The Dragon King and His Fallen Star novel Chapter 176

Chapter 176: Ghosts and Glimmers

EIRLYS’ POV

+25 Points

I drifted deeper into the nursery, my fingertips grazing the edge of the crib. The wood was smooth

beneath my touch, its carvings intricate-stars and moons entwined with slender vines.

The blankets inside were impossibly small, silver and pale lavender, folded with care. My throat

tightened. I reached for one and pressed it to my palm; it smelled faintly of lavender and

something older-like memory itself.

Stuffed animals lined the shelves, their glass eyes catching the light: a bear, a fox, a winged deer. But what caught my eye-and drew a quiet laugh from me-was a blue dragon tucked beneath

them. I picked it up and pressed it to my chest.

I moved toward the chest of drawers next. A few trinkets rested atop it-a cracked rattle, a child’s

beaded bracelet, and a small wooden box darkened by time. I lifted the box carefully and eased it

open.

Inside lay a collection of keepsakes: tiny charms, ribbons, and beneath them, a single lock of silver hair, delicately braided.

My breath caught. I turned toward Nibbles. “Look,” whispered. “I think this is mine.”

The rabbit only twitched his nose, as if agreeing.

I stared at the braid, transfixed by the faint shimme that mirrored my own when the light touched it. Someone had kept this. Someone had loved me enough to keep it. A tight ache bloomed in my chest. Gently, I placed the braid back into the box and closed it with trembling fingers.

Beside it stood a snow globe, its glass perfectly clear despite the dust. Inside was a miniature palace carved from crystal-the Stellar Palace.

A small dial rested on its base. I hesitated, then turned it.

Soft chimes filled the air, delicate and haunting. The melody unfurled like a memory-sweet, familiar, and unbearably distant.

My breath hitched. It was the tune my mother always hummed in my dreams.

The room blurred as tears welled in my eyes. I sank onto the nearest rocking chair, clutching the stuffed dragon to my chest while the tune played on.

I continued to rock, the soft creak of the chair oddly comforting as I let my tears fall.

Out of the corner of my eye, something caught the light. On the table by the window rested a book -its cover immaculate, free of dust, encased beneath a glass dome,

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Chapter 176 Ghosts and Glimmers

I stopped rocking.

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Sniffling, I set the stuffed dragon aside and rose to my feet. Slowly, I crossed the room until I stood before the table, lifted the glass casing, and reached for the book.

It was bound in creamy white leather, embossed with constellations that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. When I opened it, the pages seemed almost to breathe. The text inside was written in an

unfamiliar script-elegant, fluid, and unlike any tongue I’d ever seen.

Curious, I ran my fingers over the letters, tracing their delicate curves, feeling a faint pulse of magic

beneath the surface.

The page flared with light.

A startled gasp escaped me as the glow spread, chasing across the parchment like liquid gold.

Then, softly, motes of light rose from the book-floating upward like stardust, swirling together

until they painted the air in shifting colors.

Auroras.

They danced above me, the same colors that adorned Vallea Illura’s night sky. My heart pounded

against my ribs, echoing in my ears. The air hummed faintly, alive with presence-familiar, tender,

and heartbreakingly sad.

When I looked down again, the letters on the page had rearranged themselves, forming words I

could finally read:

To my dearest Astraea,

“When the skies ripple in color, it is not mere light.

Let it shield you from eyes that do not belong here.

And when you see it dance, remember… you are not forgotten.

You are loved.

-0″

My breath caught, the words sinking deep into the hollow of my chest.

Signed by O.

Who was he? A friend? One of his six guardians? …Or a lover?

The auroras shimmered brighter for a heartbeat, then dimmed-fading until only a few stray sparks drifted back into the page. The book stilled beneath my hands. Gently, I closed it and set it back beneath its glass casing.

Whoever had written that message… his love for my mother must have been powerful-so strong it

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shaped the very sky to remind her, to protect her.

Then a thought stirred-fragile, dangerous, and impossible to ignore.

If he loved her that much… could he have been…?

The thought formed before I could stop it.

My father.

I blinked, stunned by the sound of it in my mind. I had never asked before. Never dared to.

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All my life, I’d been used to having nothing-and no one. When I was given a name, I accepted it.

When Kierygan gave me a home, I was grateful. When he claimed me as his mate, I felt complete.

And that had been enough. More than I ever thought I deserved.

But now…

એમ એલ એલ પર ચ

Now, knowing there might have been someone-someone who could have been my father-left

me hollow and confused.

Was he still alive?

Did he know about me-what became of me?

Did he ever try to find me?

The room that moments ago had felt warm and full of memory suddenly felt too small, too close.

The air pressed against my lungs until I thought I might burst.

I stumbled back, nearly knocking over a shelf, and crossed the room in a rush. My hand found the

stuffed dragon, clutching it tight against my chest as if it could keep me from unraveling.

“Come on, Nibbles,” I whispered, my voice barely holding steady. “We need to go.”

The rabbit twitched his ears, as if agreeing, and hopped toward the door.

I followed-without so much as a second glance. The echo of the lullaby lingered behind us,

haunting the corridor like a ghost that refused to rest.

KIERYGAN’S POV

When I returned from Solmere, I went straight to our chambers. My pace quickened with every step through the corridors, the thought of seeing her after a long day pulling me forward.

I pushed the door open, expecting to find her in bed-reading, or playing with that rabbit of hers.

But the bed was empty.

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A flicker of unease ran through me. Then I noticed the balcony door was ajar, the curtains stirring

with the night breeze.

I crossed the room and stepped out onto the terrace. There she was, sitting on the stone bench, gaze lifted to the aurora’s sweep across the sky. Nibbles rested at her feet, his ears twitching with every passing gust.

But what caught my attention was what she was holding. A small stuffed dragon, its seams slightly frayed, cradled gently against her chest.

For a moment, I just watched her, a faint smile tugging at my lips. Then I cleared my throat softly to announce myself. She turned, the aurora’s light mirrored in her eyes-soft, distant.

“What do you have there?” I asked, keeping my tone light.

“It’s mine,” she said, her fingers tightening around the toy. “I… found it in my nursery. From when I

was a baby.”

Something in her voice-fragile, distant-made me pause. But I pushed the feeling aside.

“It’s getting cold,” I murmured, stepping closer. “Come inside.”

She didn’t reply, only gave a faint nod.

I offered my hand, and she took it without hesitation. I led her back into the room and guided her to bed, drawing the covers up over her shoulders. She still held the little dragon close, her thumb tracing the edge of its worn fabric wings.

“You’re awfully quiet tonight, my star,” I murmured. “Did something happen while I was gone?”

For a moment, she didn’t answer. The silence stretched long enough that I almost thought she’d fallen asleep. Then her voice came, soft and uncertain.

“Did you know…” she began, eyes still fixed on the canopy above us, “that those auroras aren’t really

auroras?”

My brows drew together. “What do you mean?”

“They’re wards,” she whispered, turning her head slightly toward me. “A very strong one.”

That made me sit up a little straighter. “How do you know?”

“I felt it. When I went up there last night,” her voice wavered-hesitant, but steady enough to make me listen. “It wasn’t natural. It pulsed like magic. I wanted to tell you, but you were too busy… reprimanding me.”

Her tone wasn’t angry-just quiet. Honest.

Eirlys’s voice was quiet when she spoke again. “Today, I discovered something else about the auroras,” she said, still gazing into the flickering fire light.

I

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