Morning arrived without sunlight.

A thick layer of gray clouds covered the kingdom of Aetheria, turning the village of Elarin into a world of pale shadows.

The villagers stood in the streets, whispering.

They had seen the strange red glow during the night.

They had heard the explosion in the northern forest.

And now they had discovered something even more frightening.

The village observatory’s ancient crystal had cracked.

The crystal had stood untouched for three hundred years.

Until last night.

Liora stood in front of it, staring at the enormous fracture running through its center.

She hadn’t slept.

She couldn’t.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the same image.

Kael falling from the sky.

The glowing wings.

The silver eye.

And the voice calling him the Heir of the Fallen Star.

“Liora.”

She turned.

An elderly man stood behind her.

His name was Master Orin, the oldest astronomer in Elarin.

His long white beard reached his chest, and his dark robes were covered with tiny golden stars.

“You were in the forest last night.”

Liora looked away.

“No.”

Orin raised an eyebrow.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“I wasn’t alone.”

“I know.”

Liora froze.

Orin slowly looked toward the staircase.

“Where is he?”

Liora’s heart jumped.

“How do you know?”

“Because the moment that boy arrived, every star in the observatory changed position.”

He walked toward the broken crystal.

His fingers touched the crack.

“This crystal doesn’t break because of an earthquake.”

“Then what broke it?”

Orin looked at her.

“His arrival.”

Liora swallowed.

“Who is Kael?”

Orin didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he whispered:

“Someone who should have died seventeen years ago.”

---

Kael woke in a dark room.

His first thought was that he was dead.

His second thought was that death was surprisingly comfortable.

A warm blanket covered him.

A small fire burned nearby.

The room smelled of herbs and wood.

He slowly opened his eyes.

A wooden ceiling appeared above him.

He tried to move.

Pain shot through his ribs.

“Ah…”

“You’re awake.”

Kael turned his head.

Liora sat beside the window.

She was reading an old book.

Her silver-blue hair fell over one shoulder.

Kael stared at her.

“You.”

Liora looked up.

“Good morning.”

“Where am I?”

“My house.”

“Why?”

“Because you collapsed.”

Kael frowned.

“I don’t remember.”

“You screamed.”

He looked embarrassed.

“I did not.”

“You definitely did.”

“I was injured.”

“Of course.”

Liora smiled.

Kael looked toward the window.

“Where is the beast?”

“Gone.”

“Did you kill it?”

“No.”

“Then why did it leave?”

“I don’t know.”

Kael became silent.

Something about the answer bothered him.

He remembered the creature.

He remembered fighting.

But he also remembered something else.

A voice.

A familiar voice.

Find the Starborn.

Kael touched his forehead.

“Who am I?”

Liora stopped smiling.

“I was hoping you could tell me.”

“I can’t.”

“You don’t remember anything?”

Kael shook his head.

“Not before last night.”

Liora closed the book.

“Nothing?”

“I remember fire.”

She waited.

“I remember someone calling my name.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

“Family?”

“I don’t know.”

“Home?”

“I don’t know.”

“Friends?”

Kael looked at her.

“I don’t know.”

Liora’s expression softened.

For the first time, she understood.

Kael wasn’t hiding his past.

He truly didn’t have one.

Or at least, he couldn’t remember it.

Then Kael noticed something.

“Your eyes.”

Liora became still.

“What about them?”

“They’re silver.”

She looked away.

“People in this village have strange eyes.”

“Not like yours.”

Liora stood.

“Forget about it.”

Kael frowned.

“Why?”

“Because people who ask too many questions about my eyes usually regret it.”

Before Kael could answer, someone knocked on the door.

Three slow knocks.

Liora’s face changed.

She grabbed a small dagger from beneath the table.

“Stay here.”

Kael sat up.

“Who is it?”

“I don’t know.”

Another three knocks.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Liora approached the door.

“Who?”

No answer.

She opened it.

An arrow flew through the doorway.

Liora moved aside.

The arrow struck the wall.

Kael jumped from the bed.

Outside, shadows moved through the street.

Men dressed in black armor surrounded the house.

One of them shouted:

“By order of the Eclipse Court, surrender the Starborn!”

Liora’s eyes widened.

Kael whispered:

“Starborn?”

The soldiers entered.

Liora raised her dagger.

“You’re not taking him.”

A soldier laughed.

“Girl, you don’t understand what you’re protecting.”

Liora’s silver eyes began glowing.

The soldier’s smile disappeared.

“You…”

His voice trembled.

“Those eyes.”

Another soldier stepped forward.

“Silver Eyes…”

The room became silent.

Liora clenched her fist.

Kael looked at her.

“What are they talking about?”

She didn’t answer.

The soldiers attacked.

Liora moved first.

She spun beneath a sword and kicked the soldier into a table.

Another soldier rushed toward Kael.

Kael raised his hand.

Blue energy exploded.

The soldier flew backward through the window.

Kael stared at his palm.

“I did that?”

Liora grabbed his arm.

“Now!”

They ran.

---

They raced through the narrow streets.

Behind them, the Eclipse soldiers chased.

Villagers screamed and hid inside their homes.

Kael looked around.

“Why are they after me?”

“Because apparently you’re important.”

“That isn’t helpful!”

“I’m aware!”

They turned into an alley.

Dead end.

Kael looked behind them.

Five soldiers entered.

Liora stepped forward.

“Stay behind me.”

Kael shook his head.

“No.”

She looked at him.

“I can fight.”

“You nearly died fighting one beast.”

“So did you.”

“That is not encouraging.”

The soldiers raised their weapons.

Liora’s eyes began glowing brighter.

Silver light surrounded her.

The air trembled.

Kael stared.

“What are you?”

Liora whispered:

“I don’t know.”

The ground beneath her cracked.

A giant silver circle appeared.

The soldiers froze.

One whispered:

“The Moon Guardian…”

Liora’s eyes widened.

A voice echoed inside her mind.

Open the gate.

She shook her head.

“No.”

Open the gate.

“I said no!”

The silver circle exploded.

A massive wave of energy swept through the alley.

The soldiers were thrown backward.

Kael grabbed Liora before she fell.

She was shaking.

“You okay?”

She nodded.

“I think so.”

Then Kael noticed something.

The silver light had formed a symbol on her forehead.

A crescent moon surrounded by seven stars.

His own wrist began glowing in response.

The black crescent on his skin transformed.

Blue light spread across his arm.

The two symbols connected.

The alley disappeared.

For one brief second, they saw another world.

A gigantic city floating above the clouds.

Thousands of crystal towers.

A golden palace.

A battlefield.

And two children standing beneath a crimson moon.

One boy.

One girl.

Kael stared at the vision.

The girl had silver eyes.

She looked exactly like Liora.

“No…”

The vision disappeared.

Kael fell to his knees.

Liora knelt beside him.

“What did you see?”

Kael looked at her.

“You were there.”

“What?”

“In my memory.”

Liora’s face went pale.

“That isn’t possible.”

“You knew me.”

“I don’t remember you.”

“You were standing beside me.”

She shook her head.

“I don’t remember.”

Kael grabbed his head.

Another memory flashed.

A young Liora crying.

A young Kael holding her hand.

A voice saying:

When the stars fall, find each other again.

Then fire.

A palace collapsing.

Someone screaming.

And a woman pushing Kael into a portal.

“Forget everything.”

Kael opened his eyes.

“Someone erased my memories.”

Liora stared at him.

“Who?”

“I don’t know.”

Suddenly, the sky darkened.

A massive black airship appeared above the village.

Its sails were made from shadows.

A symbol was painted across its side.

A black sun surrounded by a silver ring.

The Eclipse Court.

Liora whispered:

“They found us.”

Kael looked up.

“Who are they?”

“The people who destroyed my family.”

Kael turned toward her.

“You knew them?”

Liora’s hands trembled.

“My parents were guardians of the northern gate.”

“What happened?”

“They disappeared seventeen years ago.”

Kael went silent.

Seventeen years.

The same number.

He looked at his own hands.

“I was born seventeen years ago.”

Liora looked at him.

“And I was seven.”

Neither spoke.

A terrible possibility formed between them.

The Eclipse Court hadn’t come for Kael alone.

They had come for both of them.

The airship’s doors opened.

A man stepped onto the deck.

He wore a long black coat and a mask covering half his face.

His eyes glowed crimson.

He looked directly at Kael.

Then at Liora.

And smiled.

“Finally.”

His voice echoed across the village.

“The Fallen Star and the Silver-Eyed Guardian have awakened.”

Kael stepped forward.

“Who are you?”

The man removed his mask.

“My name is Lord Veyron.”

Liora’s face became white.

“You…”

Veyron smiled.

“Yes, little guardian.”

He pointed toward Kael.

“Your forgotten prince has returned.”

Kael felt the world stop.

“Prince?”

Veyron laughed.

“You truly don’t remember?”

Kael’s golden eyes narrowed.

Veyron raised one hand.

Behind him, hundreds of black-armored soldiers appeared.

“Don’t worry.”

He smiled.

“By sunset, you’ll remember everything.”

The airship began descending.

Liora grabbed Kael’s hand.

“We have to leave.”

Kael looked at their hands.

For some reason, holding hers felt familiar.

Like something he had done a thousand times before.

He looked toward the sky.

The clouds began turning crimson again.

And deep inside his mind, a forgotten voice whispered:

Run, Kael.

Before the King wakes.

Kael’s eyes widened.

“The King…”

Liora looked at him.

“What?”

Kael stared at the approaching army.

“I think I just remembered something.”

“What?”

He looked at her.

“There is something sleeping beneath this kingdom.”

The ground suddenly shook.

A gigantic crack opened beneath the village.

From somewhere deep underground came a sound like a heartbeat.

THUM.

The villagers screamed.

THUM.

The airship stopped.

THUM.

Every window in Elarin shattered at once.

And beneath the earth—

something ancient opened its eyes.

Liora squeezed Kael’s hand.

“Whatever happens…”

Kael looked at her.

“We face it together?”

She nodded.

“Together.”

Above them, the Crimson Moon appeared once again.

And this time—

it was smiling.