The night was quiet again.
The courtyard lay still, moonlight flowing like silver water across the stone tiles. Yet the silence felt wrong — hollow, echoing with something neither Staryo nor Aru could name.
Staryo stood motionless, his breathing slow but uneven.
Aru remained at his side, fingers still lightly gripping his wrist — as if afraid that if she let go, he would vanish again.
Her voice was soft, but it trembled:
> Aru:
"Staryo… that person… Seru… he looked exactly like you. The same eyes. The same presence. But… colder."
Staryo didn't answer immediately.
Because the echo of that encounter still pulsed inside him.
The void of mirrors.
Seru's calm and distant gaze.
The words:
> "Only one of us is allowed to exist."
The memory felt like a blade resting against his throat — not cutting yet, but promising to.
Finally, Staryo spoke — his voice quiet, grounded.
> Staryo:
"He wasn't lying. We share something deeper than birth. Perhaps… destiny."
Aru stepped in front of him, forcing him to face her.
Her amber-gold eyes burned with fierce conviction.
> Aru:
"Then we will break destiny."
The wind stirred — soft, barely present — but warm.
Staryo's chest loosened.
Just a little.
Enough to let him breathe.
He lifted his hand and gently placed it atop hers.
> Staryo:
"Together."
Aru nodded — flame in her gaze, unwavering.
The moment held — steady, grounding — until the sound of hurried footsteps shattered it.
---
Academy Messengers Arrive
Three academy guards sprinted into the courtyard, panting but disciplined. Upon seeing Staryo and Aru, they immediately bowed.
> Guard:
"Apologies for interrupting. A royal decree has arrived."
Royal.
Which meant Aru's father — Emperor Aeron, the Flame Sovereign.
The guard extended a scroll stamped with the imperial sigil — a burning phoenix encircled by nine stars.
Aru stiffened — her hand tightening around Staryo's sleeve.
Staryo accepted the scroll.
The moment his fingers touched the seal — the wax flickered.
A voice spoke directly from it — strong, resonant, commanding the air itself.
> Emperor Aeron:
"Staryo of the Twin Star."
"You have passed my three trials."
"The engagement ceremony shall proceed in seven days' time."
Aru exhaled shakily — relief mixed with nervous heat.
But the message was not finished.
> Emperor Aeron (voice deepening):
"However — the world shifts."
"The seal around the Starfall Abyss weakens."
"And the continent prepares for war."
The air itself grew heavy.
> Emperor Aeron:
"You, Staryo, are summoned to the Continental Youth Convergence — where the heirs of every nation will gather to determine the future balance of power."
Aru's breath caught.
> Aru:
"The Convergence… already? But it happens once every hundred years—"
Staryo's eyes narrowed.
> Staryo:
"Something forced it to begin early."
The emperor's voice continued:
> Emperor Aeron:
"Prepare. Train. Strengthen your bond with my daughter."
"For the storm approaches — and she cannot face it alone."
The flame-seal burned away.
The scroll crumbled into ash.
Silence fell again.
But this time — not empty.
Heavy.
Foreboding.
Alive with tension.
---
Kaelith Watches From the Shadows
From the balcony overlooking the courtyard, another presence watched.
Kaelith.
His indigo flame flickered around his shoulders — not wild, but controlled, simmering.
He had seen everything.
The Twin Star.
The imperial decree.
The talk of war.
His eyes narrowed — but not with hatred.
With determination.
> Kaelith (low):
"Staryo… you keep climbing. That's fine. I will climb too."
There was no longer rivalry of spite.
There was rivalry of direction.
Two flames — growing brighter, pushing each other upward.
He turned and walked away, cloak trailing behind him like smoke.
---
Aru and Staryo in the Moonlit Garden
Later that night, the celebration halls had emptied. The academy slept.
But Aru and Staryo sat in the quiet garden, beneath the ancient star-tree.
Fireflies drifted softly around them.
Aru leaned her head gently against Staryo's shoulder.
> Aru (soft):
"Do you… fear him?"
Staryo didn't respond immediately.
He looked at the stars — the same stars that had once watched him die.
> Staryo:
"No. I don't fear Seru."
Aru looked up at him.
> Staryo:
"I fear the past that connects us."
Aru's fingers tightened around his hand.
> Aru:
"Then we'll rewrite it."
He looked at her — really looked — and for the first time since the Twin Star revelation…
He felt grounded.
Human.
Present.
Staryo leaned his forehead lightly against hers.
No words.
Just breath.
Just closeness.
Just truth.
---
But Fate Was Already Moving
High above them — unseen — a tear formed in the night sky.
A crack.
Faint.
Almost invisible.
But growing.
And on the other side of that fracture…
Seru watched.
Expression unreadable.
Stars dimming behind his silhouette.
> Seru (whispering):
"The seal breaks soon. And when it does… brother… your sky will burn."
The crack flashed — then vanished.
---
Staryo and Aru begin dual cultivation / synchronization training.
Their energy resonance becomes a weapon and a weakness.
Kaelith gains a mysterious mentor.
A message arrives from beyond the Starfall Abyss.
Seru makes his next move — not to fight, but to replace.