“I’ve felt strong attachments many times before, but this time it's much different and stronger than anything I’ve ever experienced. There are many souls out there who are sent to cloud our judgment and distract us from our true purpose.”
I hesitated, the words catching in my throat. My mind was spinning, but one question kept surfacing. The same one I’d asked before, only now it felt heavier.
These thoughts didn’t feel like my own. My mind was in a tangle, but I needed answers. I focused on the situation with him and finally spoke up. “Why me?” I asked, my voice softer than I intended. “You speak as if I’m part of a story that has already been written.”
Cillian leaned across the table toward me and held my gaze. His eyes were illuminated by the light from the orb. He looked at me as though admiring an exquisite work of art.
“It has,” he said. “The answer is right here.” He gestured softly to the orb between us. “It’s you, Tilly. Your spirit, your resilience, it resonates with what we’ve been searching for.”
Despite the flattery, I kept my defences up.
“Cillian, you speak as if you know me, but we’ve barely met. How can you be so certain about these feelings?”
“You’ll know soon enough,” he said, his eyes twinkling.
I didn’t ask again, but the question had already taken root inside me. I blinked hard, trying to clear the noise in my head. My thoughts hadn’t been lining up as they should have lately. I neededto stay present and just act normally. This was my chance to get answers.
He lifted the orb with both hands. Its glow intensified, casting patterns of light that danced across the gazebo and into the sky. Inside, a miniature universe swirled—nebulae, stars, and galaxies spinning in silent majesty.
“Tilly, what do you see here?” he asked, his voice filled with deep reverence for the spectacle before us.
“I see the universe,” I whispered, captivated by the display. “It’s beautiful.”
“Exactly,” Cillian said, his eyes not leaving the orb. “This is no ordinary view. This orb doesn’t just show us the universe; it connects us to it. It’s a tool that guides us, that reveals paths and patterns we otherwise couldn't see.”
Intrigued, I leaned closer. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” I admitted. “It’s like the Hubble Telescope?”
“It'sfar more than that.I’vewaited for darkness so I canexplain toyou and show you what I want you to see more clearly.MondspireCourt is where our vision is sharpest.”
I stared at the swirling galaxies within the orb, a sense of awe mingling with a growing curiosity. “So, you’re saying this orb brought you to me?”
“Not just brought us,” Cillian corrected gently. “It confirmed what we had hoped to find. You are not just a random choice, Tilly; you are a focal point of powerful energies, perhaps without even realizing it.”
The implications of his words were overwhelming. As I absorbed his explanation, everything seemed to grow quieter. The only sound was the faint hum of the orb.
Cillian’s gaze held mine, unwavering.
“And now that you’re here…”He paused, the light flickering across his face.
“…everything begins.”
THIRTEEN
MARKED
My curiosity deepened. “What begins?”
Cillian’s voice dropped to a whisper.“Ask the Orb.”
It felt absurd, addressing a glass sphere, yet Icouldn'tpull my gaze away. “What am I meant to see?”
As the Orb shifted into focus, millions of stars began to flicker.A single radiant cluster shone brighter than the rest, pulling my attention toward it.Cillian leaned in and I felt the heat of his breath on my cheek. “Tell me what you see, Tilly.”
“Stars,” The light reflecting in my wide eyes. “A million of them, spreadingout as far as I can see.But that cluster, rightthere…It’sdifferent.”
Cillian nodded, a pleased smile playing on his lips.
“What you’re observing aren’t random clusters, Tilly. They are ancient forces that maintain harmony across your world and the stars beyond.”
