The Lores of Lyra - Burning Star [Book III]

Chapter 16 - Light

Chapter 16 – Light

Light…

Eric had always found light to be a peculiar thing. It had no form, and most of the time it had no color. But he knew that wasn’t true. If a person had a keen eye, that person would be able to see thousands of colors in something as simple as light. It was a sign of hope—a proof that nothing is what it appears. It’s a reminder always to look beyond what’s meets the eye, and most of all, it’s the thing you can’t live without.

It was also the only thing around him. Eric couldn’t see anything. No form and no colors, only the brightness of the sun.

Astronian people worshipped the sun. They called it Solem, the creator of all. And right now, it was easy to believe he stood in front of Solem. His surrounding blinded him whenever he tried to open his eyes. The pores on his skin tightened from the heat, and he had no choice but to cover his face with his arms.

Where am I? Eric couldn’t remember anything. Something had happened to him—something important. Nevertheless, he had no clue of what it might be.

A gleeful laughter resounded around him. Jerking up, he tried to see if there were any threats nearby. “Who’s there?” he shouted, groaning from the pain to his eyelids. “Reveal yourself!”

Blinking rapidly, he tried to moisten his burning eyeballs while still being on the lookout. There was no reply, and he sighed, giving into the temptation to cover his eyes again. He couldn’t fight like this. If whatever it was out there proved to be an enemy—he was doomed.

“Why can’t it be simple for once?” he muttered. Whenever he was involved, there was no easy way around. It had to be the hardest way possible.

“Are you preparing to fight me?” a female asked.

Eric gasped and tried to open his eyes, the bright light burning his poor pupils. Clenching his jaws, he tried to take a fighting stance. He balled his fists, and mentally prepared for whatever may come. With his nail digging into the palm of his hands, he exhaled. “If I have to,” he said.

“You’re not going to succeed without your eyes,” the female voice said. “However, I do wonder why you would consider fighting me.”

“State your name,” Eric demanded.

“I have many names,” the voice replied, a slight giggle following. “What do you wish to call me?”

“Solem,” he muttered. “You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”

“Where would the fun be in that?” she asked.

Eric couldn’t argue with that logic. It was foolish, and there’d be no point. He sighed. “Could you maybe turn off the lights, then? I’d like to be able to see who I’m conversing with.” He frowned. “Why do you have so many lights anyway?”

“They soothe me,” she replied. “Alright. I can’t remove the light, but I can give you visuals. Would you like that?”

“Yes,” he said, and then he remembered his manners. “Please.”

The air around him shifted, his skin loosened up, and he could swear that there was even a slight draft around him. Slowly, he opened his eyes, readying himself for the burn of the brightness once more.

Then he gasped.

Where there before had been only light, a rainbow of colors now spread all around him. It was astonishing, and he’d never seen anything quite like it before. It was a painter’s dream, all the beauty in the world combined, and he had nothing to say to it. There were no possible words to explain his gratitude for being allowed to experience such vivid colors.