As the twin moons of the astral realm began their descent in the violet sky, a slender figure traversed a narrow, glowing path etched into the rugged mountains of Luma's Edge.
A pair of shimmering silver streaks marked his pale face, likely scratches from the thorned flora that dotted the highlands. His once-cerulean tunic, woven from star-thread, had long faded and frayed, with silken strands fluttering like ethereal wisps from the cuffs. His shoes, mere remnants of their former selves, had worn down to the point where his toes peeked out, glinting faintly in the starlight.
On his back, he carried a large, intricately woven lumabark basket filled with various radiant herbs harvested from the astral flora.
The boy, known as Seris Velan, had been born under the name Kyron, a child of the Lumaris tribe. In the Lumaris village, knowledge of the ancient runes and cosmic patterns was scarce, for few had mastered the celestial arts. Even Kyron's name was given by an old Seer in exchange for a handful of glowing crystal shards. The tribe elders believed that simple, modest names were favored by the cosmic forces, and so the village called him Seris Velan, or "Second Son of Light."
In Lumaris, many named their children after celestial phenomena, stars, or even the creatures that roamed the astral plains. There were others who bore names tied to the cosmos, but Seris was the second child of his family, hence he became known as the "Second Light." He didn't mind his name much; it was certainly preferable to some of the other names he'd heard, like "Stardust Worm" or "Nebula Droplet."
Kyron—Seris, as he was often called—was twelve cycles old. His mother had passed through the Veil of Stars when he was but five. His father, who ventured into the deep astral reaches the previous moon cycle, had never returned. The elders claimed he had likely met his end at the hands of the cosmic beasts that prowled the fringes of the astral wilderness.
Left alone were Seris and his younger brother, Torin Velan, known as the "Fourth Light"—though most simply called him by his astral name, Siro. With their father's absence, the family's plot of luminous land, once borrowed from the Lumaris Council, was reclaimed. The council feared the two young brothers were too inexperienced to care for the land or pay the tribute. In this realm, where resources were scarce and highly coveted, others were all too eager to take the land and make use of its bounty.
As for hunting in the deep astral woods, none in the village would bring Seris along, fearing he would slow them down or fall prey to the shadowbeasts that lurked beyond the Astral Cradle. Few dared to risk the uncharted territories, where hunters often became the hunted by creatures of the dark aether.
With few other options, Seris turned to gathering luminous herbs in the relatively safer zones near the Mistveil Heights. These rare plants, imbued with astral energy, fetched modest sums of crystal shards when sold in the towns that lay beneath the stars. It was a humble living, but for now, it was all Seris and Siro had to survive.
His younger brother, Siro, spent his days wandering the astral fields, gathering luminous wild herbs, collecting starlit firewood, and tending to their modest dwelling.
As Seris Velan descended the mountain path, he mentally tallied the day's meager harvest. Today had been especially unlucky; after hours in the highlands, he had only managed to gather a small bundle of Starhoneysuckle, a scant handful of Moonroot, and a few glowing Astral Blossoms, Mistleaf, and Windwhisper vines. Together, these would earn him no more than two crystal shards at the nearest market.
In addition, he'd found three eggs, each the size of his palm, likely laid by Skybirds, along with a small bunch of wild fruits that pulsed faintly with astral light.
Though the outskirts of the Mistveil Heights were relatively safe, free from the more dangerous celestial beasts, the most valuable herbs had long been picked over by others in the village, making every trip a gamble.
As Seris neared the base of the mountain, he saw the familiar sight of smoke spiraling up from the Lumaris village below. A few children played near the entrance to the settlement, their laughter echoing in the air. Lumaris was a small village of just a few dozen families, most of whom served the ruling Astral Council in the larger towns. They made a living by tending to the star-crops, supplemented by foraging and gathering during the off-seasons.
In bountiful cycles, they managed to scrape by, but in lean years, many families resorted to desperate measures—sometimes even selling their children to the wandering traders.
From a distance, Seris spotted Siro, crouched at the village entrance, carefully selecting wild vegetables from the field. He watched as his younger brother meticulously shook off the dust from each plant, discarding any with damaged or withered leaves.
Creeping up behind him, Seris stifled a laugh before yelling, "Boo!" Startled, Siro jumped and fell back onto the ground. As soon as he realized who it was, he scowled, grabbed a handful of dirt, and smeared it onto Seris's tunic in retaliation.
Chasing after his brother in mock anger, Siro finally caught up and, with his temper eased, Seris pulled a small leaf-wrapped bundle from his lumabark basket. The package, carefully sewn together with glowing grass threads, glimmered faintly in the dimming light.
"Hey, Siro, guess what I've brought for you," Seris teased, holding the bundle just out of reach.
Siro's eyes lit up as he snatched the package from his brother's hand. "This better be good, or else!" he huffed, though his smile betrayed his excitement.
He unwrapped it slowly, revealing a cluster of astral berries, each no bigger than a grain of stardust, but clustered together into a thumb-sized mass. The fruit glowed softly, its rich purple hue shimmering in the twilight. Tart and sweet, these berries were Siro's absolute favorite.
"Starfruit! You know I love these!" Siro's grin widened, and without hesitation, he popped a few into his mouth, savoring the burst of flavor.
"I found a whole grove of these on the mountain," Seris said, watching as Siro happily devoured the treat. "Most of the fruit isn't ripe yet, but in a few days, there'll be plenty more. Go ahead and eat—I'll start on dinner."
With a nod, Siro stuffed more of the glowing berries into his mouth, his laughter bright against the dimming astral sky as Seris turned toward the small house to prepare their evening meal.
Seris Velan scooped a modest handful of stardust grain into a pot, adding a generous amount of astral water. As it began to shimmer and bubble over the fire, he stirred it slowly with a smooth, wooden spoon, the glow of the liquid reflecting in his tired eyes.
His younger brother, Siro, sat by the small hearth, feeding the glowing embers with bits of cosmic wood, occasionally popping a few starberries into his mouth. Every now and then, he'd grin and offer some to Seris, who would chuckle and accept them with a nod of thanks.
After a half-cycle of stirring, the stardust grain had dissolved into a thick, glowing porridge. Seris added a handful of foraged wild astral greens, their leaves shimmering faintly, and then cracked three Skybird eggs into the pot. With careful movements, he stirred the mixture with his chopsticks, watching as the eggs formed delicate strands of gold against the emerald leaves. The fragrance of the starlit vegetable and egg blossom porridge filled the small space, and soon, two bowls were brimming with the radiant, nourishing meal. The brothers sat together at the doorstep, savoring each spoonful under the descending light of the twin moons.
As the night deepened, Seris watched his younger brother drift off into peaceful sleep beside him, but sleep eluded him. Ever since their father had vanished beyond the Veil, Seris had taken on the role of provider, heading into the astral wilderness each day to gather herbs and forage what he could. It was barely enough to keep them alive.
Some nights, they would go without a second meal. The memories of last astral winter still haunted him. The heavy cosmic frost had sealed the mountain paths for two full cycles, leaving the land blanketed in silver and devoid of food. The brothers had been forced to dig beneath the frost, scavenging roots and sparse cosmic grass to survive. They would often wake in the middle of the night with gnawing hunger. By a stroke of luck, they had managed to trap a small void hare, combining it with grass roots to last them through the final days of the freeze.
With another winter approaching, Siro had already dried several batches of wild astral greens, though Seris feared it wouldn't be enough. Despite their best efforts, they had only saved up a handful of celestial shards, barely enough to buy a small amount of stargrain from the village traders.
Seris knew they couldn't sustain themselves like this much longer. The only option left was to venture deeper into the Mistveil Heights, where rare celestial herbs grew. He had heard tales of the wealth hidden in the far reaches of the astral forest. Last cycle, an elder named Vero had stumbled upon a ten-year-old Celestroot and sold it for a fortune—enough to live comfortably for years.
But those depths were fraught with danger. The forest was home to powerful beasts and shadow creatures, and even experienced hunters rarely ventured there alone. Despite the risk, Seris reasoned that it was better to brave the unknown than to wait for starvation to claim them.
The next morning, Seris prepared for the journey. He packed a small portion of bannock, a dagger made from starstone, and, as the astral dew clung to his worn boots, he set off into the wilderness.
After traveling for hours, Seris found himself deep within the ancient woods of the Mistveil Heights. Towering astral trees loomed overhead, their trunks so massive it would take several men to encircle one. The ground beneath him was thick with tangled thorns, glowing faintly in the shadows, tearing at his already tattered clothing and cutting into his legs. Still, Seris pressed forward, driven by the hope of finding something—anything—that could change their fate.
Seris Velan scooped a modest handful of stardust grain into a pot, adding a generous amount of astral water. As it began to shimmer and bubble over the fire, he stirred it slowly with a smooth, wooden spoon, the glow of the liquid reflecting in his tired eyes.
His younger brother, Siro, sat by the small hearth, feeding the glowing embers with bits of cosmic wood, occasionally popping a few starberries into his mouth. Every now and then, he'd grin and offer some to Seris, who would chuckle and accept them with a nod of thanks.
After a half-cycle of stirring, the stardust grain had dissolved into a thick, glowing porridge. Seris added a handful of foraged wild astral greens, their leaves shimmering faintly, and then cracked three Skybird eggs into the pot. With careful movements, he stirred the mixture with his chopsticks, watching as the eggs formed delicate strands of gold against the emerald leaves. The fragrance of the starlit vegetable and egg blossom porridge filled the small space, and soon, two bowls were brimming with the radiant, nourishing meal. The brothers sat together at the doorstep, savoring each spoonful under the descending light of the twin moons.
As the night deepened, Seris watched his younger brother drift off into peaceful sleep beside him, but sleep eluded him. Ever since their father had vanished beyond the Veil, Seris had taken on the role of provider, heading into the astral wilderness each day to gather herbs and forage what he could. It was barely enough to keep them alive.
Some nights, they would go without a second meal. The memories of last astral winter still haunted him. The heavy cosmic frost had sealed the mountain paths for two full cycles, leaving the land blanketed in silver and devoid of food. The brothers had been forced to dig beneath the frost, scavenging roots and sparse cosmic grass to survive. They would often wake in the middle of the night with gnawing hunger. By a stroke of luck, they had managed to trap a small void hare, combining it with grass roots to last them through the final days of the freeze.
With another winter approaching, Siro had already dried several batches of wild astral greens, though Seris feared it wouldn't be enough. Despite their best efforts, they had only saved up a handful of celestial shards, barely enough to buy a small amount of stargrain from the village traders.
Seris knew they couldn't sustain themselves like this much longer. The only option left was to venture deeper into the Mistveil Heights, where rare celestial herbs grew. He had heard tales of the wealth hidden in the far reaches of the astral forest. Last cycle, an elder named Vero had stumbled upon a ten-year-old Celestroot and sold it for a fortune—enough to live comfortably for years.
But those depths were fraught with danger. The forest was home to powerful beasts and shadow creatures, and even experienced hunters rarely ventured there alone. Despite the risk, Seris reasoned that it was better to brave the unknown than to wait for starvation to claim them.
The next morning, Seris prepared for the journey. He packed a small portion of bannock, a dagger made from starstone, and, as the astral dew clung to his worn boots, he set off into the wilderness.
After traveling for hours, Seris found himself deep within the ancient woods of the Mistveil Heights. Towering astral trees loomed overhead, their trunks so massive it would take several men to encircle one. The ground beneath him was thick with tangled thorns, glowing faintly in the shadows, tearing at his already tattered clothing and cutting into his legs. Still, Seris pressed forward, driven by the hope of finding something—anything—that could change their fate.