A Vision Beneath the Starlight

Darkness wrapped around Aki like an endless sea, weightless and silent. He floated within it, neither awake nor asleep, his mind adrift in a place beyond the mortal world.

Then—

A soft glow emerged.

Faint at first, like the flicker of a distant candle. Then brighter, illuminating the shadows with a silvery light. Aki felt warmth spreading through him, gentle and familiar.

And then, he saw her.

His mother.

Hoshino Yuki stood before him, dressed in a flowing white kimono, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. The soft glow surrounded her like the light of the stars. She looked exactly as he remembered—kind eyes filled with warmth, lips curved into a gentle smile.

Aki's heart clenched. He had not seen her in twenty years, and yet, here she was, standing right in front of him.

"…Mother?" His voice was barely a whisper.

She smiled. "You've grown so much, Aki."

The sound of her voice—so gentle, so full of love—sent a wave of emotions crashing through him. He took a step forward, desperate to reach her, but something in the air held him back.

"This… isn't real, is it?" His voice wavered.

Yuki shook her head softly. "It is real, but not in the way you think. This is a place between dreams and reality, where the soul may speak beyond time."

Aki swallowed hard. "Why am I here?"

She looked up toward the sky, where countless stars shimmered above them. "Because your fate has begun to move."

Aki followed her gaze. The stars pulsed, forming strange constellations he didn't recognize. A deep unease settled in his chest.

"The legend… it's real, isn't it?"

Yuki's smile faded slightly. "Yes. The Star Maiden has come, just as I told you long ago."

Aki's hands clenched into fists. "Then… does that mean I'll get my wish?"

For a long moment, Yuki didn't answer. Instead, she stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on his cheek.

"My dear Aki…" she whispered. "You must be careful what you wish for."

His breath caught. There was something in her eyes—a sorrow he didn't understand.

"What do you mean?" he asked. "Is something wrong?"

Before she could answer, the stars above began to ripple, like reflections disturbed by an unseen force. The light around her flickered.

Yuki took a step back, her form becoming hazy. "I don't have much time."

"Wait!" Aki reached for her, panic rising in his chest. "Please, don't go!"

Her warm smile returned, but her eyes held a quiet sadness. She leaned in close, her lips barely moving as she whispered—

"Aki… you are the chosen one."

The words sent a chill through him. A strange weight settled in his chest, as if the universe itself had shifted.

Then—

The stars flared brightly.

And she was gone.

Darkness rushed in, swallowing everything.

Aki's Awakening

Aki gasped as his eyes flew open. His body jerked as he sucked in a ragged breath, his heart hammering in his chest. Cold sweat clung to his skin.

For a moment, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to grasp what had just happened.

Was it just a dream?

Or… was it something more?

The words of his mother echoed in his mind.

You are the chosen one.

Aki turned his head slightly—and froze.

The Star Maiden was sitting beside him, watching him with quiet concern. Her celestial eyes shimmered like the night sky.

"You saw something, didn't you?" she whispered.

Aki swallowed hard. His throat felt dry, his mind still reeling from the vision.

"…I saw my mother."

The Star Maiden's expression darkened, as if she, too, understood something he didn't.

Outside, the night wind carried the whispers of fate.

And

deep within the heavens, unseen by mortal eyes, the gods stirred once more.

—To be continued…