The Last Celestial Tamer

Chapter 2

Lucien stood quietly, the small piece of bread still clutched in his hand.

Those words echoed through his mind.

“Don't let them convince you…”

Everyone in the Ashcroft estate called his mother a disgrace. A criminal. A witch. A traitor.

Yet no one had ever explained why.

The only story he had ever heard was that she had run away eighteen years ago, abandoning both the family and her newborn son.

He slowly lifted his eyes toward the distant hill behind the estate.

There was only one place that still carried any trace of her.

The abandoned west tower.

As evening settled over the estate, darkness gradually swallowed the last light of day. Most of the servants returned indoors while the steady rain softened into a gentle drizzle.

Lucien quietly slipped away from the stables.

Over the years, he had memorized every path that allowed him to avoid the guards. Growing up unwanted had taught him how to move through the estate without anyone noticing.

The old tower stood alone at the very edge of the Ashcroft grounds.

Thick vines climbed its cracked stone walls, while several shattered windows stared into the night like empty eyes. The heavy wooden door leaned crookedly on rusted hinges, giving the entire building the appearance of a place long forgotten.

The servants believed the tower was cursed. None of them dared enter after sunset.

Lucien had never believed those stories.

To him, this lonely tower was the only place where he could still feel connected to the mother he had never known. He pushed the old door open.

It let out a long, groaning creak as years of dust drifted into the air. The room smelled of aged wood, damp stone, and forgotten memories. Broken furniture rested beneath faded white sheets, while thick spider webs stretched across every corner.

Without hesitation, Lucien climbed the narrow staircase.

One worn step followed another until he finally reached the highest room.

Moonlight streamed through the broken windows, bathing the chamber in pale silver light.

The room was nearly empty.

Only an old rocking chair remained beside the far wall.

Lucien slowly crossed the room toward the wall he had visited so many times before.

Hidden beneath layers of dust were strange carvings unlike anything found elsewhere in the manor.

He brushed away the dirt with the sleeve of his shirt.

Elegant lines slowly emerged.

Beautiful letters.

They were unlike any language he had ever seen. Each symbol curved gracefully across the stone as though frozen in the middle of a dance.

He had discovered the carvings years ago. No one else knew they existed.

Lucien gently traced one of the glowing curves with his fingertip. "I still can't read you."

The quiet room offered no reply.

A faint smile appeared on his face anyway. "I came again."

His voice echoed softly against the ancient walls. "I don't know why. I guess...I just wanted to feel less alone."

His confession disappeared into the silence. 

"I wish you had stayed." The words escaped before he even realized he had spoken them aloud.

His hand remained pressed against the carved wall. Then something changed.

A gentle warmth spread beneath his fingertips.

Lucien blinked in surprise.

The strange letters slowly began to glow.

Soft silver light flowed through every carved symbol, spreading across the wall like moonlight pouring over calm water.

His heart skipped a beat. "What..."

A gentle humming filled the room.

The sound was soft and strangely beautiful. It reminded him of distant singing.

A woman's voice carried through the air, so faint that it seemed to come from another world. She was singing a lullaby.

Lucien slowly closed his eyes. He had never heard the melody before.

Yet it felt deeply familiar, wrapping around him with unexpected warmth. It stirred a memory that did not truly exist, as though someone had once sung those very notes beside his bed when he was too young to remember.

The glowing letters shimmered once more.

Their shapes shifted and rearranged themselves like tiny stars moving across the night sky.

Lucien stared in amazement. "Who's there?"

The singing stopped at once.

The silver glow faded from the wall until every symbol became nothing more than ordinary carvings once again.

Silence settled over the room, leaving only the ancient letters behind.

Lucien reached out and touched them again.

Nothing happened. There was no warmth. No light. No music.

He frowned. "Was I imagining it?"

At that moment, a cool breeze slipped through the broken window.

Instead of passing through the room, it circled around him in slow, graceful spirals.

Something drifted down from the dark sky above.

A feather.

It was far larger than the feather of any bird he had ever seen. Its surface was completely black, yet its edges shimmered with tiny silver lights that sparkled like distant stars.

The feather floated gently through the air.

Lucien stepped closer. "What are you?"

He slowly reached out.

Just before his fingertips touched it… The feather disappeared. It was not blown away by the wind. It did not burn. It simply vanished, dissolving into the night like smoke fading into darkness.

Lucien looked around the room.

There was nothing.

Only the quiet whisper of the wind remained.

A strange chill ran down his spine.

He had spent his entire life inside Ashcroft Manor and had witnessed many different forms of magic. He had never seen anything remotely like this.

Drawn by instinct, he stepped toward the broken window.

Outside, the rain had finally ended.

The clouds slowly drifted apart, revealing a single bright star shining high above the estate. Then a deep horn shattered the peaceful night.

Booooom!

A second blast followed only moments later.

Booooom!

Torches flared to life along every road leading toward the manor's front gates.

Servants hurried across the grounds while guards rushed into formation with perfect discipline.

Lucien quickly left the tower and slipped through the shadows, making his way toward the entrance while remaining hidden behind a row of trees.

The enormous gates slowly opened.

A magnificent royal carriage rolled through the entrance.

Its polished silver wheels reflected the torchlight, while blue banners bearing the royal crest fluttered proudly from either side.

Every servant immediately bowed. Even the Ashcroft family stepped outside to receive the royal guests.

Lady Eleanor stood at the front of the gathering with perfect posture. Her expression remained cold, calm, and commanding.

A man wearing brilliant royal armor stepped down from the carriage.

In his hands rested a scroll sealed with crimson wax. His voice rang clearly across the silent estate. "By order of His Majesty."

The crowd fell completely silent.

The messenger broke the seal.

"The annual Soul Familiar Ascension Ceremony shall begin at sunrise tomorrow."

Excited whispers immediately spread through the assembled nobles and servants.

"The chosen youths of noble blood shall present themselves before the Sacred Crystal."

"The future of the kingdom awaits."

Even from his hiding place among the trees, Lucien could see smiles spreading across the faces of the Ashcroft family.

Cassian Ashcroft stood proudly among them, already imagining the powerful familiar he would awaken.

Lady Eleanor lifted her chin with quiet confidence. "Our family will not disappoint the kingdom."

The messenger rolled the scroll closed. "Every eligible descendant of the Ashcroft bloodline is expected to attend."

Lucien felt his heart skip. Eligible descendants… Did that include him?

Or would tomorrow become yet another reminder that, despite sharing their blood, he would never truly belong to the family that had rejected him?

As the nobles returned inside, talking excitedly about the ceremony, Lucien remained hidden beneath the shadows of the trees.