The Fallen Star

The night sky stretched endlessly above, a vast canvas painted with shimmering stars. Asteria lay on the rooftop of her home, as she did every night, tracing the constellations with her finger. She had always been drawn to the stars, their soft glow filling her heart with an unexplainable longing.

But tonight was different.

Asteria sat up suddenly, her breath catching in her throat. Among the countless specks of light, one star burned brighter than all the others. It pulsed like a heartbeat, flickering erratically as if something was wrong.

And then—it fell.

A streak of silver fire tore across the sky, illuminating the quiet village of Eldoria in an ethereal glow. Gasps and startled cries echoed through the streets as the villagers stepped out of their homes, shielding their eyes from the brilliance. The star plummeted toward the distant Silverpine Forest, disappearing beyond the tree line with a distant but powerful boom.

Asteria’s heart pounded in her chest. She had read old legends about fallen stars, but none had ever crashed so close to home. The elders would dismiss it as nothing more than a celestial event, but Asteria knew better. There was something calling to her—something waiting to be found.

She didn’t hesitate.

Slipping on her cloak, she climbed down from the rooftop and darted through the empty streets, moving like a shadow between the quiet houses. She knew her parents would never allow her to go alone into the forest, especially at night, but she wasn’t going to let fear hold her back.

The wind whispered through the trees as she reached the forest’s edge. The towering Silverpine trees loomed over her, their gnarled roots twisting across the ground like ancient veins. The air smelled of damp earth and pine, and the faint glow of fireflies danced in the distance.

She followed the scent of smoke and the eerie glow that pulsed deeper in the forest. Her heart raced with anticipation, her feet crunching softly against fallen leaves. The deeper she went, the more she felt a strange warmth washing over her—like the very air was alive with energy.

Then, she saw it.

In the middle of a small clearing, a crater smoldered, its edges glowing with embers. At the center of the impact, a sphere of light hovered above the ground, pulsating in slow, steady waves. The light wasn’t harsh or blinding, but soft, almost inviting.

Asteria stepped forward cautiously, her fingers trembling as she reached out—

And then the light shifted.

It pulsed once, twice—before slowly dimming, revealing something inside.

A figure.

A boy lay curled at the center of the crater, his body faintly glowing as if carved from the very essence of the stars. His hair shimmered with silver and deep midnight blue, reflecting the constellations above. His skin was smooth but marked with glowing veins of light, tracing delicate patterns across his arms.

Asteria’s breath hitched.

He wasn’t just anyone. He was something else.

Something not of this world.

She knelt beside him, hesitating before gently touching his shoulder. His skin was warm—warmer than any human’s should be. And then, just as she was about to call out, his eyes fluttered open.

Two celestial orbs stared back at her, swirling with galaxies and nebulae.

And then, he spoke.

"Where… am I?"

His voice was soft, distant, like the echoes of a song carried by the wind.

Asteria swallowed. "You… You fell from the sky."

The boy blinked, confusion clouding his features. He lifted his hand, staring at the glowing lines running across his skin. His fingers curled slightly, as if testing his own existence.

"I… fell?" he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t remember…"

Asteria’s heart clenched. Who was he? Why had he fallen? And more importantly—what did it mean?

A rustling in the trees snapped her back to reality. The village wouldn’t stay asleep forever. If someone found him, they would panic. They might call him cursed. They might hurt him.

Making a split-second decision, Asteria grabbed his hand. "Come with me," she urged.

The boy hesitated but nodded, allowing her to help him up. His legs trembled as if he had never walked before, but he leaned on her for support.

As they disappeared into the shadows of the trees, neither of them noticed the distant pair of eyes watching them from the darkness—cold, calculating, and filled with hunger.

The Eclipsed Ones had felt the star fall.

And they were coming.

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