Farewell to the Stars

Night came swiftly to Aetherwood, cloaking the village in a blanket of silence. The usual hum of crickets and soft wind through the trees was gone replaced by an unnatural stillness. The air was thick with tension, like the whole forest held its breath.

Elias stood at the edge of the village, the weight of a small pack slung across his shoulder and the Aethershard concealed within a pouch close to his chest. Beneath his shirt, the mark still pulsed faintly calm, yet alive, like a heartbeat in sync with something greater.

He turned back one last time to look at the village.

Smoke drifted from chimneys. A few lights glowed faintly behind shuttered windows. He could imagine the families inside, sitting by hearths, unaware of the danger looming just beyond the trees.

He clenched his jaw. They can't know. They don't need to.

Behind him, a quiet set of footsteps approached.

"You're really going," Dane said, his voice quiet but steady.

"I have to," Elias replied. "If I stay… they'll come for everyone."

Dane nodded, though his eyes were shadowed with worry. "Then I'm coming too."

Elias's brow furrowed. "No. Dane…"

"I'm not letting you walk into whatever this is alone," Dane said, stepping forward. "I don't care if you've got stars in your blood or whatever. You're still Elias. My best friend. That hasn't changed."

Elias looked at him, torn. "You could die, Dane. This isn't some adventure story. These people—the Veilbound—they're killers."

Dane grinned, a bit of his old self breaking through. "Then I'll just have to watch your back."

Before Elias could protest again, a third voice cut in.

"He should go."

They both turned to see Elder Mere approaching, leaning heavily on his staff. The old man looked even older in the starlight, his white beard shimmering faintly, his eyes tired but resolute.

"Why?" Elias asked.

"Because you'll need someone to keep you grounded," the Elder said. "The path ahead will test you, Elias. You'll face things that were never meant for mortal eyes. If you lose who you are… you'll lose everything."

He looked to Dane. "Stay close to him. And don't let him forget where he came from."

Dane nodded once.

The Elder stepped closer to Elias and placed something small and cold in his palm a bronze pendant etched with the symbol of the Starborn. A single gem glittered in the center.

"This will help you navigate through hidden ways, paths once used by the old starwalkers. It won't take you far, but it will guide you when you lose your way."

Elias curled his fingers around it. "Thank you."

The Elder's eyes softened. "You were like a grandson to me, Elias. I don't know what lies ahead, but I know this—if anyone can walk the path between worlds and return with light… it's you."

Thunder rumbled in the far distance. The storm was closer now.

"Go," the Elder urged. "Before it finds you."

Elias turned toward the northern trail—the one that led beyond the safety of the village, through the whispering woods, and into the realm of the unknown.

He hesitated only once more, looking back at Aetherwood.

Then he stepped forward into the dark.

Beyond the village, deep within the forest

The Veilbound leader stood at the center of the clearing where the Aethershard had first awakened. He knelt, placing a gloved hand to the ground, and whispered an incantation in a language older than time.

Black roots erupted from the soil, twisting into the shape of a cruel sigil that pulsed with voidlight.

"He's fled," the leader said, voice as smooth as silk and cold as death. "But he cannot run forever. The shard has bound him."

An acolyte stepped forward. "Shall we begin the culling?"

The leader's eyes glimmered with amusement. "No. Let them believe they're safe. Let the boy run. The longer he lives, the brighter he burns."

He stood, his cloak shifting like smoke. "And when he shines like a star… we will snuff him out."