The forest was drenched in silver. Mist clung to the trees, and the stars hung low — close enough, Nyx thought, that she could almost pluck one from the sky. The only sounds were the crunch of boots on damp soil and the soft rhythm of their breath as she and Lior walked side by side.
Correction — she walked beside him. He hadn't said a single word in nearly fifteen minutes.
"You know," Nyx began, breaking the silence, "if this is your idea of small talk, it's terrible."
Lior didn't slow his pace. "We're walking, not socializing."
"Oh, I see," she said, flashing a grin. "You're one of those quiet types — mysterious, broody, probably writing tragic poetry in your head right now."
That earned her the faintest flicker of a glance. "I don't write poetry."
"Then what do you do? Stare dramatically into the distance? Whisper to the moon?"
A sigh. "I try to think."
"Dangerous habit," she teased, smirking.
He said nothing, but she caught the twitch of a smile on his lips — small, almost shy, but there. Encouraged, she quickened her pace until she was walking backward in front of him, hands clasped behind her head.
"Come on," she said. "You've been quiet all night. What's going on in that angel brain of yours?"
Lior hesitated, his gaze fixed on the path. The silence stretched until she thought he wouldn't answer — and then he said softly,"Because you've been… interested in Zayne lately."
Nyx blinked. The grin faded, replaced by confusion. "What?"
He stopped walking, jaw tight. "Forget it. It's not important."
Her brow arched. "You think I'm interested in him? Zayne barely stays awake long enough to notice anyone."
Lior's tone was flat. "You seem to notice him just fine."
Nyx crossed her arms. "Wow. Jealous much?"
He looked away. "I'm not jealous."
She laughed — loud and unrestrained. "You so are. Don't worry, angel-boy, I don't bite unless I'm invited."
That earned her a small, reluctant chuckle. It surprised her enough to stop teasing — almost.
"There it is," she said. "A smile. I was starting to think your face would crack if you tried."
He shook his head, amusement ghosting through his expression. "You're impossible."
"And you're terrible at pretending you don't like it."
Their laughter carried softly through the trees, lightening the night. For a moment, the tension between them — the exhaustion, the looming trial, the impossible task — all felt far away. It was just the two of them beneath a ceiling of stars, teasing each other like normal people might.
When the laughter faded, a comfortable quiet followed. They walked on, closer now, the cold air alive with something almost warm.
An hour passed before the forest began to thin. The ground turned pale, the soil giving way to smooth stone that glimmered faintly under the moonlight. The air grew still — unnaturally so — as if the world was holding its breath.
Then the earth simply ended.
They stood at the edge of an enormous crater, stretching farther than the eye could see. The rim glowed faintly with silver light, and a misty fog churned deep below, swallowing the bottom in endless shadow.
Nyx peered over the edge and whistled low. "You've got to be kidding me. This is what we came for? A hole?"
Lior frowned, scanning the horizon. "This should be the place. The Sanctum of Elaris… the records spoke of it resting where the heavens touch the earth."
"Well," Nyx said, kicking a loose pebble and watching it vanish into the mist, "heaven's clearly not in the mood to touch anything tonight."
He didn't answer, just stared down, his golden eyes reflecting the pale shimmer of the crater. The silence stretched again, heavier this time — and Nyx, for once, didn't know what to say.
Lior stayed standing, his hands clasped behind his back, gaze fixed downward. "He doesn't lie," he said quietly. "He tests."
"Yeah, well, I'm feeling pretty tested," Nyx muttered.
She leaned back on her elbows, eyes tracing the night sky above. The stars were dimmer now, fading into the pale promise of dawn. Her voice came softer, almost to herself."You know, this reminds me of something. Mr.Tobias did say "Where heaven meets earth"
Lior glanced at her. "What does it mean?"
She shrugged. "Never figured it out. Thought it sounded nice. Probably just some ancient nonsense about enlightenment."
He looked back at the crater, thoughtful. "Maybe it's not nonsense."
"Yeah?" she asked, watching him.
He nodded faintly. "Maybe it's a clue."
That word — clue — hung between them like a spark.
Nyx sat up straighter. "Wait… what if the poem wasn't talking about below?"
He turned to her, brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
She pointed upward, toward the fading stars. "Heaven meets earth. Maybe we've been looking in the wrong direction."
Lior followed her gaze, and his breath caught. High above them, beyond the low clouds, a faint shimmer broke the darkness — gold and white, distant but unmistakable. As the clouds thinned, the shape of a grand structure emerged, its spires glowing faintly in the moonlight.
"The Sanctum," he whispered.
Nyx grinned. "Figures. Heaven's sense of humor — always looking down on everyone."
He looked at her, half exasperated, half amused. "You never stop talking, do you?"
"Not when I'm right."
Nyx grinned. "Heaven really does have a superiority complex."
He gave her a look. "You're not suggesting—"
"Oh, I am," she interrupted, standing and dusting off her boots. "Lucky for you, I'm not afraid of heights."
Before he could protest, she crouched, her crimson eyes flashing faintly in the moonlight. "Hold on tight, angel-boy."
"Wait—"
Too late.
Nyx leapt.
The ground cracked beneath her boots as she launched upward, her strength carrying them through the air in a blur of motion. The wind howled past them, her coat snapping behind her like a shadow. Lior clung to her shoulders instinctively, the world below shrinking into a smear of silver and black.
She landed on a marble ledge with a soft thud, grinning as she steadied him. "Told you I don't need wings."
He caught his breath, half in awe, half exasperated. "You're insane."
"Probably," she said, still grinning. "But admit it — that was fun."
He couldn't quite hide his smile. "Maybe a little."
They turned together, facing the Sanctum's towering gates. Light poured faintly from its cracks, pure and soft, like moonlight turned solid.
Then the air shifted. Lior staggered, his breath catching. "The sanctified energy… it's too strong."
Nyx frowned. "Too strong? What are you—"
The moment she stepped forward, the air struck her like fire. She gasped, dropping to her knees, her throat burning as though the light itself was choking her.
"L-Lior—"
He caught her before she fell, panic flashing in his golden eyes. The glass container slipped from her hand, rolling across the marble. Its lid popped open but didn't break.
He carried her back across the threshold, where the air grew soft again. She coughed, pulling in deep, shaky breaths.
He managed a strained smile. "Stay here. I'll check inside."
"Don't take too long," she whispered.
He nodded and stepped through the gate alone.
Inside, the Sanctum was silent — vast halls of white stone and faded gold, long abandoned. Statues lay broken, the air still as death. Whatever holiness had once lived here was gone.
When he returned, his face was pale. "There's nothing," he said quietly. "No relic. No breath. Just emptiness."
Nyx looked at him for a long moment, then exhaled softly. "Figures. Heaven's out of stock."
He almost smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes.
They descended slowly, dawn breaking as they reached the ground.
"Guess we failed," she said.
They kept walking toward the distant silhouette of the academy, the first sunlight bleeding across the horizon — and high above, the Sanctum shimmered once, then vanished into the dawn