One day, while Rajat was working on his new abilities, a new Lumin came to him. This was a young woman named Zyra. She was different from the rest of the Lumin – her glow was more intense, her movements more energetic, and her way of thinking had a curiosity and fearlessness that the others did not.
"What you are going through is amazing!" she said, her energy charging Rajat. "A human who understands our world! The Oracle's prophecy is true. You can help us."
Zyra became their companion. She showed Rajat the secrets of Luminasia, helped him read ancient inscriptions, and inspired him to develop his sensitivity. She also spoke of the Knox – their fanaticism, their war tactics, their inner despair.
"They haven't always been like this," he said one day, as they sat on a high hill. "Once upon a time, we were all from the same world. Light and shadow danced together. Then something went wrong. Hunger… division… fear. And now, we are in this war."
Rajat began to trust Zaira. She was a friend. He told her about his human life – his college, his parents, his worries. Zaira listened sympathetically.
But then, one night, Rajat felt something unsettling. His sensitivities were now more subtle. When Zaira came to say goodbye, he felt a subtle, but intense emotion – fear. But not just fear. Secrecy. And… longing.
He asked Zaira about it. Zaira's glow faded momentarily. "Everyone is afraid, Rajat. Everyone wants this war to end. I'm sure you're the one who can end it." But her voice didn't sound entirely right.
One day, Zyra came up with a novel plan. "I think I know what Knox's plan is," she said, her thoughts filled with excitement. "They want to break the 'Pillar of Balance' – an ancient structure that holds both worlds together. If you give me your stone, I will use it to find the weaknesses in the pillar. We can make it stronger!"
Something was warning Rajat. His sensitivity was screaming now. "Why my stone?" he asked softly.
Zyra's glow faded again. "Because it's the only one that reacts with the pillar's energy. I have the perfect plan. I just need to use it."
In that moment, Rajat opened his senses to the fullest. And what he felt was like a shock to him. Beneath Zyra's flat, friendly expression, there was a deep, dense darkness. Not fear, but loyalty – but that loyalty wasn't to Lumines. It was to Nox. And her aspiration… wasn't to strengthen that pillar. It was to break it.
Rajat drew back, his heart pounding. "You… you work for them," he whispered.
Zyra's face changed. Its soft glow turned to darkness. The light in her eyes turned red. "I work for the most powerful party," she said, her voice now hoarse and cold. "Lumins are weak. They live only to exist. Nox wants growth. New worlds. And you, Rajat, can make it possible. Give me the stone."
"Never," Aryan said, pressing the stone to his chest.
Zayra laughed. "It doesn't matter. Now they know you're here. And they're coming."
And she disappeared again, melting into the glow of Lumnesia, leaving a poisonous trail of betrayal. Rajat was left alone, his mind filled with the anguish of betrayal and a new, more intense worry: Nox now knew where he was. And they were coming.
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