Ethan's "secret place" turned out to be a far cry from the opulent library with its worn leather chairs and the scent of old books. We reached it after a hair-raising twenty-minute drive through winding backroads, the dilapidated structure finally emerging from the shadows of a dense forest.
The abandoned observatory loomed before us, a skeletal silhouette against the star-dusted night sky. Its dome, once a marvel of engineering, lay broken and twisted, revealing a gaping maw to the heavens. An unsettling aura hung around the place, a mix of neglect and a faint, humming energy.
"Welcome to Stargazer's Folly," Ethan announced with a dramatic flourish.
Ignoring his theatrics, I surveyed the scene cautiously. The building looked precarious, barely standing.
"Are you sure this is safe?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Ethan chuckled, a sound surprisingly comfortable in the eerie silence. "Safe isn't exactly the word I'd use," he admitted. "But it's powerful. This place used to be an observatory dedicated to studying celestial phenomena, a hub for astronomers who believed in more than just stars and planets."
His words sparked a flicker of curiosity. "More? Like what?"
"Like connections between worlds, whispers of magic carried on celestial currents," he explained, his voice laced with a hint of reverence. "This place might amplify your connection to the magic you're learning, Amber."
He led me through a rusted metal door and into the observatory's interior. Dust swirled in the moonlight that streamed through the broken dome. The air hung heavy with the smell of decay and forgotten dreams.
Ethan navigated the debris with practiced ease, leading me to a circular platform in the center of the room. A telescope, its lens clouded with dust, pointed towards the open sky.
"This is it," he said, his voice hushed.
I took a deep breath, the weight of the ritual settling on my shoulders. Following Ethan's instructions, I stood on the platform, placing my hands on the cold metal railing. He stood beside me, his own hand brushing against mine. The touch sent a tremor through me, a jolt of warmth amidst the chill that permeated the building.
Ethan began chanting in a language that felt vaguely familiar, the words resonating deep within me. My body tingled with a nascent energy, a spark ignited within my core.
Following his guidance, I focused on that spark, willing it to grow, to fill me with its power. Images flashed before my eyes - swirling colors, the vibrant landscape of Aethel, a fleeting glimpse of Anya's sorrowful face.
Suddenly, the air crackled with electricity. My hair stood on end, and a jolt of energy surged through my body, ripping a scream from my throat. The telescope let out a sharp whine, and the platform beneath my feet began to glow with an ethereal light.
Panic threatened to consume me, but Ethan's voice, calm amidst the chaos, anchored me. "Hold on, Amber," he urged. "Focus on the light, channel it."
I tried, forcing myself to breathe, to focus on the light within and the purpose it served. The screaming stopped, replaced by a sense of intense concentration.
The platform pulsed with blinding light, then exploded in a deafening boom that echoed through the night. The observatory shuddered, dust raining down from the broken dome.
Disoriented and shaking, I stumbled back, gasping for breath. Ethan, his face pale but determined, rushed to my side.
A heavy silence descended upon us, broken only by the faint hum that seemed to emanate from the air itself. Had it worked? Had we succeeded in sending a beacon, or had we just drawn the attention of something far more sinister?
YOU ARE READING
It All Started With A Book
Teen Fiction(This book is in its editing phase.) - - - - - - Amber Reyes has always felt like a puzzle piece in the wrong box. Surrounded by expectations and a stifling reality, she yearns for something more. Then, on the night of her sweet sixteen, the whisper...
