CHAPTER 20: The Ashes and the Path Ahead

"Even stars must rest after they burn."

The hidden temple had fallen silent.

Where once battle cries and clash of power echoed, now there remained only the hum of ancient stone and the scent of scorched air. Cracks along the walls glowed faintly, remnants of the Moon Seers' energy dispersing into stillness. Dust hung in the air, disturbed only by the shallow, weary breaths of those who had survived.

Ashix lay sprawled on the cold stone floor, his body trembling, not from pain — but from the sheer release of energy. His spirit sword pulsed softly beside him, dimmer now. It had fought beside him, resonated with his will. But even a bonded weapon needed rest.

Marini sat cross-legged near the altar, her head bowed, braids undone and lips cracked. Blood streaked down her arm from a shallow wound, but she made no sound. The fight had drained her, not just physically, but emotionally. She had felt something stirring in her during the battle — a strange familiarity with the moonlight. A memory she couldn't quite grasp.

Elira paced near the archway that had collapsed behind them, her blade dragging along the stone, leaving a faint scrape with each step. Her shoulders were tense, her eyes scanning the shadows for threats that were no longer there.

And Faye — the Moon Seer girl — knelt over one of the fallen priests. Her fingers closed the man's eyes gently, whispering words in a language none of them understood. Tears glittered on her cheeks, but she stood with dignity. She had known this loss was coming.

Naru, furred and glowing softly, padded toward Ashix and rested its head on his chest.

"Still breathing," the creature's voice echoed in Ashix's mind, faint and warm. "Barely."

Ashix groaned. "How... long was I out?"

"Long enough," Elira answered, finally stopping her pacing. "We thought you were dead. Again."

"You'd be crying if I was," he muttered, managing a weak smirk.

Elira didn't respond immediately. Instead, she knelt beside him, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. "Maybe."

Faye approached quietly. "You should not move yet," she said. "The energy you used — it is not something the body understands how to release safely. It must be taught."

Ashix sat up slowly, wincing. "It wasn't... a choice. It just happened."

"That's what makes it dangerous," Faye said. "And powerful."

A moment passed before Marini finally spoke. "What were those creatures? Why did they attack now?"

Faye walked toward the broken wall where the moonlight had once poured in. "They've always been waiting. Beneath the temple, in the cracks of the world. Kael Thorne feeds them with twisted echoes of the past. They hunger for light, for purity. That's why they came for me."

"But you survived," Elira said. "And you helped us."

Faye turned, her gaze steady. "I was never meant to leave this place. My purpose was to protect the moonstone vault — the chamber you found. But now that it's been touched by your light, Ashix… the path has changed."

Ashix stood with effort. "Then it's time we change with it."

He looked at the others. "We can't stay here. Kael knows we're alive. And worse, he knows we're moving."

"But where do we go next?" Marini asked, arms folded. "There's no map. No guide. Just fragments of dreams and riddles."

"No," Faye said, reaching into the folds of her robe. "Not just fragments."

From her hands she revealed a circular disc — ancient, etched with glowing lines that curved and twisted like constellations. At the center was a symbol: the mark on Ashix's hand.

"This is a Star Dial," she explained. "It was left by the First Guardian — a way to find the resting places of the others."

Ashix stared at it. "How does it work?"

Faye pressed her palm to the dial, and light shimmered along its surface. A small point glowed, then another. Three more lit up — each pulsing like distant stars. "Each point is a sanctuary. But only one of them still has a Guardian's spirit. The others… may hold dangers, or remnants of their power."

"We find the next Guardian," Ashix said, fire slowly returning to his voice. "That's our path."

"But it won't be easy," Elira warned. "We're injured, tired. We can't just run straight into the next trial."

"I know," Ashix replied. "We rest tonight. Then we leave at dawn."

Faye hesitated. "I won't be going with you."

The group turned to her in silence.

"My duty is here," she said. "To seal the vault, and ensure no one else can twist its power. You lit the path, Ashix. But it's not mine to walk."

A pause. Then Ashix walked to her and bowed his head. "Thank you. For everything."

Faye smiled sadly. "Keep walking, Guardian. The stars are watching."

—

Later That Night…

The group had made camp just outside the ruins of the Moon Temple. The air was crisp, laced with the scent of cold stone and distant fire. A small flame danced in the center, their only light in the darkness.

Marini sat beside Elira, both nursing bruises in silence. Naru rested curled at Ashix's feet, its silver eyes watching the stars above.

Ashix stared into the fire, the Star Dial resting on his lap. "Why me?" he whispered, mostly to himself. "Why not someone stronger? Smarter?"

Naru's voice drifted into his mind. "Because you still ask that question."

Ashix looked down. "That's not very comforting."

"It wasn't meant to be." Naru tilted its head. "Doubt isn't weakness. It's the mark of those who haven't lost their humanity."

Ashix said nothing for a while. Then: "I'm scared."

"I know," Elira said softly. "We all are."

Marini leaned closer, her voice barely a whisper. "But we're still here. That has to count for something."

Ashix looked at them — the people who had fought beside him, bled with him, believed in him even when he didn't.

He nodded slowly. "Then let's make it count."

The fire crackled.

And in the far, far distance — beyond the mountain spine and ruined cities — the next sanctuary awaited.