Chapter 12: The Labyrinth of Lost Stars
The Sky-Skipper sailed out of Elara's mouth and into a world of endless, silent grey stone. They were no longer floating in the sky. It felt like they were inside a giant, hollow moon. The "walls" were not stone, but billions of dead, dark crystals that formed an impossible maze.
This was the Labyrinth of Lost Stars. The air was perfectly still, and the only light came from the faint glow of the Sky-Skipper's wings. The silver key in Rohan's pocket was no longer cold or warm—it was completely inert.
"My navigation tools are useless here," Pip whispered, his tail swishing nervously. "The Labyrinth is not part of Aetheria. It is the place between worlds. Here, time and space have no meaning. We have to steer by intuition."
Rohan felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He remembered Elara's warning: It tests your truth. As they sailed deeper into the silent maze, Rohan noticed something in the dark crystal walls. He saw reflections—but they weren't reflections of the boat. He saw his grandfather's attic. He saw his mother worriedly looking at his empty bed. He saw himself, small and scared, hiding behind a tree.
"Don't look at them," Pip hissed, but his voice sounded far away. "The Labyrinth is showing you your regrets. If you focus on them, you'll become a lost star yourself, a memory trapped in the crystal."
But one reflection caught Rohan's eye. It showed him the day he found the key. He was smiling, but in the reflection, he looked back at himself with a terrified expression, mouthing a single word: "Turn... back."