Sleep did not come easily that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her face the woman made of starlight, her eyes filled with sorrow and warning. Her voice echoed through my thoughts, whispering the same words again and again.
Forget who you were… or be unmade.
The fire had long gone cold, but Aster was still awake. He sat near the ruins, his silver hair catching the faint glimmer of moonlight. I watched him for a while, the quiet steadiness of his presence grounding me.
"You're still awake," I said softly.
"So are you," he replied without looking back. "That vision… it wasn't just some illusion, was it?"
I shook my head. "No. She was real. Or at least, she was once."
Aster turned to me, his eyes sharp but filled with curiosity. "Who was she?"
"I don't know her name. But I've seen her before in dreams, in fragments of light whenever I use magic. I think… she's connected to Lumis. The one whose power lives inside me."
He stood, brushing the dust from his cloak. "Then she's a clue. Not a curse."
"Maybe both," I said quietly. "If she's right, then my past self whoever Lumis was might be the reason the world is breaking."
Aster approached, his boots silent against the stone. "You talk about him like he's someone else."
"Isn't he?" I met his gaze. "I'm not Lumis. I'm Erian. I was born in this world, I grew up in it. But the more I use this power, the less I feel like myself."
He reached out, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Then I'll remind you who you are."
The warmth of his hand was steady, grounding. I wanted to believe him. But deep down, I could feel something stirring a pulse beneath my skin, ancient and restless. It wasn't just magic. It was memory.
When I finally drifted into sleep, it wasn't peaceful.
I was standing beneath two suns. The sky burned gold and crimson, and the ground was made of glass that reflected the stars. Ahead stood a tall figure cloaked in white, his face hidden by light.
"Lumis," a voice called familiar, filled with anger and grief. A young man with silver eyes stood before the cloaked figure, his blade drawn. "You betrayed us!"
The figure didn't answer. He only turned, his expression unreadable through the glow.
"The heavens demanded balance," he said. "I chose to defy them."
"And for that," the other spat, "you doomed us all."
The clash of light and steel filled the air. I felt it every strike, every burst of energy. And when the final blow fell, I saw the silver-eyed man collapse, his blood scattering like falling stars.
The cloaked figure whispered something too soft to hear and raised his hand. The world shattered.
I woke with a gasp.
Aster was beside me instantly, his hand on my back. "Erian! What happened?"
I pressed a hand to my forehead, sweat cold against my skin. "I saw them. The man in white… and someone who looked like you."
He blinked. "Me?"
"Not exactly. But he had your eyes. And Lumis killed him."
Aster's expression hardened. "Then whoever Lumis was, he's part of why I exist like this."
I looked at him. "What do you mean?"
He hesitated, then said, "My bloodline isn't natural. The Caelum line was born from a pact made under the fallen stars. Maybe your power and mine were never meant to coexist peacefully."
The silence stretched between us. Two lives bound by destiny, cursed to repeat what once was lost.
Finally, Aster stood. "Then we'll rewrite it. Whatever they did, whatever fate decided we'll end it differently."
I stared at him, the firelight flickering across his face. The determination in his eyes was unyielding, and for the first time, the weight on my chest felt lighter.
"Together?" I asked.
He smirked faintly. "Always."
Outside, the first light of dawn broke over the ruins. The Gate shimmered once, faintly responding to the rising sun as if acknowledging our vow.
But far beyond the mountains, deep within the Imperial Palace, a priest opened an ancient scroll that glowed with starlight.
He smiled. "So… the child of Lumis has awakened."