The Dragon King and His Fallen Star novel Chapter 181

Chapter 181: Willow of Whispers

EIRLYS’ POV

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When I opened my eyes, my head felt heavy, as if I’d been asleep for centuries. The floor beneath me was solid yet warm, like sunlight trapped in stone. Slowly, I pushed myself upright, blinking until my vision steadied.

The crystal walls were gone. No more endless reflections. No more haunting whispers. Only vast,

open space stretched infinitely in every direction. Wisps of golden mist drifted through the air, glowing softly like the breath of distant stars.

I glanced around, my heart pounding. There was still no sign of Lorien or Hemera.

But I wasn’t alone.

Two figures stood a few paces away. One was the pale man with long silver hair and a beard that

shimmered faintly in the light. Beside him stood a broad figure, his skin sun-kissed and his wings a

blend of white and burnished bronze. Both of them watched me in silence-calm, unreadable, and

impossibly still.

“I see Lorien and Hemera took you to the Hall of Reflections,” said the silver-haired man, his voice

calm and airy, like a breath carried by wind.

I hesitated, glancing around as though those dreadful crystal walls might still be there, waiting to close in again. “Yes,” I said at last, my throat tight. “.. I think so.” Then, quietly, “Did I choose right?”

The silver-haired celestial lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. “You wouldn’t be out if you

hadn’t.”

My brows knit together. I stared at him, frustration flickering through the haze of exhaustion.”

What was that about, anyway?” I asked. “Was it some kind of test?”

Before he could answer, the darker-skinned man spoke instead, his tone low and steady. “We, too,

enter that hall from time to time.”

He folded his wings neatly behind him, their bronze feathers catching the faint light. “The Hall of

Reflections is not meant to judge,” he said. “It reminds. Even we must walk its mirrors-to

remember what we once were, and what we have become.”

My frown deepened. I wasn’t sure whether that was meant to comfort me. Or unsettle me further.

The silver-haired man gestured toward the horizon. “You must come with us, Eirlys.”

“Where are we going this time?” I asked, trying-and failing-to keep the weariness from my voice.

After everything they had just put me through, the thought of following them anywhere didn’t

sound like a good idea.

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Chapter 131: Willow of Whispers

He almost smiled. “Nowhere far,” he said. “Just a walk. You’ll be here for a while, after all. We

thought we might as well show you around Heaven each.”

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A sigh escaped me before I could stop it. I almost forgot I was a prisoner here. “Fine,” I muttered.

They began walking, their strides unhurried, and I followed. After a few moments, the silver-haired one spoke again. “I am Aecron,” he said. “Guardian of Time.”

The winged man inclined his head. “And I am Nethros, Guardian of the Threads of Existence.”

I nodded, mumbling, “And you already know who I am.”

They said nothing, simply continuing their slow, unhurried walk.

I hesitated, then asked, “And the other two… the ones who took me? What are they guarding?”

Nethros glanced at me briefly but kept walking. “One is the Guardian of Order. His name is Nethros glanced at me briefly but kep Seraphiel,” he said. “The one in blue robes, Helios, guards the knowledge of the universe.”

They both stopped abruptly. I looked up-and froze

Before us stood the largest willow tree I had

ever seen. Its branches sin so Schlingen.

arty and wide, the

leaves slender and translucent, like countless shards of glass. When the wind passed through

them, they chimed together in a melody so hauntingly beautiful that my chest tightened.

For a moment, I forgot to breathe

//

Aecron and Nethros stepped aside, giving me an unobstructed view of the majestic tree.

“It is called the Willow

of Whispers,” Aecron said, gesturing toward its sweeping branches.

“Willow of Whispers?” I echoed softly, my voice barely above a breath.

Aecron nodded. “Come closer.”

I hesitated for only a heartbeat before stepping beneath its low-hanging boughs. Nethros tilted his head slightly. “Can you hear them?” he asked.

I blinked. “Hear… what?” Whether th

“The leaves,” he said, his voice calm. “They whisper

I hesitated, then leaned in, letting the wind carry the faintest rustle to my ears. And there it was-

soft, almost fragile, but unmistakable. The leaves whispered.

I blinked again, focusing. At first, it was a murmur, just fragments. Then the words became clearer.

One whisper, delicate and warm, murmured, “Bring Kierygan at my side.”

Another, sharper, tinged with longing, breathed, “Return me to the mortal realm.”

My heartbeat quickened as the whispering grew louder, each leaf joining in a chorus of hopes,

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Chapter 191 Willow of Whispers

fears, and desires-entwined with my own.

Claim

I stepped back, pressing against its colossal trunk, struggling to steady my racing thoughts. “What is this?” I whispered.

Aecron clasped his hands together. “They speak your deepest wishes… your truest desires… aloud.

“Pick a leaf,” Nethros said, stepping closer, his bronze wings shifting ever so slightly. “One that whispers what you desire.”

I blinked, my throat dry. “I… I get to choose what I want?”

Nethros inclined his head once, almost imperceptibly. “Yes. Pick whatever you want, and it will be

granted.”

My heart skipped. It… it really could?

My mind flashed to Kierygan, to the life I left behind to the world I wanted to return to.

Aecron’s voice, calm yet impossibly deep, drew me back from the whirlwind of thoughts.” Whatever you wish will be granted,” he said, gesturing toward the shimmering leaves. “Go on, child.

I swallowed hard and looked up. The leaves glinted like fragments of stars trapped in glass, each one whispering something different-some soft and gentle, others urgent, insistent. My fingers itched to reach out. Every promise more tempting than the last:

Bring Kierygan to my side.

Bring me home.

Rewrite my fate.

Restore the fae and dragons.

I listened to my heart, letting it guide me as I circled the great tree, the whispers swirling around me like wind through glass. Each suggestion tugged at me, pulling at the deepest corners of my longing. But then I stopped, my hand hovering just above a shimmering leaf.

This was too easy. Too perfect. My chest tightened with suspicion.

It had to be another test.

Yes, I could take any wish, and the willow would grant it. But what then?

I thought of Evander, joking once during our banters: Careful what you wish for, Snowdrop.

Aecron and Nethros hadn’t warned me of the consequences. But that didn’t mean there weren’t

any. Every wish whispered here would twist the threads of fate, of time, of reality, of order… of

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balance. Eventually, it would bring me back here in leavenreach. To be judged.

I shook my head, stepping back from the tree. My Heart still pounded, still ached with longing. I

moved cautiously toward Aecron and Nethros, my hands empty.

Nethros’ eyes narrowed, then flicked to my hands. Where is your leaf, Eirlys?”

I swallowed, forcing my voice steady. “I… I didn’t pick any.”

He raised a brow, curiosity glinting in his golden eyes. “Why not? Did they not offer what you

desire?”

I shook my head slowly. “They whisper everything I want… and more. But…” I hesitated, my gaze

dropping to my hands. “…it does not whisper what need.”

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