From Shadows to Stars

ached the spirit stone. His eyes were focused, his face filled with tens

ead through his hand. It was a comforting heat, soft and steady. He carefully lifted t

ht. No sign of

d lifeless, its cracked

arms and scoffed. "Waste is waste," he said wi

ll holding it tightly. His hand started to tremble har

Is this reall

ng to was slipping through his fingers like sand. For a mo

was about to give u

ried out

wing! The spirit

hocked, almost disbelieving. Gasps

own quickly. H

shimmer spread from its cracks, like ripples in a pond. The dull grey surface

me from the stone, like a

iolently in his hand. Silas

an

one shattered with a sharp crack, breaking into several pieces

ng at the broken fragments. All a

ely speechless. He had seen many things in his life, but this was new-even for him. In all hi

," Lucas muttered, more to himself than

t was what mattered. The result was clear-Silas had a

le to contain his joy. With a wave of his sleeves, his body lifte

his voice echoed from the sky

pieces of the spirit stone on the ground. He had done it. He ha

" Gerald Thorne said calmly, wav

e, but a voice sudde

me in th

night, in

at silently across from each other-father and son. The space

erald Thorne said qui

as if he were talking mor

w how your

he question caug

er name, her face-it was all dist

I was born?" he asked, repeating w

bitter laugh. It ech

"She died giving birth to y

ords hit him like

ith hollow eyes. The coldness in Gerald's face had de

aid after a long silence. "B

here was no warmth in tho

away," Silas said soft

rder," his father replied flatly. "

if I hadn't awakened my spir

said. "Or I could have given y

ly. "Sounds like a

spoke for a wh

disappeared behind thick clouds, and the wi

If you run into trouble at the Azureli

and, ending th

The door creak

n he wa

room,

e ceiling. So much had happened in

t long ago. At first, he had only wanted

ing the Tho

old stares. The sile

sad. In fact, h

d his eyes

journey woul

ght, he

He moved mountains with a wave of his hand, split the ocean with a single thought. Whe

t its chaos, watching everything mov

ext m

rd was full of people. In front stood three boy

whooshing sound e

ds, and Lucas North appeared, standing tall an

," he sai

swept up into the air. They stood togethe

wind stung his cheeks, and

s growing smaller and small

he edge, then quickly sat down,

heir eyes tightly, focu

me over the wind

t men, we fight beasts, we fight the heavens. If

he three boys s

"Good. We're

wind slowed. They

pened h

ouds like giant swords. The central peak was the tallest, hidden in thic

of wild beasts-tigers and apes-

d man floate

Silas," he sai

ied with a nod. "These three are n

nce back, Lucas disapp

heard one last message:

pire S

spot him one last time,

lack robes l

me," h

apter of their journey-o