The city never really slept. On quiet nights, too, the hum of faraway traffic and neon lights made it feel like a world too restless for silence. To Riku Hanazawa, that hum was no different from white noise, blending seamlessly into the monotony of his days.
"Hanazawa-kun, clean the classroom before you leave," the teacher had said as he packed up his things.
Now, long after the others had gone home, Riku stood alone, mop in hand, in a classroom filled with the faint smell of chalk and detergent. He worked methodically, not because he cared, but because it was easier than resisting.
Just get it over with. That thought echoed in his mind with every cleaning, but really with everything-school, life, expectations. At 17, Riku was already tired: top grades, flawless conduct, and endless responsibilities building up on him like bricks in an invisible wall. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt alive.
The sound of his mop dragging across the floor was the only thing keeping him tethered to the present. When he was done, he slung his bag over his shoulder and stepped outside into the cool night air.
The walk home was uneventful, like it always was. The streetlights above buzzed softly, their yellow glow reflecting off the damp pavement. Above, the night sky stretched endlessly, but the city lights drowned out the stars.
The stars. Still in their usual places, though hardly watched anymore by Riku-he was a kid who enjoyed spending on rooftops staring at the star formations. Now, he simply did not look up at them.
He turned a bend onto an even quieter alley and abruptly paused due to a faint but forlorn sound-like someone else heard in life-meowing.
A small, scrawny kitten lay curled near a pile of trash bags, its thin frame trembling. Its left paw was bent at an unnatural angle, and its fur was matted with dirt. The sight tugged at something deep inside him.
"Just great," he muttered, crouching down. "Why do I always end up with these kinds of problems?
The kitten looked up at him with wide, amber eyes. It didn't run, didn't hissājust stared, as if pleading for help.
Riku sighed. "You're not going to make this easy, are you?" He reached out slowly.
At that exact moment, the world around him erupted in chaos.
Bright headlights flashed, and the roar of an engine shattered the silence. A truck careened into the alley, its driver oblivious to the boy and the cat in its path.
Time froze.
Riku's body moved before his mind could catch up. He scooped the kitten into his arms and jumped to the side. The truck's horn blared, and tires screeched as it sped past, missing him by inches.
But something wasn't right.
Instead of hitting the pavement, Riku felt himself falling-falling through nothing. The alley, the truck, the city-all dissolving into a swirling void of light and shadow.
When Riku opened his eyes again, he wasn't in the alley.
He floated in a great, endless space, surrounded by stars brighter and closer than he had ever imagined. They pulsed with an otherworldly light, some forming intricate constellations that shifted and danced.
"What. is this?" His voice sounded distant, swallowed by the void.
"Welcome, child," boomed a voice deep and resonant, like the tolling of a great bell.
Riku spun around, but there was no one. The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, vibrating through the very air.
"Who's there? What's going on?"
"You have been chosen," the voice said, as calm as could be and yet overwhelming.
"Chosen? For what?"
"To carry the Shadow Star.
The stars around him shifted, and one star shone brighter than the rest. Its light wasn't like the othersāit was dark, swirling with shades of black and violet, pulsating with an almost malevolent energy. Riku's chest tightened as the star moved closer.
"Wait a secondāthere's been a mistake! I'm justā"
"There are no mistakes," he corrected the voice. "You were designed to carry the Shadow Star, the beacon of humankind's darkness and its hope."
The star shot toward him, and pain exploded in his chest. It was as if his body was being torn apart and rebuilt at the same time. Riku screamed, but no sound came out. Memories, images, and emotions flooded his mind-strange lands, unfamiliar faces, and a power so large it threatened to consume him.
When the pain subsided, Riku found himself lying on solid ground.
He opened his eyes to a sky that was both familiar and alien. The constellations were unlike anything he'd ever seen, their patterns foreign yet impossibly beautiful. He could feel the grass beneath him, soft and cool, and the faint scent of wildflowers filled the air.
"What. just happened?" he whispered.
The kitten was still in his arms, unharmed and purring softly.
A voice broke through the stillness. "You're awake!"
Riku turned his head sharply. A young woman stood a few feet away, her golden hair glowing faintly in the starlight. She wore flowing white robes, embroidered with patterns that resembled constellations. Her green eyes were wide with a mixture of awe and fear.
"You. you're the one," she said, her voice trembling.
"The one what?" Riku sat up, wincing as his body protested.
The bearer of the Shadow Star," she whispered, taking a cautious step forward. "You've come to save-or destroy-our world."
Riku blinked, her words sinking in slowly. "What are you talking about? Where am I?"
"This is Astraelion," she said, her voice softening. "The realm of the stars. And you. you were chosen."
"Chosen for what?
"To restore the balance," she said, her gaze dropping to the ground. "Or to bring ruin. The Shadow Star. it is a power feared by all."
Riku stared at her, then at the strange sky above, and finally at the kitten still nestled in his arms. "You've got to be kidding me."
She introduced herself as Erynn Velastra, a priestess of the Virtue Star, and led Riku through a forest unlike any he had ever seen. The trees shimmered faintly, their leaves glowing with soft, golden light. The air was alive with the hum of distant magic, and every step felt like walking through a dream.
Erynn explained that Astraelion was a world governed by celestial forces, each represented by a constellation. The stars gave powers and guidance to the people, who lived in harmony under their light.
But lately, the balance had been disrupted. The Light Star, most revered of all, had dimmed, and chaos began spreading across the land. Crops withered, beasts grew violent, and the nights grew colder and darker.
"And the Shadow Star?" Riku asked warily.
Erynn hesitated. "It's. a forbidden star. Long ago, it was cast out of the heavens for its destructive power. Its return can only mean." She trailed off, her eyes flickering to Riku's chest.
He followed her gaze and froze.
A faint mark glowed on his skin, just above his heartāa swirling black sigil that pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat.
"Great," he muttered. "First I almost die saving a cat, and now I'm some cursed chosen one in a world I've never even heard of. Fantastic."
Erynn's lips twitched into the faintest smile. "You don't seem like the hero type."
"I'm not," Riku said flatly.
They walked in complete silence for a while; the gravity of the situation dawned on them. Riku couldn't possibly deny the strange pull this world had on him because some invisible string seemed to have tied him to it. The sign of the Shadow Star throbbed faintly, hinting at the power now coursing through his being.
As they neared the edge of the forest, the landscape opened up to reveal a sprawling village nestled in a valley. The houses were small and rustic, their roofs covered in moss, and the streets were lit by floating orbs of light.
"Wait here," Erynn said, her expression suddenly serious. "The villagers. they may not welcome you."
"What a surprise," Riku muttered, leaning against a tree.
Erynn stepped into the village, her presence immediately drawing attention. People emerged from their homes, their faces a mix of curiosity and unease. Riku couldn't hear what she was saying, but her gestures and calm demeanor seemed to reassure them.
When she finally waved for him to come forward, he hesitated. The kitten meowed softly in his arms, and he sighed. "Well, little guy, looks like we're in this together."
As he approached, the villagers' murmurs grew louder.
"Is that the one?"
"He bears the mark!"
"The Shadow Star."
Riku's shoulders tensed, but he forced himself to keep walking.
Erynn placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "They're afraid," she whispered. "But give them time. They'll see you're not their enemy."
"Let's hope so," Riku said, though doubt lingered in his mind.
That night, as the villagers made a simple meal for their unasked-for guest, Riku sat in solitary silence under the expansive sky, unfamiliar to his gaze. The kitten curled up and purred softly beside him.
He stared at the constellations in whose strange patterns he felt some mesmerizing unease. For the first time in years, he felt small-not in that pressing, smothering way back in the city, but in that form which made him wonder.
What was this place? Why had he been chosen? And what did it mean to carry the Shadow Star?
His thoughts were interrupted by Erynn's voice. "You should rest. Tomorrow will be. challenging."
Riku glanced at her, then back at the sky. "I didn't ask for this, you know. I didn't ask to save anyone's world.
I know," she said, her tone soft. "But sometimes the stars select us for reasons we cannot see yet."
Riku made no reply. He hadn't believed in fate and destiny, or at least hadn't until today. Now the impression upon the Shadow Star against his chest beat softly, and he simply felt life would never be the same anymore.