House of the Celestials: Crown of Stars Rewrite

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 Sam rested her back against the rock Rosa had bought her to, listening to Rosa's explanation. She listened attentively, her head lowered down as Rosa talked about how the world she knew was bigger than what she thought. That there was more to the universe than she had ever thought. As she listened more to Rosa, things began to make more sense to her and about her life. There were things about Sam's life that didn't make sense to her, things about her past that she couldn't understand. She had blank memories that had to do with her father and how he died. Sam had some memories of the incident, but some things were cut off from her consciousness. Things about herself that she had never been able to be comfortable with. She had felt like she didn't belong to society, that her existence didn't fit the norm of civilization. But now she was learning that she was normal. Well, as normal as one can be. She raised her head as she processed everything Rosa had explained.

"So let me get this straight, Extraterrestrial life is real, there are various races apart from we humans," Sam said. " And our planet also happens to have some kind of secret hidden civilization that exists alongside the..."

"Mundane world," Rosa said. "We call it the Hidden World. An extra dimension that exists side to side with the mundane world. The Hidden civilization has existed alongside the Regular civilization for a long time, maybe even before it. No one knows. All we know is that Terra, the planet, has some kind of natural barrier that conceals any evidence or proof of the existence of-"

"Supernatural forces," Sam muttered. She checked her hands as she pondered on what she had learned.

"So you...you can use magic," Sam asked.

"Unfortunately no, I'm not a Mage," Rosa said. "I have no knowledge of the Arcane art. But I'm what you call a Mystic artist, someone who can utilize Mystical energy. A Mage is something else that is more complicated."

"Mystical artist," Sam said. She wondered what category she fit in. 

"So we're living in some kind of fantasy world," Henry said.

"Does this look like a fantasy world to you," Trynr said. Sam paid attention to the girl, unlike the first time she had seen her. Sam had never seen the brown haired girl before, her petite stature made her look younger than Sam, but she seemed way more comfortable in the situation they were in. "An Echo field is not a place mundane humans can survive in."

"I still don't understand what an Echo field is," Sam said.

"All you need to know is that an Echo field like this one is a dangerous place to be, " Trynr said.

"How did we get here?" Sam asked. "I...I remember there was some kind of earthquake, and then a pillar of light. And then I woke up here."

"Me too," Henry said.

"I have no idea," Callum said. He turned to face Rosa, who raised an eyebrow at him.

"I don't know either," Rosa said.

"You don't know," Trynr said. "I would think that a Guardian would have some clue as to what's happening,"

"Guardian...what's that?" Sam asked.

"Think of it as some kind of police force of the Hidden world," Callum said. "Though I have to say that you're too young to be one. Are you really Nineteen, Rosa,"

"Do I look like an hag," Rosa said.

"No," Callum said with a sheepish smile. "I just thought you might be one of them,"

"I'm not." Rosa grumbled. She knew what Callum was talking about, but unfortunately for Rosa, she was not one of the blessed few. "All I know is my job, and that's all I care about." Sam raised an eyebrow at her. And then a question came up to her. Sam was not an idiot. She had noticed the fact that Rosa, Callum and Trynr were not the only ones who did not seem that freaked out about their situation. At least not to the level of the mundane folks like Sam and Henry. There were others who seemed okay, their emotional state affirming how calm and relaxed they were. It was different from the majority who were freaking out, anxiety and fear tearing them apart. And there was also the case that they happened to be students of her school. Most of them were. They had moved towards us, listening to what we were talking about but were otherwise quiet. 

"Tell me it's not a coincidence that I happen to be go to a school where some of the students happen to possess some kind of mystical gift or something," Sam said. She turned to Rosa, then Callum and Trynr.

"Yesh University isn't your regular school," Callum said. "It's a font used by Golden Dawn to recruit outsiders from the Hidden World who happen to become a Mystic." Sam scoffed, her mind racing with so many things. Aunt Stella, what the hell have you been keeping from me? 

"He's right," Rosa said.

"What the hell is a Golden Dawn," Sam said.

"It's the organization that I work for. The organization that your family belongs to, Sam." Rosa said.

"No! No! No!" Sam waved her fingers in denial. Her aunt was the one who had recommended her to Yesh, the one who had the connection that allowed her to get into the university.

"I'm sorry, Sam." Rosa said. "You weren't suppose to find out like this."

****

Sam was in a corner of her own world as she processed everything she had learned. Life on other planets, mystical forces and hidden worlds existing like in those comics she liked to read. And then she thought of her life, her ability which had hindered her for most of her life, and her relationship with her aunt. Stella was the sister of Sam's mother who Sam had never met. Her father back when he was alive, never spoke of her, not from the memories she could remember. So Sam always assumed her mother was just dead. She had never thought that her condition was something she could have inherited. A pang of ache went through Sam's head, her temple hurting. She massaged that part of her head, the emotional toll of what had happened descending on Sam. She was trying her best to ignore the massive amount of feedback she was getting, but it was getting harder. According to Rosa, the light had transported all the citizens of Chicago, both in the north, south and west. All of Chicagoans were here, even those from the metropolitan area had been included. Though from Rosa's estimation, it seems eighty nine percent of them had died after being dumped in this alien space. Sam didn't want to think of those poor souls. She frowned as her head ached more. As Sam was dealing with her issue, the situation in the underground space was getting worse. Across the space, the people's nerves were getting worse and worse, with some infighting breaking out here and there. Some people tried to keep to themselves, families who managed to survive bundling together. No one had tried to take charge of the situation, not even the Mystics among them who were in a better shape than most of the Mundanes. Even though they knew where they were, it wasn't like they could do anything. Most of the Mystics were just students who were beginning their Mystical journey like Callum and Trynr, and even experienced Mystic like Rosa had no clue. This was Rosa's first time in an Echo. Rosa pulled her Zodiak from her dimensional storage band and then dismissed it. She sighed. She had hoped that she would be able to send a call to headquarters for help, but there was no signal.

"It's impossible to communicate electronically in an Echo field," Trynr said. "We're cut off from normal space," She had seen the zodiak Rosa had bought out and could guess what the Guardian was trying to do. Sam looked up from where Rosa was standing, and then back to the ground. To deal with her issue, Sam began to sing. At first it was a quiet song, a song that seemed like a whisper, and then as she sang, her headache began to lessen. The emotions that were stabbing her mind began to dim. So Sam continued her singing, her voice came out strong, soft and melodic, the harmony of her song made her heart feel stronger. As Sam sang, she noticed a color permeating over her. She stopped singing, looking around her to notice everybody looking at her. Every single person in the wide space had turned their attention to Sam. Even Rosa. Sam had never been more self conscious. She used the rock behind her to pull herself up, staring at everybody. They all looked relaxed and calm, like her song had eased their hearts like it had done to hers. 

"What's going on?" Sam said.

"Was...Was that you," Callum said.

"Was what me?" Sam said. 

"I knew you had some kind of ability," Rosa whispered. "But I had no idea it was that impressive." Rosa looked at the people who had been enchanted by Sam's song, their emotions influenced by it to the point that all their fears, anxiety and terror of their situation had disappeared. Is it some kind of emotional manipulation. No...It's more than that. The emotional manipulation is just a side effect of it. It's something deeper...something that has to do with one's very soul. As a Mystic artist, Rosa had trained her mind against mental influence, so emotional manipulation was not something that should have worked on her. Her mind was stronger than the average human. But this influence had somehow worked it's way into her. Sam seemed to have no idea on what she had done, though from the look of her face, she was beginning to piece it together. Rosa had always wondered why she had been assigned to Sam. She had appeared average to Rosa at first but as Rosa go to know Sam, she had discovered that Sam was not your average teenage girl. There had been more to her, something her superior was not telling her. Now, Rosa knew how special Sam was. Sam meanwhile was studying the colors that had appeared after she began singing. There were various strands of colors, each of them bouncing off each other. Sam stretched her hands towards it, but she felt nothing. She then began to continue singing again. As her voice carried across the space, soothing the hearts of all those in pain and fear, a bright surge of color danced across the ceiling. Sam followed the colors, tracing them to a hole that was the opposite from the numerous holes everybody had come out of. Sam stared at this hole that looked like it was missing it's door hinges. She tried to walk towards it but Henry called out to her.

"Where are you going Sam," He said. "We should stick together-"

"Something is calling me," Sam said. She had no idea nor could she explain it, but she felt a pull towards the hole where the colors where coming from. That it was safer to go through this hole than the others. Some kind of instinctual knowledge that this was the right move to make.

"What's calling you," Rosa said.

"I...I don't know." Sam said.

"We should be careful," Trynr said. "An Echo field is not some place we can just walk around. it's a minefield filled with Mystic beast like those Grandid ants."

"No. I don' think it's dangerous," Sam said. The pull was getting stronger, and Sam felt a desire to seek out what was beyond the hole. She had no idea what this pull was, and though a part of her was afraid, Sam did not feel like just sitting down here, waiting for help to come. No. She would rather do things to occupy her mind and keep her from facing the truth about her only family member left in her life. Rosa wanted to question this pull but then she thought more about it. She came to a decision.

"I think we should follow her," Rosa said. Callum shrugged while Trynr rolled her eyes but joined Callum in following Rosa, who was behind Sam. As they approached the hole, Sam heard movement behind her. She turned to see that some of the others had actually followed them. Mostly the students from her school with some of the average Chicagoans. The woman cop among them. The majority of the others were still sitting down, not daring to go into any more holes. Even with the soothing balm Sam had placed in their soul, the abstract fear of the unknown glued them down.

"Let's go Sam," Rosa said.

"What about them," Sam said.

"Forget them," Rosa said. "We don't have time to worry about the weak." There was no guilt nor regret from Rosa for what she had said. There was just a coldness to her voice that spoke of the grim reality they were facing.

"But.."

"Wouldn't it be better if we get out, then I can request for help," Rosa said. "It would be a better way to save them." Sam reluctantly nodded. She turned away from them and entered the cave with the others. As soon as they entered the cave, a burning blue flame lit up from what looked like a lamp that was spread through the tunnel. Everyone was shocked to see it, not expecting the sudden light. Sam ignored it and began following the color and the pull. As they went through the tunnel, Rosa had her spear out, ready to defend Sam in case a Beast came out of nowhere. As they walked on, Sam kept whispering the song she was singing.

"You never told me where you learned that tune," Henry whispered. He had heard Sam sing the song before when she was having one of her fits. She would always whisper the song to herself when she was down, the song always giving her the strength to push through whatever issue she was facing. Of course, it didn't always help so it wasn't something Sam used all the time. She had different coping mechanism for herself.

"My Aunt Stella used to sing them to me," Sam said. "It's a bedtime nursery rhyme. At least I think so." They continued further into the tunnel until they came across a door. The door was large and dark blue, made out of rock more than the glowing crystals. There was a symbol of an upside down t that looked like a tree with branches of leaves spreading everywhere and then a droplet shaped loop that covered the leaves. Sam felt like she had seen this symbol before. As she came close to it, she began to pull down the sleeves of her sweater, where a birthmark was. There was a silvery mark on the back of her right arm, a mark so dim it was hard to see it. But now, that mark was glowing as Sam approached the door. A glowing green light emitted out of Sam's back hand, the pull behind the door grew stronger. Sam pressed her right arm on the circle and then the symbol lit up, and then the door opened.