Lumina the Princess Titan      
A Short Story by Last Century Studios

Lumina had always been told that her name carried a purpose. When she was born, her parents believed God had chosen her to bring light into the world. She came from a long line of royal protectors, a family blessed with supernatural gifts because they had faithfully served the Lord for generations. Her uncle Timothy could run faster than the wind, her cousins had powers of strength and sight, and Lumina herself carried the rarest gift of all white fire that burned from her hands like pure light.

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But Lumina no longer lived in the kingdom.

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Three years earlier, the young princess had left the palace to live quietly in a massive nearby city filled with towering buildings and crowded streets. By day, she worked behind the counter of a small café, serving coffee and pastries to busy commuters. Customers simply knew her as Lumina, the kind barista with a gentle smile. They had no idea that the same girl sometimes soared through the night sky protecting them.

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The people of the city knew their mysterious hero by another name: Princess Titan.

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The royal family had one strict rule given by the king (her father) himself. If they protect the world, they must do so without revealing their true identities. The world respected the royal family as leaders, but if people discovered they possessed supernatural powers, fear and suspicion might cause nations to turn against them. So Lumina wore a helmet when she fought crime, hiding the truth even from the people closest to her.

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One of those people was her best friend, Mathew Zain.

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Mathew was eighteen, thoughtful and curious, and worked as a junior writer for a large magazine company downtown. He often visited the café after work, where he and Lumina would sit by the window and talk about the busy life of the city. Yet Mathew had noticed something strange about her. Lumina sometimes disappeared in the middle of their lunches, rushing away without explanation.

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“You know,” Mathew once joked, stirring his drink, “one of these days I’m going to figure out where you keep running off to.”

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Lumina laughed nervously and changed the subject, but deep down she knew she could not hide forever.

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One evening, just before closing time, Lumina wiped down the café counter and prepared the final order of the night. The city outside glowed with streetlights and passing cars. Suddenly, a strange feeling rushed through her chest; a sharp awareness she had learned to trust. Someone nearby was in danger.

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Her eyes widened.

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The feeling was coming from Mathew’s neighborhood.

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Lumina quietly slipped out the back door of the café and ran into the alley. In seconds, white fire flared from her hands like living light. The flames lifted her into the air, carrying her high above the city skyline as Princess Titan flew toward Mathew’s apartment.

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Inside the small building, a robber had already forced his way into Mathew’s home. Mathew backed away nervously as the masked thief searched the room.

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“Take whatever you want,” Mathew said cautiously.

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Before the robber could respond, the window burst open.

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A glowing figure shot into the room blazing with white fire. Princess Titan landed between them, her presence filling the room with light.

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“Leave,” she said firmly.

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The robber rushed forward, but Lumina moved faster. With a single strike of strength, she knocked him unconscious and caught him before he hit the ground. The danger was over within seconds.

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Mathew stared in shock.

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Princess Titan removed her helmet.

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For a moment neither of them spoke. Then Mathew slowly blinked in disbelief.

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“So… this is what you’ve been hiding from me the whole time,” he said. “Pretty cool. My best friend is Princess Titan.”

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Lumina crossed her arms, slightly embarrassed. “Mathew… you can’t tell anyone. It has to stay a secret.”

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Mathew laughed softly. “Relax. I’m not going to run to the magazine and publish your identity.”

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Then he raised an eyebrow. “But you do owe me one thing.”

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Lumina tilted her head. “What?”

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“Promise you’ll stop leaving in the middle of our lunches.”

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Lumina sighed and smiled apologetically. “I can’t promise that. People need help.”

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Mathew thought for a moment, then grinned. “Fine. Then every Friday, you have to fly me around the city.”

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Lumina chuckled, “Deal.”

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Later that night, as Lumina flew back toward the café rooftop, the city lights sparkled beneath her like a sea of stars. She knew having someone else know her secret could be dangerous. Princess Titan had enemies who would do anything to destroy her.

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But somehow, knowing Mathew stood beside her made the burden feel lighter.

And for the first time since leaving the kingdom, Lumina felt like she didn’t have to carry the weight of her secret alone.