The Grand Archives stretched endlessly in every direction, towering shelves packed with ancient tomes, scrolls, and manuscripts. Dust particles swirled in the dim glow of the archive's crystal lanterns, creating an eerie yet solemn atmosphere. Dawn had spent the last five days buried in these depths, his search relentless.
Ever since the competition began, he had fought, learned, and adapted—but he had also encountered a growing sense of inadequacy. His victories were hard-earned, but his defeats had been far more frequent. Against sheer power, his agility and technique could only take him so far. He needed something more.
And he had finally found it.
In the farthest, dustiest corner of the archives, wedged between forgotten records and old celestial maps, he uncovered fragments of knowledge about the missing constellations. They weren't complete, much of their details lost to time, but they were enough. Enough to give him a path forward.
Dawn traced his fingers over the old parchment before him, scanning the faded ink. The names of the constellations resonated within him:
The Weaver
Titan's Crown
Astral Eyes
Eternal Twins
Shrouded Gate
Phoenix's Flame
The Hunter's Gaze
Silver Tide
Starlight Enigma
Dragon's Breath
Starlit Path
Cosmic Warden
Celestial Forge.
Thirteen celestial marks, each carrying an unknown potential. Until now, he had only understood five of them. But with these final pieces, he could complete the puzzle.
He exhaled, steadying his mind. If he could integrate these constellations into his Vast Sky Pattern, he would forge a power that was uniquely his. One that didn't rely on brute strength, but on a deeper understanding of celestial energy itself.
But there was a problem. He understood the theory, but forming the marks was another matter entirely. Each constellation represented a celestial principle, and without proper alignment, they would remain dormant within him.
He needed guidance.
---
The Grand Archive's caretaker was an elderly scholar, a man who had long abandoned the pursuit of power in favor of knowledge. His presence was as ancient as the records themselves, his sharp eyes seeing far more than they let on.
Dawn approached him cautiously, holding a collection of old notes in his hands. The elder looked up from his writing, his gaze steady.
"You've been digging through forgotten records," the old man said, setting his quill aside. "What is it you seek, young one?"
Dawn hesitated, then placed the notes on the table. "I found the missing constellations," he admitted. "But I don't know how to form them."
The elder studied the notes for a moment before chuckling. "And what makes you think I would simply give you the answer?"
Dawn frowned. "Because knowledge should be shared."
The elder raised a brow. "A noble thought. But knowledge without understanding is like wielding a blade without knowing how to cut."
Dawn inhaled sharply. "Then help me understand."
For a long moment, the elder simply observed him. Then, with a nod, he gestured for Dawn to sit.
"Tell me," the elder began, "what is the nature of your Vast Sky Pattern?"
Dawn paused before answering. "It… is like the sky itself. Vast, ever present yet unseen. It holds all the stars within. So to answer your question, I will say that the nature of Vast Sky Pattern is simply rooted 8n its name, Vastness!"
"Then you have your answer." The elder leaned forward. "The Vast Sky Pattern is not meant to be a rigid structure. It is vast, boundless but doesn't give structure to it. The stars form its structure, not the sky. The stars, by their own weight form constellations. So let them align by themselves instead of forcing them in a structure."
Dawn furrowed his brows. "Then how long will it take?"
The elder smirked. "An eternity perhaps"
Dawn blinked. "I will be long dead by then."
"How about you speed up that process instead?"
"…hih?"
The elder nodded and gave him a booklet. "This book contains knowledge about how stars formed and aligned, naturally, over the course of years. Maybe, you can make use of it."
Dawn's mind spun. He had been going about this all wrong. He had tried to arrange the constellations like a structured formation, when in truth, they needed to settle in their own way—just as stars naturally positioned themselves in the heavens.
It was so simple. Yet so profound.
The elder's eyes twinkled. "Go. You have what you need."
Dawn bowed deeply. "Thank you."
As he turned to leave, the elder spoke once more. "One final piece of advice, boy."
Dawn stopped.
"History bears witness, for the moment all thirteen constellations align, something will change within you. Be ready for it."
Dawn swallowed and nodded before hurrying away.
---
Back in his chamber, Dawn sat cross-legged, eyes closed, as he breathed deeply. The thirteen constellations swirled in his mind, flickering like scattered stars in an unformed sky.
He stopped trying to shape them.
Instead, he envisioned the passage of time and the nature of stars. He envisioned how they aligned by themselves with the help of knowledge gained from the booklet the elderly gave him.
It was as if time was truly moving rapidly, millions of years passed by the blink of an eye and stars aligned.
He let them move, shift, and find their own places within him. One by one, they settled, their celestial energies clicking into place as if they had always belonged there.
The Weaver, Titan's Crown, Astral Eyes…
The sequence continued. Each mark found its position, flowing into the greater structure of his Vast Sky Pattern.
Until all thirteen were in place.
And then—
A pulse.
A shift.
The Vast Sky Pattern trembled. The celestial marks, once individual, now connected. A grand tapestry unfolded within him, energy threading between each constellation, creating something new.
Dawn gasped, his body arching as a flood of celestial power coursed through him. It wasn't just more energy—it was refined. More controlled.
His celestial resonance had evolved.
The Vast Sky Pattern was no longer just a conduit. It was a domain.
And as Dawn's consciousness expanded within this newfound power, he knew—
Tomorrow, in the final day of competition, he would not be the same as before.