The Dragon King and His Fallen Star novel Chapter 180

Chapter 180: Hall of Reflections

EIRLYS’ POV

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We walked in silence for what felt like forever, our footsteps a soft cadence against the radiant marble beneath us. The air shimmered faintly, like sunlight drifting through clear water. I kept my gaze low, unwilling-perhaps unable-to meet their eyes.

Then, slowly, the world began to change. The vast white expanse of Heavenreach softened, color creeping in like a whisper. It was subtle at first, then unfolding into a panorama so vivid it stole my

breath.

It reminded me of the meadow in Solmere.

Our meadow.

Before us stretched a garden unlike anything I had ever seen. The air thrummed with melody, though I couldn’t tell where the sound was coming from. It seemed to rise from everywhere and

nowhere at once.

Petals shimmered like fragments of dawn. The trees bore leaves of translucent green, gold, and white, their branches heavy with orbs that glowed softly, like captured stars.

Streams of light wove between the roots, flowing like water, yet moving with the rhythm of something alive. The scent in the air was a blend of fresh rain and something sweeter. Like the first breath drawn at the end of winter.

The woman with the kind eyes looked back at me, her lips curving into a serene smile. “This,” she

said, “is the Garden of First Light.”

My voice came out in a whisper. “It’s… beautiful.”

She turned fully to face me then, her glow softening. “I am Lorien,” she said. “Guardian of Harmony.

I nodded. Guardian of Harmony. The title suited her gentle face, especially in a place like this.

Lorien turned, gesturing to the woman beside her the one with eyes like tempered steel and hair

that moved like living flame.

“This is Hemera,” she said. “Guardian of Renewal.”

Hemera inclined her head, just slightly.

I offered a small, awkward smile. “My name is Eirlys,”

Her expression shifted, faint curiosity breaking through the sternness. “Eirlys,” she echoed, as if

tasting the sound. “An interesting name.”

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Chapter 180, Hall of Reflections

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I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not, but I dipped my head politely. “Thank you,” I said softly. Then, before I could stop myself, I added, “My mate, Kierygan… he chose it for me.”

They didn’t respond, and a quiet regret stirred within me. Maybe sentiment didn’t mean anything to beings like them.

We lingered in the garden only briefly-just long enough for me to breathe in its colors and the fleeting sense of peace it offered.

Then, without a word, Lorien and Hemera began to walk again.

I hesitated, casting one last glance at the shimmering blossoms behind me before following.

With each step, the garden’s warmth receded. Ahead, an archway began to take shape-gradual at

first, then more distinct, pulsing faintly with energy. At its center, a soft, golden current swirled like

liquid light.

Neither Lorien nor Hemera paused. They passed through without hesitation. I swallowed hard and

stepped after them.

The moment I crossed the threshold, the air shifted-cooler, thinner, edged with something sharp

and unfamiliar. I drew a breath, unsteady, and stepped forward.

The chamber before me was unlike anything I had ever seen.

Walls of crystal towered on all sides, vast faceted planes that caught and scattered light into endless rivers of color. Every surface shimmered with motion, yet nothing moved. My reflection multiplied across them-a thousand versions of myself, each turned just slightly away, each wearing the same wide-eyed expression of uncertainty… and something closer to fear.

I turned, expecting to find Lorien and Hemera behind me. “Lorien?” My voice wavered. “Hemera?”

Only silence answered. Then the echo of my voice, stretched and layered, drifting back from every wall. It repeated my name, again and again, until it became something hollow and unfamiliar.

I spun again, my pulse quickening. They were gone. No footsteps. No flicker of their light.

Only me, my thousand silent reflections, and the echo of my name reverberating through a room of

endless mirrors.

I spun around and began walking back the way I thought we’d come-but the archway had

vanished. Gone, as if it had never been.

My stomach twisted.

All that remained were those endless, faceted walls-cold and gleaming, reflecting my own.

growing panic from a thousand angles.

“Lorien?” I called again. “Hemera?”

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Chapter 180; Hall of Reflections

They did not answer.

Only my own voice returned, shattered and scattered by the crystal walls.

“Please!” I tried again, louder this time. “Someone?

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The echoes came back distorted-overlapping whispers, fragments of voices blending into a dissonant chorus. My name. My words. Twisted into murmurs I couldn’t quite understand. It felt as if the chamber had swallowed my voice, only to mack me with it.

My heart pounded as I took a step back. “I want to get out of here!” I shouted, the tremor in my voice betraying my fear.

Then, something shifted.

I froze.

One of the reflections, the one directly in front of me, lifted her head and met my eyes. Not like a mirror image mimicking movement, but like someone watching from the other side.

I turned my head slightly. Another reflection followed. Then another. And another. Each one moved on its own-watching. Alive in a way reflections should never be.

Then they began to change. Still me. same.

The one nearest looked like me from long ago: frail, pale, still wearing the torn dress from M

in the tower.

But not t

my days

The next: me during sword training, dirt smudged across my cheek, a faint glow pulsing beneath my skin.

Another me, cowering beneath Mirael’s mocking smile.

My chest tightened as I turned, desperate to look away. Only to find more.

Me, glowing softly beside Kierygan, his hand warm against my back. Me, crowned in a bejeweled diadem. Me, eyes burning gold, wings unfurled… not fae, not celestial, but something that defied both.

A dizzying nausea rolled through me. I stumbled back, collapsing into the corner, shaking my head. “No… this isn’t real,”

My voice cracked through the stillness. And this time, one of the reflections answered.

“You wish to leave?” it asked. The voice was my own-only older, steadier, colder. Almost like the divine beings themselves.

“What?” I breathed, blinking in disbelief.

Then came the chorus-dozens of voices layered into one, each a different version of me: “Then

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Chapter 180 Hall of Reflections

choose.”

I stared at them, uncomprehending. “Choose what?”

The tower version of me stepped forward, eyes hollow but knowing. The queenly one smiled faintly. The celestial one’s glow brightened until the light hurt my eyes.

The voices rose again-soft, dissonant, final: “Choose the best version of yourself… or stay here

forever.”

Clair

I pushed myself to my feet, my legs trembling but steady enough to move. The words echoed in my head: Choose the best version of you.

Simple enough. Just choose one, and I’ll be out of here.

I looked around at the countless versions of myself until my gaze caught on one that outshone all the rest-me in my full power. Light coursed through my veins like living starlight, wings unfurled, eyes glowing gold. I was radiant, untouchable. A version of me that had defeated the Light Reaper. A being who looked like she truly belonged among the celestials.

This had to be it. The best version of me.

I took a step toward her, my reflection’s golden eyes locking with mine. But then, from the corner of my vision, another image flickered-one I almost missed.

It was me again, but different. Dressed in white, a crown resting in my hair, Kierygan’s hand gently cupping my cheek. My wedding and coronation day. The memory hit like sunlight breaking through storm clouds-the warmth, the laughter, the fierce tenderness in his eyes.

That was me too-the version filled with love. My chest tightened. Slowly, I stepped toward her instead, thinking, yes… this one. This is the best of me.

But then a soft giggle echoed behind me.

first friend after so

I turned and saw another version of myself, standing in Ashteryn’s forge-m much fear and loneliness. I watched wide-eyed as listened to his stories.

Another reflection flickered to life beside it: Evander patiently guiding my hand as I learned to write, Solara, her expression softening as she corrected my posture. Ulyanna’s patient gaze, Scylla’s quiet encouragement, Callum’s teasing grin, Orryx’s rare smile of approval.

อ

Each one was me. Each moment, a thread in the tapestry of who I had become. And it was impossible to say which was better, because all of them were precious-and all of them mattered.

I stumbled back, caught between choices I could not make. My hands clenched into fists. Suddenly, choosing no longer seemed simple.

How could I take one piece of myself without betraying all the others?

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