Light consumed the throne room.
It was not fire, nor was it starlight—it was both, twined together, golden flame spiraling with silver radiance. Nobles cried out, some falling to their knees, others clutching talismans as though prayer could shield them. The banners of Everhart swayed though no wind stirred.
Andy gasped, clutching Nia's hand tighter. The heat surged through him like molten rivers, yet it did not scorch. For the first time, fire did not rage inside him—it sang. And that song matched the pulse of the girl beside him.
Nia's light wrapped around her like a veil, luminous and soft yet fierce. She felt the fire surge through Andy, not overwhelming, but inviting. Their breaths aligned, their heartbeats thundered together. It was as if the System itself had pulled their souls into a single rhythm.
The voice of the System rang within them, louder than any trumpet, yet intimate as a whisper in their ears.
> [Engagement Trial Complete.]
Bond: 100%.
Resetting into Star System.
Andy's knees nearly buckled as arcs of fire burst from his back, shaping wings of golden flame. Nia's aura crowned her head with silver light, her hair flowing like a river of stars. For a heartbeat, their figures overlapped in brilliance—two bodies, one soul.
The glow contracted, pouring into their rings. Metal shifted under their skin, silver and gold fusing, etching themselves with faint constellations. Andy's ring bore a constellation of flames. Nia's shimmered silver, a small star pulsing in its heart. When their hands touched, both flared, a single heartbeat of light.
The nobles murmured in awe and fear. Some wept. Some fled.
Then the System spoke again, but its tone was different now. Not mechanical. Not cold. Deeper, older, resonant like the echo of the heavens themselves.
> [Star System Unlocked.]
Level: 1-Star Bond.
Progress: 0%.
All previous skills converted into Star Affinities.
Andy staggered, his hand trembling. He clenched his fist, trying to summon fire. Only sparks leapt, fading instantly. The strength he had relied upon—the flames that had shielded them, the skill that had torn the dragon apart—were gone.
Nia swayed, clutching his arm as her silver glow flickered. "Andy… it feels like everything's… slipping away."
He gritted his teeth, chest aching with emptiness. "All of it's gone. Flame Rend. Resonance. Even… even our synchronization."
The System was merciless.
> Star Skills are not forged by touch, but by choice.
Your first trial awaits.
Above them, the constellation flared once more, then shattered into motes of starlight that drifted down, dissolving as they touched the ground. Silence fell, broken only by ragged breaths.
Lord Everhart rose slowly, eyes narrowed. "What… was that?" His voice, usually steady, now trembled with something uncharacteristic: awe.
Andy met his gaze, sweat dripping down his brow. "The System. It changed."
The nobles erupted.
"A blessing from the heavens!"
"No—a curse in disguise!"
"It's power beyond mortal law!"
Everhart's hand snapped up, silencing them. His gaze locked onto Andy, sharp as a drawn blade. "Whatever it is, it belongs to Everhart. Your fire, your stars, your trials—they are ours to wield."
Andy's flames flared instinctively, but sputtered into sparks. His jaw clenched. He wanted to scream, to shout that he wasn't their weapon, but the hollowness in his chest gnawed louder than anger.
Nia stepped forward before he could speak, silver light still clinging to her skin. "He doesn't belong to you. He never will."
The words cracked through the chamber like lightning. Nobles gasped. Everhart's expression hardened into ice.
Andrew, standing near the throne, said nothing. His eyes were fixed on Andy's trembling hand, watching the sparks die in his palm. Where the nobles saw awe or fear, Andrew saw something else: weakness. And in that weakness, he saw opportunity.
Even legends can fall, he thought. And envy settled into something sharper, darker.
---
Later, in the quiet of Nia's chambers, the chaos of the court felt distant. The torches burned low, their flames soft and steady, not wild like Andy's had once been.
Nia sat on the edge of her bed, turning her hand over. Her ring pulsed faintly, a star at its heart glowing with every breath. It didn't feel like the Engagement Ring. This one was heavier, deeper, as though it carried the weight of heaven itself.
Andy stood by the window, moonlight painting his shoulders. He flexed his hands again and again, sparks fizzing and dying. His voice was low, bitter. "It's all gone. Everything we earned. The cave. The dragon. Our Resonance. Sealed away like it never happened. And now…" He clenched his fist. "…now we're back to nothing."
Nia rose, crossing the floor quietly. She lifted his hand, forcing him to open it. Their rings flared when they touched, spilling soft light between their palms.
"Not nothing," she said firmly. "We still have this. We still have each other."
He met her eyes, gold meeting silver, fire meeting starlight. His fury dimmed, the emptiness less suffocating. "You really think that's enough?"
Her smile was small but unwavering. "I don't think. I know."
His breath shook. He wanted to believe her. He wanted to drown in that certainty. And in her gaze, for just a moment, he did.
The System's voice returned, not with thunder, but with a whisper only they could hear.
> [Trial of the First Star Pending.]
Prepare.
Andy exhaled, his hand tightening on hers. "Guess we don't get to rest long."
Nia leaned into him, pressing her forehead against his chest. His scent, warm and faintly singed, filled her. Her voice was soft, but steady. "Then we'll rise. Together."
Above the palace roof, one star burned brighter than all the rest.
Far away, in the mountains where shadows coiled, dragon-kin stirred. Their eyes glowed with hunger, their claws carving the stone. The hunt had only just begun.
---