The beginning of a new chapter

Minutes Later…

The feather-cloaked man continued leaping between the trees, his laughter echoing through the forest. Eventually, he reached the edge of a distant river, far from the village of the insectoid men.

With a final jump, he landed gracefully on the ground, setting Starlight down near the water's edge before bursting into laughter once more.

"Did you see the looks on those bugs' faces!?"

He howled with amusement, but none of his words made sense to Starlight.

The man was tall—extremely tall. His skin was a pale shade of blue, his eyes completely white, devoid of pupils. Long, flowing white hair cascaded down his back, partially concealed by a cloak of vibrant red and white feathers.

Still chuckling, he sat on the ground, mumbling words in a language Starlight could not understand.

Though the words were meaningless to him, Starlight was slowly regaining awareness. He was still wet, which meant he hadn't dried out yet. That realization was enough to sharpen his focus.

Carefully, he moved toward the river, submerging himself inch by inch, while the feather-cloaked man continued to laugh.

—

As the water enveloped him, Starlight's pale, lifeless skin began to change. Slowly but surely, it absorbed the moisture, restoring its former vibrant sheen—the brilliant blue hue it had possessed before his imprisonment.

The feather-cloaked man eventually stood, adjusting his cloak with a stretch.

"I have no idea if you can understand me or not," he said, pulling his hood over his head once more, "but I should thank you—you've given me something to entertain myself with."

Then, with a smirk, he turned away.

"Now… let's see how the bugs react after I stole you from them."

With that, he leaped into the trees, his laughter fading into the distance.

Starlight remained motionless, bewildered.

He hadn't understood a single word.

But he wasn't about to wait for the strange man to return. Nor was he going to waste time trying to make sense of the situation.

Instead, he pulled himself into the water, allowing the river's current to carry him away.

—

Hours Later…

For what felt like an eternity, Starlight drifted through the river's winding path.

Bit by bit, the color fully returned to his body.

He swam and swam, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the feather-cloaked man… and the insectoid village.

Eventually, he pulled himself onto the riverbank, leaning against a tree as he caught his breath.

"What a strange feeling…" He chuckled softly to himself.

For the first time in years, he was free.

His body, however, had not yet recovered from his long captivity. His muscles had weakened after years spent confined in a tiny cage.

A deep exhaustion settled over him. He closed his eyes, succumbing to long-overdue sleep.

—

Nightfall…

When Starlight awoke, he wasn't sure how much time had passed.

But one thing was certain—the night had come.

A sea of stars stretched endlessly above him.

Twin moons bathed the land in their gentle glow, their golden rings shimmering like celestial halos.

The sight was breathtaking.

It reminded him of his home—the savage world he had once called his own.

Pulling himself toward the river, he scooped a handful of water and drank, quenching his thirst.

Then, something caught his eye.

A faint movement beneath the surface.

Small, swift creatures darted through the water.

Curious, Starlight focused on them.

(Note: These creatures are fish, but since Starlight has never seen fish before, he does not recognize them as such. For clarity, I will refer to them as fish.)

Intrigued, he reached into the water, attempting to catch one.

It slipped through his fingers.

Again, he tried.

And again, it escaped.

For a long time, he kept trying—failing over and over—until at last, he succeeded.

The small fish wriggled in his grasp. Its body was slick and covered in scales, its large eyes positioned near the edges of its face. It had no limbs—only small, wing-like fins along its sides.

Starlight's stomach ached. He was starving.

The tiny creature in his hands reminded him of the beasts he once hunted alongside his family.

It struggled for breath, suffocating in the open air.

He closed his eyes.

And slowly… he ate.

—

Days Later…

As he followed the river's path, something unusual came into view.

A shipwreck.

It was an old Union vessel, long abandoned. Nature had claimed it, its hull swallowed by trees and creeping vines.

Starlight dragged himself toward it.

Perhaps there was something inside that could aid his survival.

The closer he got, the clearer the damage became.

Deep claw marks covered the ship's outer shell.

Something had attacked it. Something powerful.

Cautiously, he entered through one of the shattered openings.

Inside, the remains of the crew still lingered, clad in their once-pristine Union armor.

As he explored the wreckage, he realized that nearly all the weapons were beyond salvageable.

Every firearm had been destroyed, some cut clean through by the same force that had scarred the ship's exterior.

It was clear: whatever had attacked them had left nothing intact.

Still, the wreck was something—a place to start.

Starlight gathered whatever materials he could find.

Out of respect, he moved the bodies into a separate chamber.

In a world like this, where survival came first, burial rites were a luxury.

Most of the weapons he found were melee-based—axes, swords, knives. Useless to someone with a body as fragile as his.

But he took what he could.

—

Time Passed…

Days turned into weeks.

Weeks turned into months.

Months turned into years.

Starlight survived, adapting to his new world.

He repaired the ship as best he could, using gathered wood to reinforce its structure.

He hunted, setting traps for whatever prey he could catch.

At first, he relied solely on fish.

But over time, he adjusted—to the planet's gravity, to its radiation levels.

His body grew stronger.

Stronger than any of his kind had ever been.

—

Winter Arrives…

The land became draped in white.

Snow covered the trees, blanketing the ground in frozen silence.

The river slowed, its surface carrying drifting chunks of ice.

It was beautiful.

But with winter came a new challenge—food scarcity.

The creatures he once hunted had entered hibernation.

The fish had migrated to warmer waters.

And so, Starlight was left with no choice.

If he wished to survive the winter…

He would have to leave the safety of his shelter.