Chapter 4: The Luminal
Realm
The
landscape before them was a kaleidoscope of colors. Towering spires of
gemstone-like rock rose from the ground, their surfaces emitting a soft
bioluminescent glow. Streams of liquid light flowed like rivers, their currents
shimmering in hues of gold and blue. In the distance, a massive dome of
translucent stone enclosed what appeared to be an entire city.
“Are we…
dreaming?” Mira asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I don’t
think so,” Rhea said. She knelt beside one of the glowing rivers, dipping her
fingers into the liquid. It was cool to the touch and left a faint, sparkling
residue on her skin.
A soft
rustling drew their attention to a grove of crystalline trees nearby. From the
shadows emerged a creature unlike anything they had ever seen—its body was
humanoid, framed by an intricate lattice of shimmering stone. Its eyes were
deep-set gemstones, radiating a calming, golden light.
“Surface
dwellers,” the creature said, its voice echoing with the same melodic resonance
as the one they had heard earlier. “You have crossed into the Luminal Realm.
Few of your kind are called, and fewer still survive the journey. You must be…
extraordinary.”
“Extraordinary?”
Kiran asked, his voice tinged with sarcasm and fear. “We’re just trying to get
back home.”
The
creature tilted its head, crystalline facets catching the light. “Your home
lies above, but your destiny lies here. The stones have chosen you.”
