LIGHTBRINGER

Once, the planet of Nobellus shimmered at the heart of Eira, a twin star system known throughout the galaxy for its radiance. On nobellus, light wasn't just energy; it was life, culture and power. The royal family were more than rulers; they were protectors of the prism arts and the guardians of balance.Among them was princess Aura, oldest child of the LaCari lineage and 1st in line to the throne. Born under the twin suns, she inherited the rarest of gifts, the ability to shapeshift, gifted by the sun of creation and the power to create and wield light from the sun of balance. From childhood, she was secretly trained to become not only a queen, but a beacon for the people of nobellus.But even the brightest lights cast shadows. And one day, the shadows fought back.Led by the devourer of suns, the dark legion came, breaking apart families and leaving Aura as the last of her bloodline. General Nyx corrupted the very light Aura’s people depended on and plunged the planet into darkness.One by one the cities dimmed and fell. The prism gates, the one thing her family had sworn to protect, collapsed and the planet of nobellus, once known as the lighthouse of Eira, fell into darkness.Aura fought to the last moment, standing beneath a broken sky, weaving shields of pure radiance in order to protect her people but it was no use alone. The dark legion was too strong and too many. Aura was sent to the depths of the citadel. Locked away in a chamber and injected with lightbane, her powers no longer came when she called, not a flicker, not even a spark. Her body erupted in pain at any attempt to change shape. She was truly, undoubtedly, trapped.Days of darkness evolved into years and Aura found herself praying to Vesta, a cosmic entity older than galaxies, who once forged the first suns and lit the beacons of creation. Vesta was said to sleep in the core of every star, whispering only to those attuned to true light.Aura’s heart ached with exileHer family were goneHer people enslavedHer planet was drowning in shadow.‘Am I truly the last?’Tears welled in her eyes, not of water, but of liquid light, dripping onto the floor from her kneeling frame and seeping into the cracks. More and more fell, travelling, converging until the shape of a robed woman appeared. Living starfire stood in front of Aura, her hair made of shifting solar flares, eyes of twin suns and a voice like ancient sunlight breaking through the darkness of night.‘You are not the last, you are the first’The voice was flame and calm, ancient and kind. It wrapped around her like a warmth in winter.‘Vesta?’ Aura questioned. Disbelief evident in her voice ‘But you’re…’‘Not gone.’ Vesta's eyes narrowed gently as she stepped towards the princess ‘merely waiting for the right spark…and you, little prism, are that spark’Vesta knelt on the floor, eye level with Aura and cupped her face gently, wiping her tears from her cheeks‘Nyx has stolen your crown, dimmed your light and drowned you in silence. But you are not extinguished, Aura. You are ignition waiting to happen.Vestas hand glows brighter now, the darkness holding the cell shut crackles and melts and the raw light seeps into Aura’s skin‘You have been in darkness for too long, little star’And with that, Aura felt the rush of light return to her, filling every inch of her body, and for the first time in years, she felt like she could breathe again.‘Stand up, child of Nobellus. We have work to do’

All art created by: Dajerva <3