RANEMIR POV

Ranemir is talking with Ariela about giving her a magic that can vanquish the Fallen. The magic is called the Agapéd, and it has free will. It chooses a heart that it knows can win against darkness. This has been going on for 500 years.

 

Chapter 1

Lisa Rae Robbie is going through her last weeks of seventh grade. She wishes she was more confident or had a talent worth noticing. She feels second best. We see her with her only friends—Lily and Jenny Kim—and how they are not the best. We meet Lisa’s mom—single, beautiful, and obsessed with Lisa. Their relationship is very personable and sweet. When Lisa was home and taking her clothing out of the dryer, a shooting star fell into the forest of her backyard. She goes outside with her mom… but her mom doesn’t see the beacon of light Lisa sees.

 

Chapter 2

When her mom is asleep, Lisa goes out to investigate. She sees a floating light. She is curious and touches it, and the light pushes her down. Lisa assumes it's inside her. She dreams about a figure giving her a ball of light and wakes up to her school alarm. She goes through the next day worrying, keeping the secret to herself. That night, she had the same dream, but only this time, the ball of light guided her back to the forest. Lisa wakes up, returns to the forest, and meets Inna—the Keeper of Stars. She tells Lisa the Agapéd magic chose her heart and that she must leave to meet the Guardians. They evanesce (teleport) away.

 

Chapter 3

Inna and Lisa go to the realm of Haim Gana. Inna explains that the realm is home to the Elysians, though only one is left, and the Guardians. They protect good magic. They go to the Elysium, the Grand Pavilion, and to the Golden Meeting room. Inna leaves, and Lisa enters to find seven beings flecked in gold. They are the Guardians. After a brief spat, Lady Ariela enters. She is the last of the Elysians. She explains how light and dark magic evolved to many types and went to all three galaxies except for the Milky Way and Earth. Lisa is the first bearer from Earth. Lisa said she wanted to keep the magic, and they agreed that Lisa should train under Inna. Lady Ariela also says Gaius should train Lisa. Vilmad—the long-haired Guardian—disagrees with this idea but can’t change his Lady’s mind. They agreed that Lisa should stay with a light-loving family while she trains.

 

Chapter 4

Lisa found a way to lie to her mom so she could start her magic training by saying she was going to the Camp of the Arts with Lily.

 

Chapter 5

Inna takes Lisa to EverWake. It's grand and a vast, magical merchant city. She buys Lisa an orbkit—an enchanted necklace that can store items—and new clothing. She then evanesces Lisa away to meet Gaius.

 

Chapter 6

Lisa lands in a forest where Vilmad is there. He tried to scare Lisa, telling her magic would be difficult to learn, but she stood up for herself. They go to the Hidden City called Calendula, where Lisa will be staying and where Gaius is. They go to a castle-like greenhouse, the Veradome. When they go through a magic door within the Veradome, they enter Gaius’ property. They go down the stairs, and Vilmad explains that Gaius is a brute, and it is difficult to get him to comply. Lisa is a bit scared. They go into a woodworking workshop within the cottage, and Lisa meets Gaius briefly before Vilmad takes her away again.

 

Chapter 7

Lisa meets her “foster” family, the Balthiers. They are kind and have a daughter named Valhalla, who is obsessed with Lisa. During dinner, they tell Lisa that Agapéd Beaer was a gallant warrior in the past. Lisa is meant to be a symbol of Hope. Lisa wonders why the Guardians never told her that. Lisa and Valhalla bond that night, and Lisa is happy to have a friend.

 

Chapter 8

Lisa has a lesson with the Guardian, Bethesda. Lisa learns about Elemental, Phantasmal, and Base magic. Lisa goes to the Aquanaeum—Inna’s home and aquarium—in Mantene to train with Inna. Since the Agapéd hasn’t revealed what magic it will give Lisa, Inna tries water manipulation. Lisa used a water-glinted staff to move waves.

 

Chapter 9

Inna tells Lisa that there are three Keepers of Stars. Kamari guides the Wishing Stars to the sky. Inna's Harvesters collect the stardust that falls in the oceans when one bursts and connects with a soul, animal, or plant. Inna creates Starseeds with the stardust. Then, she gives the seeds to Gaius so he can grow the Wishing Stars. Two Aquanaeum workers take Lisa back to Calendula on a magic monorail. Lisa bonds with Valhalla more that night. Valhalla tells Lisa that she will be the most powerful Mage in the world. Lisa didn’t believe it and was nervous about lessons with Gaius the next day.

 

Chapter 10

Lisa goes to the Veradome for lessons with Gaius when a worker stops her. He thinks she’s here without permission and tries to take her away. Gaius shows up and stops him. Lisa is intimidated by Gaius even though he doesn’t say much. For his magic lesson, he tells Lisa to move a huge rock and weed back and forth in his lot until she can move them with magic. Lisa carries the rock back and forth but no magic happens.

 

Chapter 11

Vilmad tells Lisa about the other galaxies when Emunah—the First Guardian—interrupts them. He gives Lisa a portal potion so she can place a portal at her house on Earth that will take her back to Haim Gana. After lessons, Valhalla takes Lisa to Luca’s, a juice and candy bar near her home. Valhalla tells Lisa she’s meant to be a Hero because she’s the Agapéd Bearer. The Agapéd Magic is the most powerful magic of all, and Lisa wonders why the Guardians never told her why she was learning magic. Lisa thought she was learning just to learn, but Valhalla tells Lisa she’s meant to save the world. Lisa sees the magazine articles in Valhalla’s room about Heros and now she wants to be one.

 

Chapter 12

Friday is Lisa’s day off, so she takes a tour with Roy Balthier in the Veradome. She runs into Gaius and asks Gaius if she can try to move the rock and weed again. After no magic happens, Lisa gets curious and wanders into Gaius’ magic study. She is fascinated by all the books and potions and magic charms. When Gaius comes back, Lisa freaks out and apologizes for coming in without asking. Gaius doesn’t get angry. He is actually quite pleased she's interested in magic and lets her read for the rest of the day. Gaius says he’ll make Lisa a proper training course when she returns.

 

Chapter 13

A week of training has gone by, and Lisa returns to Earth. She can’t let her Mom know about magic. While trying to hide her magical orbkit, she accidentally drops the portal potion into her suitcase. When her mom comes home, Lisa has all her lies set up for Art Camp. Her mom doesn’t suspect a thing.

 

Chapter 14 

Lisa jumps through the suitcase portal and has lessons with Micah. She learns about Bloodbornes, Starnates, and why the Agapéd is the most powerful. Lisa asks why the magic exists and why she has it. Micah brushes it off and just tells her to learn for the sake of learning. Vilmad stops by and tells Lisa that her magic will bring her early death and that many Bearers before her died in gruesome ways. Lisa still doesn’t back down and says she is not scared.

 

Chapter 15

Gaius creates an obstacle course for Lisa out of plants. His magic wows Lisa. She tries and fails many times to get the sunflower at the end. Gaius encourages her not to give up.

 

Chapter 16

Lisa finally gets the sunflower and completes the course. She is frustrated to see that her reward is the same “stupid rock and weed” she had been pushing and pulling over the past week. But she finally moves the rock with magic—Non-living magic called terrain magic. Lisa is excited and asks if Gaius can train her to be a Hero. Gaius refuses. Lisa is upset that no one will tell her the purpose of her magic. Gaius just says “he can’t” train her.

 

Chapter 17

Valhalla tells Lisa she’s gotta get Gaius to train her to be a Hero by “buttering him up”. That week, nothing works. When Lisa finally tells Gaius she wants to save the world because she believes if one has the power to do good, they should do it, Gaius says he will train her. The Guardians didn’t want Lisa to train to be a warrior because they feared she’d say no, so they made Gaius and Inna do basic magic training instead. Gaius tells Lisa not to let the Guardians or Lisa know they are Hero training.

 

Chapter 18

Gaius trains Lisa to use her magic to strengthen her muscles, encouraging her a lot. Lisa enjoys the Hero training even though it drains her strength. When she’s with Inna in Mantene, a Harvester drops a glass tank of stardust water. It’s about to crash and kill Lisa, but Lisa slings up her hands and moves the water. Inna congratulates her on learning Water Manipulation. Lisa asks if Inna will train her to be a Hero, but she refuses and tells Lisa to focus on basic magic training. This confirms that the Guardians really don’t believe Lisa could ever be a Hero and that Gaius is the only one who believes in her.

 

Chapter 19

Lisa goes to a small village called Raglan with Valhalla and Mr. Balthier to sell spices. Lisa and Valhalla come across a request board where residents post “help wanted” signs for Monster Hunters. Valhalla says that if Lisa can slay a monster, the Guardians will believe she’s strong enough to wield the Agapéd Magic and be a Hero. Lisa is nervous and asks Gaius, but he immediately says Lisa is not to take a request from Raglan. He will find a monster hunt for her to do instead.

 

Chapter 20

Lisa’s first hunt with Gaius is to slay a bírokavaran. Gaius and he go to a forest where they see the beast. Gaius encourages Lisa not to worry and that he will be there for her if she needs it. Lisa then smashes the monster with a rock. As Gaius collects the beast's blood, little glainies—memory sprites—appear in the forest again.  Lisa wants to stay longer.

 

Chapter 21

Gaius and Lisa sit by the fire and the glainies give them roasted nuts, mushrooms, and fruits. Lisa tells Gaius she doesn’t have a dad, and she asks if he has a family. He says no. He doesn’t think he deserves a family or a child no matter how much he wants one. After some begging, Gaius tells Lisa about his first love, Jules. He fell for a mortal girl and spent twenty years searching for a way to give up his immortality. He found a way to do it, but the cost meant killing Jules. Gaius didn’t want to take the risk, and Jules was gone the next day. That was 600 years ago. As they are leaving, an orange glainie makes a bond with Lisa. She names him Tuff. When they get to Calendula, Gaius tells Lisa not to tell anyone about this. Lisa doesn’t understand why. Gaius makes her promise anyway.

 

Chapter 22

Lisa wants to breathe underwater like Inna. When Lisa jumps through the Aquanaeum’s enchanted glass walls, she learns she can not breathe underwater. When Inna jumps to save her, Tuff appears. Inna is called away on an urgent matter and tells Lisa to return to Calendula. Lisa goes to Gaius’ home instead, hoping for extra training since Inna cut theirs short. Vilmad is there, and Lisa uses Tuff to eavesdrop on Vilmad and Gaius’ conversation. Vilmad is angry with Gaius for having Lisa fight. Vilmad doesn’t want to “repeat the past”. Gaius says Lisa needs to be told the truth, but Vilmad says no; it would only scare her. He tells Gaius to stop indulging her fantasies of becoming a Hero. Gaius is to only make the Agapéd Magic strong in Lisa’s heart, not have her fight and risk dying. Vilmad says “we can’t risk losing the hope we’ve waited so long for.” Lisa is hurt and confused. She doesn’t understand why she is this hope or what happened in the past. She wants to prove she’s strong enough to wield the magic and vows to do so.

 

Chapter 23

Lisa questions why the Agapéd exists and why they refuse to tell her her true purpose. Valhalla finds Lisa and shows her a request from Raglan. A monster is killing a farmer's goats, and Valhalla believes Lisa is strong enough to kill the beast and prove she is the right choice as the Agapéd Bearer. Valhalla and Lisa go to the farm, following a blood trail to a cave, and see the goat-killer. It wasn’t a tiny wolf-like monster called a vorrg. It was a humanoid creature—a high-ranking one known as a vezper.

 

Chapter 24

The vezper attacks them. Valhalla jumps in the way to save Lisa. Lisa tells Tuff to get help. Lisa fights back but she isn’t strong enough. The vezper breaks Lisa’s ribs and then bites Lisa’s arm. The vezper’s poison is slowly killing Lisa. Then, Tuff comes back with Gaius. Gaius kills the vezper. Then, Lisa dies.

 

Chapter 25

Lisa wakes up in the Onsen, the hot spring in the Elysium of Haim Gana. Lady Ariela is there with Gaius. Lady Ariela tells Lisa that Gaius saved her before her soul truly left her. Lady Ariela then tells Lisa the truth about the Agapéd. The Agapéd Magic was sent to stop the Fallen within Man. The magic is meant to go to a warrior, someone strong enough to defeat the most powerful dark magic in the universe. It disappeared for 120 years, and when it chose Lisa’s heart, they all feared Lisa would reject the magic once she learned the truth and the Agapéd would be lost again. Lady Ariela wanted Lisa to love magic, so she told everyone to conceal the truth from Lisa, but Darkness still found a way to hurt the Light by hurting Lisa.

Ariela leaves Gaius and Lisa alone. Gaius tells Lisa that the Immortal Heart charm worked and that’s how he saved Lisa. He gave up his immortality to give Lisa one last chance at living. He also tells her that Valhalla died. This destroys Lisa. She blames herself but Gaius comforts her, saying that Darkness killed her, not herself. Gaius vows to train Lisa to be the best Agapéd Bearer there ever was because he wants to, not because he has to. He wants Lisa to live out life and enjoy it.

Before Gaius sends Lisa back to Earth, Lady Ariela gives Gaius full control of Lisa’s training.

 

Chapter 26

Vilmad tells Lisa she needs to give up Earth and pursue her Agapéd Bearer training full-time. He tells Lisa she can just bring her mom to Calendula. Lisa says no. Lisa worries her mom will suffer the same fate as Valhalla. Vilmad says Lisa will have no choice. She needs to give up Earth or give up magic. When Lisa meets with Lady Ariela, she learns that Vilmad lied to her. Lady Ariela gives Lisa doppelganger rings so she can enjoy Earthain life (getting an education) and the magic life (training to be a warrior)

 

Chapter 27

Gaius takes Lisa to the Kingdom of Boolavogue because he wants her to train with their Monster Hunters. They go to the castle and talk with the Queen. She says Lisa can train with her son. Lisa is rather impressed that Gaius can just do whatever he wants.

 

Chapter 28

They meet Captain Ekron and Prince Caelum. Lisa and the Prince do a small spare where Lisa loses against the Prince. She is surprised he is rather nice, and he tells her to call him “Cal.” They go back to Gaius’ home, where Gaius surprises Lisa with a bedroom in his home. He asks if Lisa would want to stay with him, given the circumstances with the Balthiers. Lisa says she’d love to stay at his home.

 

Chapter 29

Lisa uses the doppelganger rings, and her dupla-self goes off to school. It’s the first day of eighth grade, and Lily sees the ugly purple wound from the vezper bite mark on Lisa’s arm. Lisa lies about it but worries she’ll have to hide her scars forever. Lisa—in the magic world—joins Inna and heads to Gaius’ home. Gaius has Lisa practicing evanescing. Lisa notices the bite marks on her arms (she hopes her dupla-self hid the marks for school). Inna gives her a concealment bracelet made of Eternling fibers that hide magic scars.

 

Chapter 30

Lisa trains with swords with Prince Caelum, struggling a lot. During the break, Caelum gives Lisa a tour of the castle. As he shows Lisa the outskirts and Boolavogue’s pet bears, she meets Caelum’s little sister, Celine. That evening, Lisa asks Caelum if he has any magic. He has invisibility magic but hasn’t told his parents. That type of magic isn’t good for Kings and Princes. Lisa tells Caelum it’s about the heart, not the magic, and that she’d love to help him practice if he wanted.

 

Chapter 31

Lisa wakes up in Gaius’ home. He cooks her breakfast, and Lisa is very impressed. They have a short lesson, and Lisa is happy. Gaius smiles (she worries he would think she’s a pest, just taking over half his life so he could train her).

 

Chapter 32

Lisa returns home to recombine with her duplicated self. She almost gets caught by her mom.

 

Chapter 33

Lisa is enjoying training with Ekron’s Hunters. After a lesson, a crowd forms. It’s a Men’s versus Women’s Troop spar, and the second youngest girl, Otrera, challenges Lisa to a spar. Lisa uses her clever tactics to evade Otrera’s attacks. She lands a finishing blow by stockpiling her magic into her muscles and punching Otrera. Lisa is super weak after winning and heads to the Medic Wing. On her way, she stumbles upon the king.

 

Chapter 34

Cal shows Lisa how he can make his whole body invisible, but he wants to use magic to fight and not evade. Lisa and Cal go to Gaius' magic study to learn more about Cal’s magic. Gaius shows up and says it’s called Fysiks. Cal can make force fields with his power, too.

 

Chapter 35

Lisa has a nightmare about Valhalla dying and wakes up in Gaius’ home. She has a head and finds Gaius, hoping he has some medicine or a magic-healing plant. She wanders into the giant greenhouse and hears him singing (he’s quite good). She asks if she can see the Wishing Stars, and Gaius shows her the staritorium sanctuary. Lisa touches the magical stars growing in the plants, awing. They both sit on the stairs and Gaius tells Lisa about the Agapéd Bearer before her, Ecuras. He was a great Hero but wanted to experiment on the Wishing Stars. The Guardians told Gaius not to worry about it. Gaius didn’t listen and erased Ecuras’ memories of the stars and himself. Years later, the Agapéd returned to the stars, but they didn’t know what had happened to Ecuras. Lisa worries she’ll fall prey to Darkness, but Gaius assures her that her heart is too good. When Lisa falls asleep, Gaius carries her back to her bedroom. He tells Lisa that if she wants the nightmares to stop, she must see Valhalla’s parents. 

 

Chapter 36

Lisa’s Spar to become a licensed Hunter is today but when she goes to jump into her suitcase portal, it's gone. She tries evanescing only to wind up on an asteroid in space. She goes up to the lone house on the minor planet and is greeted by Kamari, the third Keeper of Stars. Kamari. Kamari gives Lisa tea and tells her she is glad Gaius is teaching her.

 

Chapter 37

The King and Queen come to watch Caelum and Lisa complete The Spar. They prove victorious over the first and second rounds. The last one is a Traditional Spar. Caelum finally shows off his magic to the Hunters and wins with a blow to Lisa’s face, knocking her out of the sky. He wins. The King and Queen aren’t mad about Caelum’s magic, and the Queen asks Gaius to take Caelum on hunts with Lisa. The King doesn’t like this at all and walks away. Ekron then gives Caelum a sword for winning. Though Lisa lost, Gaius still gives her a gift. He gives her a dagger he whittled himself, and Lisa loves it.

 

Chapter 38

Lisa and Caelum are killing swamp mites while Gaius is gathering Enkurious algae. When they finish, Caelum takes Lisa to Fladden where they are celebrating Oogleyear. While they are playing a carnival game, an eerie man approaches Lisa. He says she has something he’s been searching for, and he wants it back. He throws a magical explosion but Caelum blocks it, blowing up the game instead. The creepy man tries to follow them, but Lisa takes Caelum’s hand and evanesces away to the Veradome’s secret entrance. Because of her lack of focus, Lisa is lacerated by the evanescing and is bleeding badly. Caelum carries Lisa to Gaius’ home, where Gaius heals her. Lisa then tells Gaius that the Agapéd told Lisa who that man was. His name is Saraqiel. Gaius becomes worried and dismisses Caelum and takes Lisa to Haim Gana.

 

Chapter 39

The Guardians and Ariela watch Tuff’s memories of the battle. The man turns out to be Ecuras, but magic has morphed his appearance and made him outlive a century. He is the Fallen’s next vessel, possessing Saraqiel’s power. Because of his appearance, Lisa will eventually have to fight Ecuras. Lisa freaks out because she thought she had years before she’d have to slay the Fallen. She tries to show that she’s alright with Gaius but she’s scared, and she hates that Caelum could’ve been killed.

 

Chapter 40

The King summons Lisa and Cal. King Bolthor Sonon is furious that Caelum destroyed that merchant’s livelihood and could’ve gotten people hurt. Lisa stands up for Cal and says it wasn’t his fault. She then tells the King and Queen what really happened and who that man was. The King understands but Caelum still needs to pay for his actions. Outside, Cal hates that Lisa had to do what he couldn’t Lisa says it’s okay. When he leaves, Lisa feels terrible for getting Caelum in trouble. That evening Gaius cheers up Lisa by making her dessert. He tells Lisa that Ecuras isn’t as powerful as they thought and that he will make Lisa a powerful warrior before she defeats him.

 

Chapter 41

Lying to her Mom begins to take a toll on Lisa. She has been so stressed about Ecuras but can’t tell her mom anything. If her mom knew the truth, she'd see the hurt, the scars, and the pain and would never let Lisa go off to slay monsters again.

 

Chapter 42

It’s winter, and when Cal and Lisa return to the Inner Kingdom, they see a man who looks like Ecuras. Cal follows him invisibly, and when he and Lisa regroup, he tells Lisa that Ecuras has been asking Hunters about the girl who trains with the prince and the Keeper of Stars. Lisa believes Ecuras has returned for the Wishing Stars and is trying to find them. Lisa goes to Gaius and tells him the news. Gaius realizes Ecuras will try to fight Lisa during the night of the Wishing Star release. It’s when Gaius is busy, and Lisa is vulnerable. They only have five months to train. Lisa starts freaking out. Gaius tells Lisa precisely what she must do to destroy his heart and that she doesn’t need to be scared. He hugs her and tells her he will be right beside her, fighting the entire time. She will live… but Lisa still doubts herself.

 

Chapter 43

Lisa is on a hunt with Gaius when she almost dies in the clutches of a ferna vorrg. Gaius saves her, and Lisa is frustrated and upset with herself. When she’s in the Veradome, she sees Roy and Emeryn Balthier. Seeing him only brings back bad memories about Valhalla. They’d never have their daughter again because Lisa decided to bring Valhalla to that cave with her. Lisa runs away back to Earth. Her mom finds her crying. Her mom comforts Lisa even though she knows nothing about the truth.

 

Chapter 44

Lisa reunites with the Balthiers. When they hug her, Lisa just melts. She keeps apologizing, but the Balthiers aren’t upset with her. They are just so happy Lisa is alive and that they “didn’t lose two daughters.” Lisa sees a flower growing inside the home with Valhalla’s picture beside it. The Balthiers say it’s tradition to use the ashes of the fallen to grow flowers, proving that life can blossom and be beautiful even after death. They tell Lisa how happy she made Valhalla. Valhalla struggled to make friends, and Lisa was the very best one. Even though they wish Valhalla was still alive, they are so happy her last moments were joyous ones because Lisa was there. A burden is lifted off of Lisa’s shoulders when she leaves.

 

Chapter 45

It’s two weeks before the battle and star migration. Lisa is in Haim Gana when she overhears Vilmad, Bethesda, and Alona talking. Lisa learns from their conversation that even if she defeats Ecuras, the Agapéd may destroy her heart in the process. The Agapéd Bearer is actually a sacrifice. The power it takes to defeat the fallen is too much for the human heart to stay alive, and with Lisa being so young and new to magic, they don’t think her heart can withstand the Agapéd’s power once she crushes Ecuras’ pulse. Knowing the truth, Lisa doesn’t back down. She may die saving the world, but it's worth it. When she visits Kamari on her way back to Earth, Kamari tells Lisa to believe in herself and that the Light will give her the strength to win.

 

Chapter 46

It’s Lisa’s fourteenth birthday, and she and Gaius go to battle Ecuras. Gaius pins Ecuras down, cueing Lisa to come in. Ecuras figures out their plan: Gaius fights, and Lisa doesn’t waste magic fighting so she can deal the finishing blow. Ecuras changes tactics and tries to get to Lisa. Gaius is struggling to fight and defend. Ecuras knocks Gaius away and grabs Lisa. He sends a combustive blow to Lisa’s chest and throws her off the cliffside. Lisa wakes up, falling. Then, her chest begins glowing, and she starts flying. She feels invigorated. Ecuras is infuriated and discards his human bad and becomes a dark being. Lisa and Gaius battle together. When Ecuras shoots off into the sky, Lisa grabs his chest and pulses all the Agapéd’s power into him. She destroys his heart and lands safely on the ground. But she suddenly feels super weak.

 

GAIUS POV

Gaius catches Lisa before she hits the ground. She is cold and not moving. He thought he trained her well enough to win, but that’s not what's hurting him. He reminisces on the past year with Lisa and how she brought joy to his life again. Gaius didn’t want to get too involved with her because he couldn’t bear to feel the sting of sorrow when she died. But he let his walls down. Now, a father’s love has captured his heart, and he weeps over the girl that calls his own. He carries Lisa’s limp body through the woods, wondering how he will tell her mother. Then, Tuff starts whistling, and Gaius drops to his knees.

 

Chapter 47

Lisa wakes up to find Gaius crying tears of joy. They go to the staritorium—filled with Wishing Stars bobbing on the ceiling. Lady Ariela shows up, heals Lisa’s wounds, and patches her clothing. She says the Agapéd hasn’t left her and that she is alive for a reason. Lisa says she still wants to train with Gaius. Gaius and Kamari release the stars into space. Lisa then evanesced to Earth, where she hugs her mom. They watch the shooting stars together, and Lisa is happy to be alive.