**
---
The Forgotten Nebula had changed something within Sora. The weight of the memories he had chosen to preserve lingered, like an unseen force, and the pulse within him seemed to hum with a new resonance. The ship had sensed it too.
"Captain, our path is taking us toward a star system unlike any we've encountered," the ship announced, its voice filled with intrigue. "It is surrounded by a dense, irregular field of cosmic dust—unusual for a system of its type. The coordinates lead directly to a celestial body marked only as 'The Starlight Altar.'"
"The Starlight Altar?" Sora echoed, his curiosity piqued. "What's so special about it?"
"It's not marked on any maps," the ship continued. "There's little information available, but its energy signature is unlike anything I've encountered. It's as if the star itself is in some way... constructed. The atmosphere around it seems almost artificial."
Sora looked toward the ship's view screen, where a faint glow filled the distance. A star, pulsing with a strange, rhythmic energy, hung in the dark void. Its light was not the typical radiant flare of a burning ball of gas; it was different. A steady pulse of light that reminded him of the pulse within him.
"Set course for the star. Let's see what this altar is all about."
---
As the ship entered the star system, Sora felt the familiar pull of the pulse intensify. The energy around the system seemed to tug at him, coaxing him forward. The closer they got to the star, the more surreal the surroundings became. The dust around them shimmered in a soft, iridescent glow, swirling as if it had a life of its own. The star, too, seemed to flicker in and out of existence, as though it were not fully part of their dimension.
The ship slowed as they approached the Altar. It was not a planet or moon, but a massive structure orbiting the star, constructed from the same cosmic dust that surrounded it. It was an intricately designed formation of shining crystals, geometric patterns that seemed both natural and engineered. Sora could feel a strange, almost magnetic pull toward it.
"We've arrived at the Starlight Altar," the ship said, its voice filled with awe. "It seems to be a structure, not a celestial body. The energy signature is strongest at the center."
"We're going in," Sora declared, his heart beating faster. The pulse within him was almost in sync with the star's rhythmic glow. There was something deeply connected here. He didn't know what, but he could feel it.
---
Sora stepped onto the platform and exited the ship. The moment he touched the surface of the Altar, the pulse within him responded with a wave of energy that shot through his body. He gasped, feeling a deep connection to the structure beneath him. It was as though the Altar itself was alive, a consciousness that had been waiting for him.
The air around him shimmered, and a voice—soft, ancient, and ethereal—spoke. "You have come, traveler. The pulse calls you to this place. You are the one who must awaken it."
Sora looked around, but there was no visible figure. The voice seemed to echo from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice steady but tinged with awe.
"I am the Guardian of the Starlight Altar," the voice answered. "I have watched over this place for eons. It is a temple, a place of awakening. The star you see is not a natural sun, but a creation—a beacon of knowledge and power. It exists to guide those who seek the truth beyond the veil of time."
Sora's mind raced as he tried to understand. "A beacon of knowledge? What is the truth it guards?"
"The truth is in the pulse," the Guardian responded. "You, Sora, are a part of it. Your pulse, the rhythm that binds you, is the key to unlocking what lies at the heart of this star. The Altar exists to channel the pulse, to awaken the forces that lie dormant within the fabric of space and time."
Sora stood in silence, feeling the pulse grow stronger, as though it was resonating through every fiber of his being. He closed his eyes and focused. The Altar seemed to respond, its crystalline structure glowing brighter as the star pulsed in time with the rhythm within him.
"The star is a key," Sora muttered to himself. "It's not just a source of light. It's a mechanism, a way to unlock something... something ancient."
---
The Guardian's voice was calm but filled with urgency. "You must be prepared, Sora. The star is not merely a beacon. It is a doorway. Those who are not ready to face what lies beyond it may never return. The pulse has brought you here because you are the one who can open it, but you must choose: Do you seek what lies behind the door, or will you leave it closed forever?"
Sora stood at the center of the Altar, feeling the weight of the decision pressing upon him. The pulse within him seemed to grow louder, more insistent. His instincts told him that this was the next step in his journey—that beyond the door, he would find answers to questions that had haunted him since the moment he first felt the pulse.
"I will open it," Sora said, his voice steady but filled with determination.
At his words, the star's light flared, and the crystals around the Altar began to hum in response. The energy surged, and a wave of power swept through Sora, overwhelming him with visions. He saw glimpses of distant worlds, civilizations long forgotten, and the threads of the pulse weaving through them. It was as though time itself was unraveling, revealing truths that had been hidden for millennia.
Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the visions ceased. The star's pulse steadied, and a shimmering portal opened before him—its surface rippling with the same energy that had guided him.
"This is it," Sora whispered. "The doorway to the truth."
---
The Guardian's voice echoed one final time. "Enter, Sora. The path ahead is not one of certainty, but it is yours to walk. The pulse will guide you, but remember that each step you take alters the very fabric of reality."
With a deep breath, Sora stepped toward the portal. The pulse within him aligned with the star's rhythm, and as he crossed the threshold, he felt the fabric of space and time bend around him.
The journey was far from over, but for the first time, Sora felt that he was not merely a traveler—he was a part of something much larger.
---
**
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