The air shimmered as Lirien stepped onto the crystal bridge, its surface humming beneath her boots. Below, the Abyss churned, a swirling void where lost magic pooled. The Elder Seers had warned her—none who fell ever returned.
At the bridge’s heart stood the Starbound Guardian, its silver armor flickering with the constellations. It raised a halberd and spoke in a voice like wind through hollow stone. “You seek the Luminous Crown?”
Lirien unslung her staff, its runes pulsing. “For my people. The Blight advances. I must wield the Crown’s light.”
The Guardian charged. Lirien twisted, summoning a barrier of golden flame. The halberd struck, shattering the fire like glass. She staggered.
The bridge cracked.
Gravity seized her. Desperate, she flung her staff upwards. A final spell surged. Chains of starlight erupted, binding the Guardian. It roared, trapped, as the bridge stabilized.
Breathless, Lirien seized the Crown. Its warmth filled her, and for the first time in years, hope dawned.
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