The forest beyond the river was older than maps.
Kaelen led the way beneath twisted boughs where no sunlight reached, only thin silver shafts filtered through the canopy like whispers. The trees here weren't like those in the valley — their bark shimmered faintly, and their roots pulsed softly beneath the soil, as though breathing.
"This is Wyrdwood," Kaelen said, his voice low. "A place where the Veil grows thin. Time bends here. Be careful what you speak aloud."
Aelira walked close behind, clutching her cloak tighter. "Why? What happens if I don't?"
"The trees remember. And sometimes… they answer."
She swallowed. The air was thick with the scent of moss, old magic, and something wilder — like thunder waiting to fall.
As they walked, the soft blue stone Kaelen had given her warmed against her chest. She'd tied it to a cord and worn it like a pendant. It pulsed gently now, almost in rhythm with her heartbeat.
"Back at the river," she said, "you said I'm the last of the Starborn. What does that mean, exactly?"
Kaelen didn't answer immediately. His gaze flicked toward the deeper trees before he finally spoke.
"The Starborn were once guardians of the Veil — the boundary between this world and the Shadow Realm. They could see what others couldn't. Heal, protect… destroy. Your ancestors held back the Queen of Shadows for centuries."
"What happened to them?"
"They were betrayed." His voice was tight. "Wiped out. The last line vanished when your mother crossed into this realm. She was the final known bearer of Starfire."
Aelira stopped walking. "Starfire?"
Kaelen turned to her. "The light inside you. It's more than magic — it's what holds the Veil in place. If it dies out… the Veil will fall."
She stared at her hands, the faint glow gone now, but still remembered. "And if the Veil falls?"
"Shadow bleeds into light. There will be no more border. No more safety."
A rustling sound echoed through the trees. Not wind. Not animal.
Aelira spun. "Did you hear—"
"Shhh."
Kaelen's hand went to his sword again. "Don't speak."
The trees creaked, and from the mist, a woman appeared.
No — not a woman. Not quite.
She was tall, robed in flowing silver leaves, and her hair floated as though underwater. Her eyes were pale and endless, her voice like wind through hollow bone.
"Starborn child," she whispered. "The forest remembers you."
Kaelen stepped between them, tense. "She has no quarrel with the Wyrd."
The woman tilted her head. "And yet she walks with a blade."
"I'm not your enemy," Aelira said, despite her voice shaking.
The woman's gaze shifted. "No. But you are unbound. Untested. We shall see."
She raised a long, elegant hand and touched Aelira's chest — where the stone lay beneath the fabric. It burned suddenly — not in pain, but in awakening. A surge of memory rushed through her:
A starry sky. A woman with silver eyes screaming her name. A dark throne surrounded by mist. Four figures kneeling in moonlight, bound to her by magic and fate.
She gasped and stumbled back.
The forest woman smiled — sad and knowing. "Your threads are fraying. You must find the others… before she does."
"Others?" Aelira asked breathlessly. "What others?"
But the woman was already fading, her form dissolving into falling leaves.
Kaelen grabbed Aelira's arm. "Come. We're close to the edge. And we've lingered too long."
As they walked deeper into the Wyrdwood, Aelira whispered, "What did she mean by 'the others'?"
Kaelen was quiet a moment, then said softly:
"Those fated to you. The ones bound by star-oath. Your protectors. Your hearts."
Aelira's pulse quickened. "You mean… there are more like you?"
Kaelen's voice held something unreadable. "No. None like me. But others… yes."
And though he said nothing more, the glint in his eyes said he knew more than he was telling.