the sun burns (9)

Slowly, it slid open, revealing a room bathed in golden light. At its center stood a pedestal, and atop it, a sphere of pure, searing brilliance. It was like holding a piece of the sun itself, its light pulsating in waves. Nadia approached cautiously, shielding her eyes.

The air around the sphere was charged, every hair on her body standing on end. She reached out, her fingers trembling, and touched the sphere. Pain. Heat. Light. It surged through her, a torrent of energy that threatened to consume her.

She screamed, but the sound was swallowed by the light. Memories not her own flooded her mind—images of Solis, of their rise and fall, of the betrayal that had turned them from savior to scourge.