Burning Star

Vega stared at herself in the mirror. Her red hair was styled to perfection: a few strands loose, with the rest of her hair on top of her head. The sparkling jewels on the hairpins were arranged to symbolize the constellation of Lyra.

Her hands trailed down her sides, and she looked down to look at the beautiful white gown. It was her wedding day, and she was nervous. She exhaled before meeting the eyes of her own reflection once more.

All of her friends were gathered on this special occasion. Vega found herself reminiscing her past. Everything from before she became one.

She recalled the two lives she lived when she was younger: the wealthy Miriam Hertz with a dark secret, and the orphan Annabell Forrester who wanted nothing more than to be accepted.

Face after face popped to mind. In the last couple of months, she’d searched the land in order to find any unclosed business. It had saddened her to find that Veronica Hertz and Miss Selena—the two women who’d taken care of her two bodies during her youth—were both deceased. Apparently, Black Holes had tracked her essence and finished the job.

A tear fell from her eye at the memory. She prayed to Solem to have mercy on their souls.

The faces of all of her enemies showed up. Blake, the boy who’d stolen Eric’s appearance, and Dr. Johansson who’d fooled everybody. She thought of the losses that countless people had suffered because of this mission to save the world. For her, it wasn’t worth it. Those lives had just as much a right to live as she had, and the fact that it was her standing here now, on the happiest day of her life, didn’t justify any of their losses.

Vega sighed.

Memories from that time always seemed muffled to her, but she knew that it wasn’t a real life—it had never been a real life. Her childhood was merely a shadow of what she was to become, and here she stood today, on her wedding day.

All throughout the land people had congratulated her on her engagement, and while the planning had been going on, she’d found comfort in the acceptance.

Of course, the best part of it all was Joshua. He was her hero, her best friend and her soon-to-be husband.

However, with all of these random people blessing her, there was one blessing that she needed more than anyone else in the world. She’d caught herself questioning her decision several times already, and she couldn’t continue without being absolutely certain that this was the right thing. In her heart, there was no doubt. However, she didn’t have infinite knowledge any longer—she’d given it up alongside many other things.

Clearing her throat, she readied herself. One meeting was all she could afford. She stared at her own reflection, concentrating hard.

“Please,” she muttered a plea.

The blank surface of the mirror changed, and within seconds, Solem smiled back at her.

“Mother,” Vega said, bowing her head in respect. “You came.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Solem replied. “It’s not often I get to see one of my children getting married on earth.” She laughed. “Besides, I’m starting to grow very fond of the human race—I see why you like them so much.”

Vega raised her head and folded her hands behind her back. “I need to know,” she said. “Will I be alright?”

Solem tapped her chin. “What does your heart tell you?”

“I don’t know.” Vega shook her head. “In a way, I’ve never felt this sure about anything else in my life, but at the same time, I don’t know what being cut off from the stars—from you—will do to me.”

As Solem started to pace back and for the in the mirror, Vega bit down on her bottom lip. Why wasn’t the Goddess speaking?

“Vega,” Solem said and stopped. “You are a bright star, one of the brightest in the whole universe.” She turned to face Vega. “And I am certain that you’ll be a bright young woman, as well.”

Speechless, Vega felt the tug of a smile creeping on the corner of her lips.

“And there’ll always be room for you back in the sky, when the time comes.” Solem winked. “That counts for both you and Joshua.”

“Thank you, Mother,” Vega grinned, finally feeling the weight on her shoulders lift. “I have no words to express—“

Solem held up a hand to stop Vega from speaking. “I have something for you.” She waved a hand and manifested three books. “It’s not much.”

Vega reached out, her hands gliding through the surface of the mirror, and Solem placed the books in her hands. “What is it?” Vega asked.

Solem tilted her head. “A wedding gift.”

Carefully, Vega opened the book on page one, only to find a blank page. She flipped through several pages, finding empty pages throughout the whole book. “But…” she said, raising her eyes to meet Solem’s eyes. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s empty for a reason,” Solem said. “I thought long and hard on what to give you. And originally, I was going to give you a candleholder for the temple. However, when you spoke just now, something occurred to me.”

“And that was?” Vega urged.

Solem smiled. “It occurred to me that what you’re most worried about not being able to recall yourself and your true heritage.”

Vega didn’t reply; she knew that much was true. The thought alone terrified her. She’d been destined for greatness for so long, and while she believed there was a way for her to be a devoted wife too, then she couldn’t help but feel she was cutting off an extreme part of her life.

“So I thought,” Solem continued. “That you might need to remember your heritage once in a while. Hence the books, I thought you could write down your story whenever you feel like we’re too far away.”

“But, I’m not a writer.” Vega frowned.

“Don’t be silly. If you can write, then you can be a writer—“Solem grinned — “and I know for a fact that you can write.”

“But what would I even call it?” Vega asked.

Solem was silent for a moment while she tapped her chin repeatedly. “Well…” she said. “You could call it the Lores of Lyra.”