STARLIGHT UNBOUND by Deus Ex Machina - HTML preview

STARLIGHT UNBOUND

She spotted the jar of brushes, the familiar comfort of it pulling at her. She reached out, picking up the brush resting on top of the others. Her thumb traced the worn handle, every ridge and imperfection familiar beneath her touch.

She considered staying. Letting the pull of her hidden studio take her away from all of it—from the expectations, the control, the mask.

But the moment passed.

With a sigh, she placed the brush back into the jar, the clink of wood against ceramic feeling dull. The exhibition center was waiting.

And so was the mask she had to wear.

***

The exhibition center felt colder today.

Lyra walked slowly through the foyer, her footsteps clicking on the smooth tiled floors. The gallery was empty this early in the morning, the lights on low to save power before the doors opened to the public. The quiet was a gift.

She stopped in front of one of her paintings—still as vibrant and raw as the day she had finished it. But it wasn ’t her favorite.

She moved to the smaller works lining the walls—pieces she had painted for the sake of harmony, their themes dictated by the Houses of Alignment. Each one was precise and calculated, their colors soothing, designed to inspire harmony. They were what the system wanted. But they weren ’t what she wanted.

She moved closer to one of the paintings. It depicted a calm river winding through a lush green landscape —the alignment of adaptability and balance. She hated it. It wasn ’t that the painting itself was bad. It wasn’t. It was polished, skillful, the kind of work that would be praised by the Celestial Order. But it was empty. Soulless. What would they think if they knew the truth?

As the morning wore on, the gallery began to wake. Lyra moved through the rooms, her eyes drifting over the walls as she took in the quiet perfection of the space. She had spent hours walking these halls, her hands stained with paint as she added to the collection of approved works. It had been her life —her alignment, her purpose, her mask. But now, it felt like something was ending.

She paused in front of the mural at the far end of the gallery. The mural depicted the constellations of AstroSYS – the twelve Houses of Alignment connected by shimmering lines. It was a beautiful lie. They think this is the whole story. That this is all there is . She stepped back as she let the room

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