Morning sunlight shined through the trees and onto the little camp behind the shed. Birds were singing, and the smell of food came from the nearby town.
Takuma sat up and stretched. Emi was already awake, tying her brown hair into a short ponytail. Sota was half-asleep, sitting with his blonde hair sticking up in all directions.
"Morning," Takuma said.
"Morning," Emi replied with a small smile. "We should go ask around today. Maybe someone saw another star fall."
Sota rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, but we should eat first. I'm starving."
They packed up their things and walked to the town square. It was busy now—people were buying vegetables, kids were playing, and the sound of a bell came from a small school nearby. For a moment, it felt peaceful.
Then a loud crash echoed from the far side of town. Dust filled the air, and people started shouting.
"What was that?" Sota said.
Takuma's hand went to his sword. "Let's go."
They ran through the streets and stopped near a broken wall. A small creature—like a mix between a wolf and smoke—was clawing at the ground. Its eyes glowed red.
"It's one of those things again!" Emi shouted.
Takuma pulled out his sword. "Get everyone back!"
Emi nodded and turned to the people nearby. "Everyone, run!" she yelled, waving them away. The townspeople hurried off.
Then the creature turned toward her. It moved fast, jumping straight at her.
Emi's eyes flashed bright for a second, and her body seemed to blur. She vanished—then appeared behind the creature in an instant.
Takuma blinked. "What was that?"
Emi took a deep breath. "Something I just learned. I can move really fast for a short moment… but when I do, it leaves copies of me behind. My star power is finally kicking in!"
As she spoke, faint shapes of her body flickered around her like shadows, then faded away.
"Whoa," Sota said, grinning. "That's awesome!"
The creature growled and rushed again. Emi dashed sideways, vanishing and reappearing to its left, then to its right. The monster swung its claws, hitting only air and her fading echoes.
Takuma ran forward and swung his sword in one strong strike. The wide white blade cut through the creature, and it broke apart into mist.
When it was over, Emi held her knees, breathing fast. "Guess I still need to practice," she said with a tired laugh.
Takuma smiled. "You did great. That move saved lives."
Sota nodded. "Yeah! Phantom Step, that's what you should call it."
Emi smiled at the name. "Phantom Step… yeah. I like that."
They stood there for a moment, watching the mist fade into the morning air.
Takuma looked at the ground where the creature had vanished. "These things… they keep showing up near where stars fell. Someone might be making them."
Emi looked worried. "If that's true, then someone is using their power to hurt people."
Takuma gripped his sword. "Then we'll stop them."
The three of them stood tall in the sunlight. Around them, the town slowly returned to calm. People peeked out from windows, whispering about the brave strangers who saved them.
Takuma looked up at the sky. The stars couldn't be seen in the daylight, but he could still feel their power inside him.
He knew this was only the beginning of something much bigger.