The forest was quiet.
Too quiet.
Lina sat beneath the old tree, the bark warm from the morning sun. Her hands were still shaking. The memory of the trial lingered in her bones.
"Was it real?" she whispered. "Or just… a dream?"
But then she looked down at her palm.
A mark had appeared there—glowing faintly like starlight.
It pulsed with warmth, like a heartbeat not her own.
"This… isn't a dream."
A New Power
The mark wasn't just a symbol.
It was alive.
As Lina focused on it, her senses expanded.
She could hear the wind speaking.
Feel the pulse of the trees.
See the life moving inside the ground.
And in her mind—visions danced.
A sky full of stars.
Each one burning with a different truth.
She gasped and clutched her chest. The power was overwhelming.
"This is what it means… to carry a star?"
But deep within her soul, something whispered:
"This is only the beginning."
The Village Elder's Memory
Far from the forest, in her home village, an old man sat by the fire.
The Village Elder.
He coughed, then turned to the young boy sitting beside him.
"Do you remember the legend of the Star Sovereign?" he asked.
"You've told it many times, Grandpa."
"Then listen once more. For it may no longer be a tale."
He pointed to the sky.
"The stars are shifting. One has fallen. And when that happens, it means a trial has begun."
The boy's eyes widened.
"Trial for who?"
"For the world," the Elder said solemnly. "And for the girl who carries the star."
Zayn's Concern
In the Astral Realm, Zayn stood at the edge of a great cliff, looking over a sea of galaxies.
Aruna appeared behind him.
"She survived the trial," she said.
Zayn nodded.
"But her soul is not stable. She doesn't know who she is yet."
"Should we help her?"
"No. If we interfere too soon, it will weaken her growth. Let her find her path."
Zayn turned, and his eyes glowed silver.
"But if the Abyss moves… then we act."
In the Shadow of the Abyss
Far, far away—in a corner of the universe that no light touched—a throne of bones stood beneath a shattered sky.
A man cloaked in darkness sat upon it.
His eyes were two burning voids.
He raised his hand, and a pool of shadows formed before him—revealing Lina's face.
"The new vessel of the Fallen Star…" he hissed.
"So she has awakened. Just like the last one."
He stood.
"Then I shall greet her… before she becomes a threat."
The darkness howled in response.
Back to Lina – A New Companion
As Lina walked deeper into the forest, still uncertain of her destination, she heard a strange noise.
A low growl.
She turned—and saw a creature limping.
It looked like a wolf, but its fur shimmered with faint silver.
Its eyes weren't hostile.
They were… tired.
Wounded.
Lina approached slowly.
"You're hurt…"
The wolf snarled weakly but didn't back away.
Lina knelt and placed her hand on its side.
The star mark glowed.
And the wound began to close.
"I can heal?" she whispered.
The wolf stood, stronger now, and stared at her.
Then—it bowed its head.
And followed.
"You… want to come with me?"
It growled softly.
Lina smiled.
"Then let's walk this path together."
A Rising Presence
As the sun began to set, the wind shifted.
Something was coming.
Lina felt the chill before she saw anything.
And then—the shadows twisted.
From the forest edge, a figure emerged. Clad in black. Eyes like a void.
He didn't speak.
But the power around him made the trees wither.
The wolf growled and stepped in front of Lina.
"W-Who are you?" she asked, heart pounding.
The man tilted his head.
"Just a shadow. Sent to test you."
Then he moved—fast.
Too fast.
The Battle Begins
Lina raised her hands.
The star within her reacted.
A shield of light formed, barely stopping the blow.
But the force sent her flying.
She crashed into the ground, gasping.
The man appeared before her in a blink.
"Pathetic," he muttered. "The star chose wrong."
He raised his hand.
A sphere of darkness formed—ready to consume her.
But Lina's eyes burned now. Not with fear… but defiance.
"No!"
The mark on her palm blazed.
A beam of starlight shot upward, tearing through the dark attack.
Even the shadowed man stumbled back.
Lina stood.
The light wrapped around her.
The stars heard her call.
"I may be weak… but I won't give up!"
The Shadow Retreats
The man hissed.
"You are still unripe. But I see the spark."
He vanished into mist.
The forest was silent once more.
Lina dropped to her knees, exhausted.
The wolf nuzzled her side.
"Thank you," she whispered. "But… this is just the start, isn't it?"
Far above, the stars twinkled in response.
And deep within the realms—forces long dormant began to awaken.