The mist thickened around the cobblestones, lanterns swaying in the damp air. Above, House Caerwyn's banners hung heavy with rain, their golden threads dulled by the endless drizzle. Time had worn at Caer Thalor, as much as any army.
Ariane Veyne shouldn't have been there. Starborn Academy's rules were clear: stay in the High Quarter after dusk. But tonight, the stars whispered, urging her toward the forbidden Forge Quarter.
Wrapped in her cloak, Siriath, her star-steel blade, hummed softly at her side. The city's walls stretched around her, shrouded in mist, and the air tasted of iron and ash. Her fingers twitched while she held onto her sword.
At the mouth of an alley, a figure emerged from the shadows—a man, cloaked in mist, his presence charged with danger. His gaze locked onto hers, sharp and assessing. His dark eyes gleamed an unnatural look.
A flicker of a smirk curved his lips, but it was colder, more dangerous, a hidden blade beneath his skin. He was part of whatever the stars had whispered about.
"You're a long way from your towers, star-child," he said, his voice rich and knowing.
Ariane instinctively reached for her sword, but he watched with mild amusement. "No need for that," he said. "Unless you're eager to find out how badly they train you up there."
His smile deepened. "Where do you want to go tonight, Academy girl? This quarter eats little nobles for breakfast."
"I'm not a noble," she shot back.
"You're something worse," he said softly. "A sorceress. A star-touched. An enemy."
The tension hung thick between them. "What's your name?" she asked.
"Kaelen," he replied smirkingly. "Kaelen of nowhere worth mentioning."
"Ariane," she responded.
He recognized her name with a slow smile. "The girl who calls fire from the heavens."
"I've heard wrong," she lied."
I don't think I have," he said softly.
"But don't worry, sorceress. Your secret's safe with me.
"For now. The words lingered on.
Ariane's heart thudded painfully in her chest. There was no bluster in his voice—just the certainty that made her bones ache.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"Looking for something, that I may have just found" Kaelen said.
The stars whispered urgently in her mind, a prophecy stirring: When steel meets starlight, kingdoms will fall, and hearts will shatter.
"I should go," she forced out, but her feet wouldn't move.
Kaelen, too, remained still.
The bells tolled slowly, like a funeral dirge.
Kaelen's smile softened.
"Next time, Ariane Veyne," he said, stepping into the mist. "Next time, you won't walk away so easily."
And then he was gone. The rain soaked her through as the stars whispered again, frantic. A prophecy stirred within her: the stars had chosen, and she was no longer free.