The Life Before

The silence that followed Kael's confession was heavier than any scream.

"In another life, we loved. And I watched you die."

Celeste’s mouth opened, then closed. Her mind raced to make sense of it. The Infernal Borderlands, the burning mark, the wild fire magic inside her—it all suddenly felt like pieces of a much older puzzle.

“Are you saying I’m... reincarnated?” she asked softly, her voice a whisper tangled with disbelief.

Kael didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turned his back to her and walked toward the cracked window of the old inn where they had taken shelter. The moonlight barely touched his face, but the shadows beneath his eyes seemed deeper.

“Yes,” he finally said. “Your soul has lived many lives. And every time, it finds its way back to me.”

Celeste pressed a hand to her chest. The fire within her flickered at his words, as if agreeing with him.

“Why don’t I remember?” she asked.

“You will,” Kael replied, still not facing her. “Soon. The closer you come to the Gate, the more the past will bleed into now.”

A creak behind them interrupted the moment. Nyra stepped into the room, her ever-cool eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“You told her?”

“She needed to know,” Kael said.

Nyra crossed her arms. “She’s barely handling the powers she’s just awakened. And now you want to dump past-life trauma on her too?”

“I’m standing right here,” Celeste muttered.

Nyra didn’t apologize.

“You think it’s a coincidence she awakened her powers so violently in the Borderlands?” Kael asked. “She’s remembering. Bits and pieces. I saw it in her eyes.”

Celeste sank onto the edge of the bed, heart pounding.

“Okay… so let’s say I believe you. That I’m the Flame-Bound Soul and I’ve been reincarnated. What does that mean for now? What do we do with that?”

Nyra reached into her coat and pulled out a tattered scroll. She unfurled it carefully on the table.

“The prophecy says when the Four are united—the Flame, the Blade, the Shadow, and the Starborn—the Gate of Devouring will open.”

Celeste’s eyes scanned the ancient writing. “And what’s the Gate of Devouring?”

Kael’s jaw clenched. “A rift between worlds. Heaven, Earth, and the Infernal Realm. It was sealed long ago to prevent total destruction. Your past self helped seal it.”

“And now someone’s trying to open it again.”

Kael nodded. “My father. Lucivar. The Infernal King.”

The name felt like a curse on the air.

“And he has the Starborn,” Nyra added grimly. “We need to get to her before he does.”

Celeste stood. “Then we go to the Infernal Realm.”

Kael gave a dark laugh. “You don’t just walk into hell, Celeste. Especially not unprepared. And not with a power you barely control.”

“I don’t care,” she snapped. “I’m not going to sit here while someone suffers because of me.”

Kael walked to her, took her hand. “I admire your fire. I always have. But this isn’t just about bravery. It’s about timing. Strategy.”

Celeste held his gaze. “Then teach me. Train me. Do whatever it takes. But I’m going after her.”

---

The Next Morning

The abandoned chapel outside Elaris had become their training ground. The broken stained glass let sunlight pour through in fragments of color. Celeste stood in the center, eyes closed, fire rippling around her hands.

Kael circled her slowly. “You’re still fighting the fire. Don’t. Let it speak to you.”

“I’m not a demon,” she gritted out.

“No. You’re something rarer. You’re the bridge between worlds.”

Flames erupted around her feet, and she gasped as memories surged—

A battlefield of stars.

A kiss beneath twin moons.

A blade piercing her heart.

She dropped to her knees, panting.

Kael was beside her in seconds. “Another memory?”

She nodded. “I think I was called Seraphine. And I died sealing the Gate.”

Kael looked away, his voice raw. “I couldn’t stop you then. But maybe I can protect you this time.”

Celeste touched his face. “I don’t want to be protected. I want to be strong enough to choose my fate.”

---

Elsewhere in the Infernal Realm

Lucivar stood before a mirror of obsidian, watching Celeste.

“She awakens too quickly,” he mused.

Behind him, a girl with glowing silver eyes strained against her chains. The Starborn. Her name was Astraea.

Lucivar turned to her. “Your light won’t save them. When the Flame comes, I will use her to break the Seal. You will burn first, little star.”

Astraea spat at him. “Celeste will stop you.”

Lucivar smiled. “Not if I turn her first.”

He walked away, shadows coiling around him.

---

Back at the Chapel

Nyra approached Kael as Celeste slept in a corner, fire curling harmlessly in her hair.

“You still love her,” Nyra said flatly.

Kael didn’t deny it.

“She’s going to have to make the same choice again, you know. Flame or freedom. Sacrifice or survival.”

Kael looked at Celeste, eyes filled with centuries of grief.

“Not this time,” he whispered. “This time, I save her.”

---

That Night

Celeste dreamed of wings made of fire and a city in the sky. She stood atop a tower, arms open to the storm. Astraea’s voice whispered to her:

“Come find me, Celeste. Before the light fades.”

When she awoke, her mark burned.

Kael and Nyra stood at the doorway, weapons ready.

“The veil to the Infernal Realm is thin tonight,” Kael said. “We leave at dawn.”

Celeste stood, her power flaring to life.

“Let’s bring our star home.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***