

  Selene’s voice was steady. "I am not a mistake."

  The Wheel shuddered.

  The celestial figure’s form flickered, its mask of light dimming. "You… reject your fate?"

  Selene took a step forward.

  "Fate does not own me."

  The Wheel let out a deep, resonating hum. The celestial figure shook, its form becoming more unstable.

  Renji’s eyes widened. "Holy shit… it’s actually working?!"

  Asher nodded. "The Wheel enforces fate—but only when its target believes in it."* He turned to Selene. "Your existence is a paradox. The Wheel cannot erase what refuses to be erased."*

  Selene lifted her sword.

  "Then let’s break fate itself."

  With a final pulse of defiance, Selene sshed through the chains.

  The celestial figure let out a silent scream as its form shattered into fragments of golden light.

  The Wheel groaned, its massive gears grinding against one another—

  And then, it stopped turning.

  The entire void colpsed into blinding radiance.

  ---

  The Rebellion Begins

  When Selene opened her eyes, they were back in the chamber.

  Renji let out a deep breath. "That was insane."

  Asher stepped forward, his voice solemn. "You have done the impossible, Selene. You have rejected the Wheel’s judgment."

  Selene met his gaze. "Then what happens now?"

  A slow smile crept across Asher’s lips.

  "Now?"* He turned toward the towering doors at the end of the chamber. "Now we rewrite fate itself."*

  As the doors creaked open, revealing a hidden city bathed in twilight, a single thought burned in Selene’s mind.

  This was only the beginning.

  ---

  To Be Continued…