A SKY OF DREAMS YET TO BE FULFILLED
The morning sun painted the village of Eldrion in shades of gold and amber, while the lively chatter of villagers filled the air. In the small central plaza, under the shade of a broad leafy tree, Zyrion and Kyrahna shared a quiet moment on a wooden bench.
Zyrion, as usual, wore his carefree smile while dangerously leaning back on the edge of the bench.
"Did you know I woke up with a vision today?" he said, using a mysterious tone.
Kyrahna raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "What kind of vision, Zyrion? Another one of your silly dreams like the flying bread?"
Zyrion burst out laughing and waved his hands. "No, no! Nothing like that! This one was far more important. I saw myself eating three giant cakes tonight!"
Kyrahna sighed and placed a hand on her forehead. "Why do I still expect serious answers from you? I should have known."
Before Zyrion could respond, a group of children ran by, laughing and shouting with excitement. One of them held a handmade sign made of cloth and wooden sticks.
"Shooting stars! Shooting stars in six days!" they chanted as they disappeared among the market stalls.
Kyrahna watched them curiously before turning back to Zyrion. "Shooting stars? What are they talking about?"
Zyrion stopped leaning and leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "It's the most magical event of the year! Every twelve months, the sky fills with falling stars, and the whole village climbs the hill to watch it. It's a tradition."
Kyrahna smiled, intrigued. "They always do it here? It sounds wonderful."
"Of course! But it's not just about watching stars," added Zyrion, crossing his arms proudly. "There's music, dancing, food… and this year, I have a special plan."
Kyrahna gave him a doubtful look. "Let me guess: your plan involves absurd amounts of food."
"Obviously," Zyrion replied with a laugh. "But I also found the perfect place to watch it without all the people!"
Intrigued, Kyrahna tilted her head. "And where is that?"
"Come with me and you'll see," Zyrion said as he stood up and extended his hand.
Kyrahna hesitated for a moment before taking it. "I hope this doesn't end like the time we fell into that mud puddle following your brilliant ideas."
"Trust me," he said, guiding her with a mischievous smile.
Their path led them out of the village and onto a winding trail surrounded by tall trees and wildflowers. Zyrion walked confidently, though he paused for a moment to look around nervously.
"Are you sure you know where we are?" Kyrahna asked, noticing his hesitation.
"Of course," he assured her. "Although… I might have forgotten the exact turn."
At last, after crossing a small clearing, they arrived at a hill covered in flowers that offered a clear view of both the sky and the village.
"What do you think?" Zyrion asked, spreading his arms as if revealing a hidden treasure.
Kyrahna was impressed. "It's beautiful. I can't believe this place is so close and I never found it."
"It's my secret place," Zyrion said, sitting in the grass. "I come here whenever I want to be alone… or when I need to avoid trouble."
Kyrahna joined him, sitting by his side. "Thank you for bringing me. It really is special."
"I told you," he said with a sincere smile.
Back in the village, the news of the shooting stars spread like wildfire. The villagers decorated the streets with lanterns and prepared food stalls. Zyrion and Kyrahna walked through the festive crowd, enjoying the lively atmosphere.
"Kyrahna," Zyrion began suddenly, "if you could make a wish upon the stars, what would it be?"
She looked at him thoughtfully. "I think I would wish… to find my purpose. Something that truly makes me feel whole."
Zyrion watched her with unusual seriousness. "That's a big wish. But I'm sure you'll find it. And if not, I'll help you look for it."
She smiled gratefully. "And you, Zyrion? What would you wish for?"
"That's easy," he said, crossing his arms. "To be remembered as a legend!"
Kyrahna let out a soft laugh. "A legend who eats giant cakes?"
"A legend who eats cakes and changes the world," he corrected with a playful grin.
Night fell slowly, and when the first stars appeared in the sky, they both knew something important awaited them. In six days, their dreams would come true.
Not all powers were meant to be understood.
As the purple twilight deepened into a velvety black, Zyrion and Kyrahna returned to the village, their shadows trailing behind them. Eldrion's lanterns looked like shooting stars scattered across the valley.
"A legend, huh?" Kyrahna asked softly, breaking the comfortable silence. "It's dangerous to wish for something, Zyrion. Legends often endure a great deal of pain before they get a statue in the town square."
Zyrion kicked a loose stone, watching it tumble into the darkness. "I know. But look at us, Kyrahna. We spend our days studying ancient scrolls and practicing with wooden swords. Don't you ever feel a roar inside you, waiting for the cage to open?"
Before he could answer, the air around them turned suddenly cold, a bone-chilling frost, something out of place in the gentle night of Eldrion.
Zyrion stopped dead in his tracks. Instinctively, his hand went to his chest, right where he usually kept his snacks, but his fingers brushed against something else. The small dragon figurine he'd found earlier pulsed with a faint, rhythmic warmth.
"Did you feel it?" he whispered, his playful demeanor vanishing in an instant.
"The cold?" Kyrahna shivered, rubbing her arms. "It's like the sun never existed."
In the distance, toward the northern mountains where the ancient sanctuaries slumbered, a single ray of violet light pierced the clouds. It wasn't a shooting star. It didn't miss; it seemed to tear across the sky, leaving a scar of darkness that lasted only a second before vanishing.
Kyrahna gripped Zyrion's sleeve. "That wasn't part of the festival, was it?"
Zyrion stared at the spot where the light had disappeared. For a brief moment, a voice—cold, hollow, and ancient—echoed in the back of his mind, though he couldn't tell if it was a memory or a warning.
The price will be your soul.
"Zyrion? You're trembling," Kyrahna said, her voice heavy with concern.
He snapped out of it, forcing a smile and shaking his head. "I was just... thinking about those cakes again. Must be hunger making me see things."
But as they entered the village, the festive music seemed too loud, and the children's laughter sounded hollow. Zyrion gazed at the stars, the same stars he had joked about just minutes before. They no longer resembled gems; they resembled eyes.
Deep in the shadows of the forest they had just left, something had stirred. The Void had heard his desire to become a legend, and it was more than happy to provide the tragedy necessary to create it.
"Six days," Zyrion muttered to himself, clutching the dragon figure tightly. "We only have six days of peace left."
Kyrahna looked at him, her heart sinking. She didn't know what she had seen, but one thing she did know: the boy who had fallen from the tree was gone. In his place was someone who had just realized that the world was much bigger and hungrier than she had ever imagined.
The chosen one was not the first name inscribed.