*Note:* Seven repeated cycles of seven blood moons (seven hundred thousand years ago).
There was a powerful beast from the lion tribe, his name was Fergus. He was a dream beast Mate for every female in the lion tribe and even outside of it. Moreover, he was the first male to level up to level nine. Females proposed to him, but he wasn't ready to become any female's mate, as he could only be with one female for the rest of his life.
One day, he met a female from the peacock tribe. She was extraordinarily beautiful and new, and she had no mate yet. Fergus was the first male she encountered.
Fergus pursued her, but she was extremely arrogant—something inherent in the peacock bloodline. Nevertheless, Fergus didn't back down; he kept chasing after her.
One day, the female looked up to the sky and saw a specific glowing star. Fergus happened to be by her side at that moment.
She remarked that the glowing star was to her liking, and Fergus informed her that he could retrieve it for her as long as she promised to be his mate.
The female agreed to Fergus's proposal, and the next day he set off on his journey to the sky. Along the way, he faced several difficulties, primarily because he could not fly.
As a powerful lion, he managed to gain control over the largest and strongest hawk, which helped him reach the sky. However, what was even stranger was that the stars were not in the sky but above it, far beyond the reach of any bird.
Fergus spent days contemplating what to do and finally devised a solution: he would build steps to reach the stars.
Fergus began to work on his solution, and with his power, the help of nature, and his unwavering determination, he constructed the steps, climbing one step and adding another until he successfully surpassed the sky. This intricate process took him several hundred repeated blood moons (hundreds years), and he named it the Endless Steps.
Another disaster struck on the brink of his construction; he could not continue, as something prevented him from progressing.
He pondered what to do but found no solution despite his deep contemplation. Soon, his body began to decay from his prolonged stay in a place that didn't belong to him. As he gazed at the stars, he noticed the particular star that his beloved desired glowing more brightly than the others, just out of reach.
Unable to find a solution, he could only wait as his body continued to decay, leaving him thinner than anyone could recognize. He remained there until, one day, perhaps the heavens pity his deep sincerity, there was a sudden shift among the stars and a star fell from the sky.
Upon witnessing the falling star, Fergus didn't hesitate—he grabbed it even though it's not the desired one. Just as he clutched it tightly, he was unexpectedly thrown away, falling from the sky and crashing to the ground. His frail bones broke upon impact, and blood covered him.
Surprisingly, even in such a poor state, he forced himself to return to meet his mate. To his dismay, he found that the once-beautiful female was now covered in mate marks and was extraordinarily unappealing to the eye. It was as though she had forgotten him entirely. As soon as she saw him, she seemed on the verge of suffocating.
Though Fergus's heart broke, he still delivered the star to her. However, shortly after, he... died.
The stairs he had built still stood. Any male whose female demanded a star, or any male eager to prove his worth for his mate, would attempt to climb these steps, but no one after Fergus had ever succeeded in ascending even halfway, let alone reaching the sky.
Those who survived were the ones who sensed danger in time and quickly retreated. As for those who stubbornly pressed on, they met their fate—death.
"This incident isn't a secret; it's quite strange that you don't know about it."
"Something like this exists!" Lily thought, her heart pounding. "Even after knowing the consequences, some still push their mates to their demise! Why are females so heartless in this world?" She gritted her teeth in frustration. "And Liam, a lowly level-three beast, dares to try despite knowing the dire fate that even the level-nine Fergus could not escape! He's toying with his life!" Lily shouted, taking a deep breath. "Very well!" She gritted her teeth, handed the little cats back to Berry, and returned inside with a sour mood.
Feeling the warmth leave them, the cats began meowing in displeasure, making it difficult for Berry to soothe them.
"Aiya... she's really in love with him," Berry chuckled as she continued to comfort her children. "This time, I helped you get her easily; you owe me one." She smiled.
.....
Lily was pacing back and forth. "Damn you, Liam! I thought you were joking, but you turned out to be serious. I really am in love with you now." She sat on the stone bed. "If Berry hadn't heard him and hinted to me, he would truly go! Must he be sincere in everything he says? Willing to throw his life away for a woman who isn't sure of her feelings?" She raked her hair in frustration as two drops of tears escaped her eyes.
"Beauty!" Liam's voice echoed from the entrance.
"Come here!" Lily's heated voice rang out.
Immediately, Liam rushed over to Lily. "Beauty, don't be angry, okay? Please don't be angry. Why... why are you crying? Did that snake beast hurt you? Just tell me, even though I'm weak now, I can definitely hurt him. Did he do something to hurt you?" he inquired, his face filled with worry.
Lily stared into Liam's sincere eyes, and memories of their time together replayed in her mind. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Compared to that non-human Lu Chen, he's far better than him," she thought. "Such a sincere man," she reflected, and suddenly hugged him tightly.
Liam was stunned. "Beau... beauty," he stammered.
"Liam, if I agree to let you be my mate, would you forget the idea of getting the star for me?" She asked, gazing into his eyes with her sober, clear blue gaze.
Liam's eyes widened. "You... you agree... you want me to be your mate!" He dared not dream too much.
Lily released herself from the hug and stared at him. "As long as you promise me not to go near that place and not to make any attempts to obtain the star for me, I will gladly agree." She flashed him a sincere smile.
"But... but... if I give up, won't that mean I'm scared? It will show that I can't even fight death."
"No, you are not scared. If you were scared, you wouldn't be secretly harboring the idea of getting it for me without my knowledge. Liam, you are brave, and I am serious."
"Beauty... I... I need to prove myself. I need to assure you that I can definitely protect you. I don't want to seem scared or weak... please allow me to go... I will definitely make it."
"Are you even listening to me? Why are you so stubborn? I said you are not going!" Lily exclaimed, her frustration rising.
"But... but... why?"
"You are not allowed to go simply because I am scared! I am scared of losing you! I've fallen in love with you already okay!, and you are not allowed to die! I don't want you to die! Forget the star; I am willing to be your wife, is that clear?" Lily shouted, tears streaming down her face.
Liam's eyes widened. "She... she's willing!... She's different from others! My beauty is different from anyone else! She's willing to be my mate without me proving my strength to her." He screamed inwardly in happiness.