Elidh was running.
The forest around her was a blur of dark trees and shifting shadows, the ground soft beneath her bare feet. She could hear whispers threading through the air—low, insistent, calling her forward. “Seek the Codex.” The voice was neither male nor female, neither young nor old. It was everywhere and nowhere, echoing inside her head. She tried to stop, but her feet wouldn’t listen. The trees bent inward as if watching. The stars overhead shone too brightly, forming constellations she didn’t recognize. And then— A figure appeared ahead. Cloaked in deep blue, their face hidden in the shadows of their hood. Eilidh’s breath caught. She should have been afraid. But instead, a strange familiarity washed over her. The figure raised a hand. “Find the Celestial Codex before it’s too late.” The ground shook beneath her. The whispering grew into a roar— Eilidh gasped and bolted upright. It was just a dream!! The room was silent, save for Eoin’s steady breathing in the next bed. Eilidh pressed a hand to her racing heart. A dream. But not just a dream. She turned to the bedside table. The pendant was still there—but it was glowing again. Not faintly this time. Stronger. Steady. Eilidh swallowed. She reached out and touched it. A warm pulse spread up her arm, not painful, but powerful. Like it was responding to her. She snatched her hand back, breathing hard. This wasn’t normal. She had to tell Eoin. Eoin! Eion!! Eion!!! Eoin was not happy about being shaken awake. He groaned, rolling over. “Eilidh, if this isn’t life or death I swear on grandpa’s soul I’m cutting of your arms—” “It is.” That got his attention. Eilidh showed him the pendant, the glow still steady. Then she told him about the dream. Eoin was quiet for a long time. Then, he sighed. “We knew this was coming, didn’t we?” Eilidh nodded. “Grandda left all of this behind for a reason. The stranger at the door? The pendant glowing? The dream? It’s all connected, Eoin. And if we stay here, we’ll never find out the truth.” Eoin ran a hand down his face. “Leaving the village isn’t exactly a small decision, Eilidh.” “I know.” He looked at her. “Where would we even go?” Eilidh grabbed the journal and the map from under her bed. “We start with these. We follow whatever clues Grandda left behind.” Eoin was silent. Then, finally, he nodded. “Alright. Let’s do it.” They moved quickly. If they were leaving, they had to do it before sunrise. Eilidh grabbed a satchel and stuffed in the journal, the map, the pendant. Then she packed some clothes, a few coins, and a small knife. Eoin tossed a flask of water into his bag, along with bread, cheese, and apples. They both knew they wouldn’t get far without supplies, but taking too much would be suspicious. “We can get more once we’re out of the village,” Eoin muttered. Eilidh nodded. It was happening. They were really doing this. Before stepping outside, Eilidh turned back, staring at the small cottage where they’d grown up. It had always been home. But now? It felt like a cage. She took a deep breath and stepped into the night. Eoin followed, shutting the door behind them. They didn’t look back again. The village was silent, the streets empty except for the occasional flickering lantern. They moved quickly, staying in the shadows. Their first stop was the edge of the village. Beyond that, it was open land and the unknown. Eilidh gripped the pendant around her neck. The glow had faded, but she could still feel it—warm against her skin. Eoin exhaled. “No turning back now.” Eilidh nodded. “No turning back.” And together, they stepped into the darkness. The forest was alive. Not in the way of the quiet woods back home, where birds sang at dawn and the air smelled of damp earth and heather. This was different. The trees were taller, older, their branches twisting like skeletal fingers overhead. The undergrowth was thick, clutching at their ankles, forcing them to push forward carefully. Eilidh kept her eyes on the path ahead, her fingers brushing the pendant at her neck. It wasn’t glowing, but she could still feel it. A steady warmth against her skin, like a quiet heartbeat. Eoin walked beside her, his jaw tight. He had been quiet since they left the village, his eyes scanning the darkness around them. “We should stop soon,” Eilidh murmured. “Find a place to rest.” Eoin shook his head. “Not yet. We need more distance.” Eilidh sighed but didn’t argue. She understood. If that stranger was still looking for them, they had to put as much ground between themselves and the village as possible. Still, the exhaustion was creeping in. They had been walking for hours. And the forest was changing. The ground became softer, wetter. The air smelled of moss and decay. Eilidh frowned. “This isn’t right.” Eoin stopped beside her, his eyes narrowing. “A bog?” They both looked down at the path ahead. What had once been solid ground was now shifting, sinking with every step. Eoin grabbed a stick and pressed it into the earth. It disappeared. “We can’t go through that,” he muttered. Eilidh looked around. “We’ll have to go around.” Easier said than done. The trees were thicker here, their roots rising from the ground like twisted veins. The only way forward was to climb over them, but it wouldn’t be easy. Eilidh glanced at Eoin. “I’ll go first.” She didn’t wait for a response. She grabbed hold of a thick root and pulled herself up. Her hands scraped against rough bark, but she kept climbing. Eoin followed, his movements more careful, more deliberate. The moment Eilidh reached the top of the tangled roots, she froze. “Uh… Eoin?” “What!!?” “We might have a problem.” Perched on the branches above them were glowing eyes. Dozens of them. Small creatures, quick and silent, their bodies hidden in the shadows. Eoin swore under his breath. “What are they?” Eilidh had no idea. Then, the creatures moved. Not attacking. Not running. Just… watching. A shiver ran down Eilidh’s spine. “They’re waiting,” she whispered. “For what?” She didn’t know. But she wasn’t going to wait to find out. “Come on,” she whispered. “Slowly.” They climbed down the other side of the roots, careful not to startle the watchers. Eilidh’s foot slipped on the damp bark, and she grabbed onto Eoin’s arm. He steadied her, and they both held their breath. The creatures didn’t move. Not until they stepped onto solid ground again. Then— A soft rustling, as if the trees were breathing. And the eyes blinked out, one by one. They were gone. Eilidh exhaled. “Let’s not come this way again.” Eoin nodded. “Agreed.” They pressed on, their footsteps quiet against the forest floor. Then, suddenly— The pendant flashed. Eilidh gasped, stopping in her tracks. She pulled it from beneath her shirt, staring as it pulsed a faint blue light. “Eoin—” “I see it.” They both looked up. Above them, the sky had cleared. The thick trees had given way to a break in the canopy, revealing a sky full of stars. And the pendant was glowing in rhythm with them. Eoin frowned. “It’s reacting to the stars?” Eilidh nodded. “Look at that constellation.” She pointed. A cluster of stars formed a pattern, one that looked eerily similar to the markings on their grandfather’s map. “This is a sign,” Eilidh whispered. Eoin looked down at the map, then back up at the sky. “Then we follow it.”Related Chapters
CHRONICLES OF EOIN AND EILIDH: Celestial Codex MAELIS THE SEER
The wind blew gently.Soft, curling through the trees like a warning, rustling the leaves in a way that made Eilidh’s skin prickle.They had been walking for hours, guided only by the glow of the pendant and the markings on their grandfather’s map. And now—Now they were lost.Eoin exhaled, rubbing his hands over his face. “We need to find shelter.”Eilidh nodded, though her eyes never left the trees. Something felt… off.The forest was too quiet.The kind of quiet that wasn’t natural.And then—A flicker of movement.A shadow shifting just beyond the trees, moving so quickly it was gone before she could blink.“Eoin,” she whispered.He turned, following her gaze. “Did you see that?”She nodded.And then a voice, old and knowing, echoed from the shadows.“You carry the sky around your neck, child.”Eilidh spun, reaching for the dagger at her belt.Eoin stepped in front of her, his stance tense.From the shadows, a figure emerged.An old woman, wrapped in layers of dark blue robes, her
CHRONICLES OF EOIN AND EILIDH: Celestial Codex BRAN THE BOY
The village was quiet. Too quiet.Eoin and Eilidh stood at the entrance, taking in the narrow streets, the stone houses, the lanterns swaying gently in the wind. The whole place felt like it was holding its breath.“Charming,” Eoin muttered.Eilidh elbowed him. “Stay sharp. This place is important.”They had followed the pendant’s pull through winding paths and thick woods, emerging here—the Village of Whispers. Their grandfather’s journal mentioned it in passing, hinting at ancient knowledge buried within its borders. Now that they were here, though, it was clear the locals weren’t thrilled about visitors.Shutters creaked as windows closed. A few villagers lingered in doorways, watching them with narrowed eyes. No one spoke.Eilidh stepped forward. “Excuse me—”The old man in front of her turned away without a word.She frowned. “Friendly lot.”Eoin sighed. “We need to find that library.”They walked deeper into the village, following the pendant’s faint glow. The tension was thick.
CHRONICLES OF EOIN AND EILIDH: Celestial Codex TORAN THE HIGHLAND HERMIT
The wind blow across the open moors as the three of them trudged onward, their boots sinking into the damp earth. The stars above, their only light, flickered like distant lanterns, guiding them toward the mountains that loomed ahead.Eoin pulled his cloak tighter against the biting cold. “I hope whatever we’re looking for is worth freezing to death for,” he muttered.Eilidh shot him a look. “We don’t have a choice. The answers are in the Highlands. You saw the map.”Bran, walking a few paces ahead, grinned. “Ah, the Lowlanders complain too much. This is fine weather.”Eoin gave him a skeptical look. “You’re shivering.”“Aye,” Bran admitted. “But only a little.”They pressed forward, the incline growing steeper, the terrain shifting from rolling hills to jagged rocks and narrow passes. It had been two days since they fled the Village of Whispers, and the farther they traveled, the more Eoin could feel something… shifting.It started as a prickle at the back of his neck, an awareness h
CHRONICLES OF EOIN AND EILIDH: Celestial Codex SENSEI TORAN
The morning sun bathed the Highlands in golden light, stretching long shadows across the rugged terrain. Eoin, Eilidh, and Bran stood outside Toran’s cabin, their breath curling in the crisp air. The scent of damp earth and dew-kissed grass lingered, mingling with the distant murmur of a brook. Today marked the beginning of their real training—the kind that would push them past their limits, sharpen their skills, and prepare them for the battles ahead.Toran stepped forward, his silver eyes surveying them with quiet intensity. “You’re eager,” he observed. “Good. But eagerness alone won’t keep you alive. Power without control is just destruction waiting to happen.”Eoin nodded, rolling his shoulders. “Then let’s start.”Toran’s lips twitched into something resembling approval. “Very well. Let’s see what you’re made of.”Before anything else, Toran needed to assess their current abilities. He had them demonstrate their fighting techniques—Eoin and Eilidh moved through the defensive stan
CHRONICLES OF EOIN AND EILIDH: Celestial Codex ENCHANTED FOREST
Toran stood at the threshold of his dwelling, the morning sun casting long shadows across the rugged Highlands. Before him, Eoin, Eilidh, and Bran stood ready, their packs secured, their expressions set with quiet determination."Your journey now takes you into the Enchanted Forest," Toran said, his voice a mix of pride and concern. "It is a place where reality and illusion intertwine. Trust in one another, and let your bond be your guide."Eilidh clutched the pendant at her chest—a beacon, a burden. She nodded. "We’ll be careful."Toran's gaze lingered on each of them in turn. "Remember, not all that glitters is gold, and not every path leads where it claims."With a final nod of farewell, the trio stepped onto the path that would carry them into the heart of the Enchanted Forest.---The shift from the familiar Highlands to the threshold of the forest was subtle yet undeniable. The air thickened, heavy with the scent of ancient trees, damp earth, and the mingling of decay and new gr
CHRONICLES OF EOIN AND EILIDH: Celestial Codex THE TWINS OF GLEN CAORANN
The village of Glen Caorann was the sort of place that most people never left. A place where life followed the same rhythm as it had for generations, where the hills whispered old stories in the wind and the loch reflected the changing sky like a quiet observer. It was a village of farmers, blacksmiths, and fishermen. A village of simple folk who mended their roofs before the winter came and never asked for more than the land could give.But for Eoin and Eilidh MacKenna, the quiet, predictable life of Glen Caorann was a slow, suffocating kind of death.They were sixteen, twins born minutes apart but as different as fire and water. Eoin was restless, always moving, always searching for something he couldn’t name. He had an easy grin and a quick temper, a boy who climbed trees just to see how high he could get and leapt from rooftops for the thrill of it. If there was a rule, he’d test it. If there was a locked door, he’d find a way to open it.Eilidh, on the other hand, was careful whe
CHRONICLES OF EOIN AND EILIDH: Celestial Codex GRANDFATHER'S LEGACY
The attic smelled of dust.Eoin coughed as he waved a hand in front of his face, stirring up more dust instead of clearing it. “I think Grandda wanted us to choke to death before we found anything interesting.”Eilidh rolled her eyes as she lifted an old lantern from the shelf, its glass covered in a thick layer of grime. “Maybe he wanted to make sure we actually worked for it.”It had been two years since their grandfather had passed, and yet the attic remained untouched, filled with the remnants of a man who had spent his life collecting things that didn’t seem to belong to this world.Old books with crumbling pages, strange maps with no clear landmarks, faded letters written in a language neither of them understood.And stories.Their grandfather had been a storyteller, but not the kind who told fairy tales to put children to sleep. His stories had weight, as if they were more than just stories.As if they were real.“Do you remember the one about the star voyagers?” Eilidh asked,
CHRONICLES OF EOIN AND EILIDH: Celestial Codex UNLOCKING SECRETS
Eoin was half-asleep on the attic floor when Eilidh’s voice snapped him awake.“I found something.”His eyes shot open. He sat up fast, blinking as dust swirled in the lantern light. “Please tell me it’s a key.”Eilidh didn’t answer immediately. She was holding something long and metallic, turning it over in her hands.Eoin groaned. “If it’s not a key, I don’t care.”“It’s not a key,” she admitted. Then, after a pause, “But it might lead to one.”Eoin squinted at it. “Is that… a telescope?”It was old—brass, worn, with strange engravings running along the length of it. Grandda had always kept odd little trinkets, and this was just another one of them.Eilidh ran her fingers over the carvings. “Look closer.”Eoin leaned in. At first, it was just meaningless patterns, but then he saw it—a tiny indentation, almost hidden in the engravings. A small metal latch.Without thinking, he pressed it.There was a soft click.Eilidh inhaled sharply as the bottom of the telescope shifted, then slid
Latest Chapter
ENCHANTED FOREST
Toran stood at the threshold of his dwelling, the morning sun casting long shadows across the rugged Highlands. Before him, Eoin, Eilidh, and Bran stood ready, their packs secured, their expressions set with quiet determination."Your journey now takes you into the Enchanted Forest," Toran said, his voice a mix of pride and concern. "It is a place where reality and illusion intertwine. Trust in one another, and let your bond be your guide."Eilidh clutched the pendant at her chest—a beacon, a burden. She nodded. "We’ll be careful."Toran's gaze lingered on each of them in turn. "Remember, not all that glitters is gold, and not every path leads where it claims."With a final nod of farewell, the trio stepped onto the path that would carry them into the heart of the Enchanted Forest.---The shift from the familiar Highlands to the threshold of the forest was subtle yet undeniable. The air thickened, heavy with the scent of ancient trees, damp earth, and the mingling of decay and new gr
SENSEI TORAN
The morning sun bathed the Highlands in golden light, stretching long shadows across the rugged terrain. Eoin, Eilidh, and Bran stood outside Toran’s cabin, their breath curling in the crisp air. The scent of damp earth and dew-kissed grass lingered, mingling with the distant murmur of a brook. Today marked the beginning of their real training—the kind that would push them past their limits, sharpen their skills, and prepare them for the battles ahead.Toran stepped forward, his silver eyes surveying them with quiet intensity. “You’re eager,” he observed. “Good. But eagerness alone won’t keep you alive. Power without control is just destruction waiting to happen.”Eoin nodded, rolling his shoulders. “Then let’s start.”Toran’s lips twitched into something resembling approval. “Very well. Let’s see what you’re made of.”Before anything else, Toran needed to assess their current abilities. He had them demonstrate their fighting techniques—Eoin and Eilidh moved through the defensive stan
TORAN THE HIGHLAND HERMIT
The wind blow across the open moors as the three of them trudged onward, their boots sinking into the damp earth. The stars above, their only light, flickered like distant lanterns, guiding them toward the mountains that loomed ahead.Eoin pulled his cloak tighter against the biting cold. “I hope whatever we’re looking for is worth freezing to death for,” he muttered.Eilidh shot him a look. “We don’t have a choice. The answers are in the Highlands. You saw the map.”Bran, walking a few paces ahead, grinned. “Ah, the Lowlanders complain too much. This is fine weather.”Eoin gave him a skeptical look. “You’re shivering.”“Aye,” Bran admitted. “But only a little.”They pressed forward, the incline growing steeper, the terrain shifting from rolling hills to jagged rocks and narrow passes. It had been two days since they fled the Village of Whispers, and the farther they traveled, the more Eoin could feel something… shifting.It started as a prickle at the back of his neck, an awareness h
BRAN THE BOY
The village was quiet. Too quiet.Eoin and Eilidh stood at the entrance, taking in the narrow streets, the stone houses, the lanterns swaying gently in the wind. The whole place felt like it was holding its breath.“Charming,” Eoin muttered.Eilidh elbowed him. “Stay sharp. This place is important.”They had followed the pendant’s pull through winding paths and thick woods, emerging here—the Village of Whispers. Their grandfather’s journal mentioned it in passing, hinting at ancient knowledge buried within its borders. Now that they were here, though, it was clear the locals weren’t thrilled about visitors.Shutters creaked as windows closed. A few villagers lingered in doorways, watching them with narrowed eyes. No one spoke.Eilidh stepped forward. “Excuse me—”The old man in front of her turned away without a word.She frowned. “Friendly lot.”Eoin sighed. “We need to find that library.”They walked deeper into the village, following the pendant’s faint glow. The tension was thick.
MAELIS THE SEER
The wind blew gently.Soft, curling through the trees like a warning, rustling the leaves in a way that made Eilidh’s skin prickle.They had been walking for hours, guided only by the glow of the pendant and the markings on their grandfather’s map. And now—Now they were lost.Eoin exhaled, rubbing his hands over his face. “We need to find shelter.”Eilidh nodded, though her eyes never left the trees. Something felt… off.The forest was too quiet.The kind of quiet that wasn’t natural.And then—A flicker of movement.A shadow shifting just beyond the trees, moving so quickly it was gone before she could blink.“Eoin,” she whispered.He turned, following her gaze. “Did you see that?”She nodded.And then a voice, old and knowing, echoed from the shadows.“You carry the sky around your neck, child.”Eilidh spun, reaching for the dagger at her belt.Eoin stepped in front of her, his stance tense.From the shadows, a figure emerged.An old woman, wrapped in layers of dark blue robes, her
A TOUGH DECISION
Elidh was running.The forest around her was a blur of dark trees and shifting shadows, the ground soft beneath her bare feet. She could hear whispers threading through the air—low, insistent, calling her forward.“Seek the Codex.”The voice was neither male nor female, neither young nor old. It was everywhere and nowhere, echoing inside her head.She tried to stop, but her feet wouldn’t listen.The trees bent inward as if watching. The stars overhead shone too brightly, forming constellations she didn’t recognize.And then—A figure appeared ahead.Cloaked in deep blue, their face hidden in the shadows of their hood.Eilidh’s breath caught. She should have been afraid. But instead, a strange familiarity washed over her.The figure raised a hand.“Find the Celestial Codex before it’s too late.”The ground shook beneath her. The whispering grew into a roar—Eilidh gasped and bolted upright.It was just a dream!!The room was silent, save for Eoin’s steady breathing in the next bed.Eil
WEIRDO AT THE DOOR
The attic was silent except for the rustle of paper and the occasional hmm from Eilidh.Eoin had given up trying to make sense of the journal’s cryptic writing about twenty minutes ago. He had leaned against a crate, arms folded, watching his sister frown at the pages like she could force them to make sense just by glaring at them.“Anything yet?” he asked, tapping his fingers against the wooden floor.Eilidh didn’t look up. “Still working on it.”Eoin sighed. “Any chance it just says, ‘Take this map, go here, find treasure’?”Eilidh shot him a look. “If it was that easy, Grandda wouldn’t have locked it away.”“Then what’s the point?” Eoin pushed himself upright, stretching. “Why write it all down in riddles?”Eilidh’s gaze flickered over the scribbled notes again, her fingers tracing the repeating symbols. “Because it’s not just a journal.” She tapped the page. “It’s a code.”Eilidh leaned closer to the faded ink.There were phrases in a strange language, but here and there, she spot
UNLOCKING SECRETS
Eoin was half-asleep on the attic floor when Eilidh’s voice snapped him awake.“I found something.”His eyes shot open. He sat up fast, blinking as dust swirled in the lantern light. “Please tell me it’s a key.”Eilidh didn’t answer immediately. She was holding something long and metallic, turning it over in her hands.Eoin groaned. “If it’s not a key, I don’t care.”“It’s not a key,” she admitted. Then, after a pause, “But it might lead to one.”Eoin squinted at it. “Is that… a telescope?”It was old—brass, worn, with strange engravings running along the length of it. Grandda had always kept odd little trinkets, and this was just another one of them.Eilidh ran her fingers over the carvings. “Look closer.”Eoin leaned in. At first, it was just meaningless patterns, but then he saw it—a tiny indentation, almost hidden in the engravings. A small metal latch.Without thinking, he pressed it.There was a soft click.Eilidh inhaled sharply as the bottom of the telescope shifted, then slid
GRANDFATHER'S LEGACY
The attic smelled of dust.Eoin coughed as he waved a hand in front of his face, stirring up more dust instead of clearing it. “I think Grandda wanted us to choke to death before we found anything interesting.”Eilidh rolled her eyes as she lifted an old lantern from the shelf, its glass covered in a thick layer of grime. “Maybe he wanted to make sure we actually worked for it.”It had been two years since their grandfather had passed, and yet the attic remained untouched, filled with the remnants of a man who had spent his life collecting things that didn’t seem to belong to this world.Old books with crumbling pages, strange maps with no clear landmarks, faded letters written in a language neither of them understood.And stories.Their grandfather had been a storyteller, but not the kind who told fairy tales to put children to sleep. His stories had weight, as if they were more than just stories.As if they were real.“Do you remember the one about the star voyagers?” Eilidh asked,