Lyra

The night air was cool, the fire crackling softly in front of us. The woods were peaceful, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen. The hum had returned, more pronounced this time. I could feel it vibrating through my chest, a constant pull that called me, tugging me forward.

I stood up, almost without thinking, and walked a few steps away from the campfire, the crystal at my neck growing warmer. I'd been avoiding it—this strange connection, this responsibility—but tonight it was insistent. I couldn't ignore it anymore.

"Lyra?" Finn's voice was distant behind me. I turned to see him, a concerned look on his face, but I didn't want to explain. I couldn't. I had to follow the pull.

"I'll be right back," I said softly, my words almost carried away by the wind.

Without waiting for a response, I took another step, feeling the pull of the crystal growing stronger. The woods around me felt different—alive in a way I hadn't noticed before. The trees whispered as I passed, and the ground beneath my feet seemed to hum in response. The crystal glowed faintly against my skin, guiding me like a compass toward something just out of reach.

Then, without warning, the world around me shifted. My vision blurred, and I was no longer standing in the woods but in a vast, open space. The sky was dark, swirling with clouds and lightning. The ground beneath me cracked, the earth splitting open, revealing a chasm of fire and smoke. I could feel the weight of history in the air—something ancient, something terrible.

Before me stood a figure cloaked in shadow, their face hidden. I could feel the presence of something much older than anything I had ever known.

"You," the voice came like a whisper in my mind, not in words, but in feelings, a deep knowing. "You are the one who will carry the burden."

The figure stepped closer, and I felt myself draw in a sharp breath. Their eyes glowed beneath the hood, piercing through me. The crystal in my chest pulsed with energy, as if responding to their presence.

"The crystal will awaken," the figure continued. "And you, Lyra, will be its guide. It has chosen you, but its power is not yours alone to wield."

The air around me thickened, crackling with an ancient energy. The figure raised a hand, and I felt a surge of power radiate from them, swirling around me, showing flashes of what was to come—fires, storms, creatures beyond imagination, all rising from the earth. My chest tightened with fear.

"Do not fear what is to come," the figure's voice soothed, though their words only added to the weight in my heart. "But understand this—the crystal is the key to undoing what has been done. It holds the power to heal or destroy, depending on who uses it."

My breath caught in my throat. "Why me?" I asked, though the words felt small, insignificant.

"You are the chosen one, Lyra," the figure replied, their tone grave. "But the path is not an easy one. You will face darkness, and you will face choices that will test your heart. The others will help you, but only you can decide how to use the crystal's power."

I took a step back, but the figure's hand reached out, pulling me closer once more. The vision was so vivid, the energy so strong, that I almost lost myself in it.

"Remember this, Lyra," the figure whispered, their voice fading. "You must protect the crystal. The world depends on it."

And then, just as suddenly as it had come, the vision snapped away. I gasped, stumbling as I returned to the familiar dark forest, the firelight still flickering in the distance.

My heart was pounding in my chest. The weight of what I had seen—the urgency of it all—hung heavy in the air.

"Lyra?" I heard Finn's voice calling again. This time, I couldn't ignore him. I turned, my mind racing with everything I had just experienced.

"I... I saw him," I said, my voice trembling. "The one who hid the crystal. He said the world depends on what we do with it."

Finn moved closer, his expression a mixture of concern and curiosity. "What does that mean? What are we supposed to do?"

I swallowed hard, still trying to steady my breathing. "I don't know. But I think... I think we have to trust the crystal. And we have to be careful. The power is... more than we realize."

Finn stepped closer, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder. "We'll figure it out. Together."

And for the first time since the hum had started, I almost believed him.