As the sun dips below the horizon in the vast desert, dusk falls with a quiet intensity. The sky, still touched by the last whispers of daylight, shifts from a majestic golden to a deepening purple, the heat of the day slowly retreating into the cool embrace of the night. The shifting sands, once a shimmering, sun-blasted sea of heat, now take on the hues of the evening, from soft oranges to dusky browns. A stillness envelops the landscape, broken only by the occasional whisper of wind through the massive sand dunes, carrying the scent of dry earth and distant plants, it was unbearably hot.
The air grows colder, and the sky becomes a canvas of fading color. The first stars begin to appear—small, pinprick bursts of light, cold and distant in the velvet expanse. As the minutes pass, the stars multiply, spreading across the heavens like scattered diamonds, their brilliance growing clearer as the desert's warmth retreats and the coldness of night begins.
As the stars continue to ever shine brighter, the sky takes on a majestic and magical hue, the dunes now a blueish light gray color illuminated by the stars and the twin moons, the infinite expanse of the cosmos in the backdrop, the sight was enchanting and magical, Dusk has fallen and now Night begins
...…..
The desert, now bathed in the soft glow of starlight, takes on an otherworldly quality. The dunes, their contours softened by the dimming light, seem to pulse with the rhythm of the earth itself, as if they, too, are breathing in time with the cosmos above. The night feels infinite, the silence profound, broken only by the occasional rustle of sand in the wind. In the distance however the world seems to become an eternal twilight
The city of Duskfall was a place where the boundary between day and night seemed to dissolve into something more fluid, more ethereal. Perched on a broad, craggy mountainous plateau, it gazed out over the deep, shadowy expanse of the Aldergrove to the west and the jagged peaks of the Black spire Mountains to the east. The air was heavy with magic, charged with the quiet hum of ancient forces at work, and as the sun sank beneath the horizon, the city began its nightly transformation.
It was a city of contrasts, a testament to the union of three peoples who had long struggled for peace: the elves, with their lithe forms and otherworldly grace; the humans, industrious and adaptable; and the dwarves, stoic and unyielding, masters of stone and fire. In Duskfall, they lived side by side, their homes built atop one another, their cultures woven together into a single, intricate tapestry.
A young boy sat motionless on a Highrise, in the inner city, his eyes empty and emotionless as he gazed into the night sky, he caught the moment just before it became an eternal twilight, as the last stars began to fade away
The boy sighed as the velvet sky and the infinite cosmos dimmed as the eternal dusk began, the boy was 5'10 of a decent skinny build, he was extremely attractive with feminine features, and long curls, his eyes were a light purple, almost remincent of the twilight over the city. He was quite the catch, especially in this city where most of its inhabitants took on a tan desert hue, his olive skin and long curly hair was unseen in these parts topped off with his majestic purple eyes, that always had a mischievous glint to them, he was quite unique.
The boy sighed again as he looked down upon the massive cityscape, his gaze wandering through its many districts, the city was truly massive, the metropolis spanning from where he was all the way to the horizon.
The architecture of the city reflected its diverse inhabitants, a blend of elegance and strength. The elven quarters rose in delicate spires of living wood, their trunks glowing faintly with an inner light that pulsed with the rhythm of the city itself. The trees were ancient, their branches reaching upward in graceful arches that formed a canopy of pale, silvery leaves. Walkways woven from enchanted threads connected the buildings, swaying gently in the evening breeze, carrying the soft notes of elven songs into the air. In the twilight, their homes looked like the very essence of the forest had taken shape—fluid, organic, and timeless. Astra admired the elegant homes as he continued to admire the city
To the west, the dwarven district sprawled beneath the dark cliffs, where their homes and forges were carved directly into the stone of the mountain. Massive arches and gates of iron and steel lined the streets, engraved with runes of power that glowed with a steady, golden light. The air here was thick with the scent of molten metal, the hum of the great forges, and the rhythmic pounding of hammers striking anvils. Even at night, the heat from the subterranean forges was palpable, the ground beneath the streets warm to the touch, the very stone alive with the pulse of creation. And underneath were the great forges and the forge district, right next to the west side there was the connected great bazaar.
And then there was the human district, where the city truly came to life. Lanterns swayed on every street, their glow casting dancing shadows on the cobblestone paths. The markets were alive with color and sound, vendors calling out to passing shoppers, their stalls overflowing with goods from every corner of the world—silks from distant lands, spices from the deserts, trinkets from far-off seas. Music and laughter spilled from taverns, mingling with the scent of roasting meats and sweet pastries. Here, the air was vibrant with the energy of life, a celebration of the present moment. Astra scoffed
As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, a deep, velvety twilight spread across the city. The transition was so seamless it was as if the night itself had always been waiting for this moment. The last tendrils of daylight faded, leaving the city bathed in a silvery light that seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at once. Lanterns, once simple sources of illumination, now began to shimmer with an otherworldly radiance, as if charged by some unseen force. Elven magic rippled through the streets, coaxing flowers to bloom in luminous bursts of color, painting the city with their soft glow.
At the heart of Duskfall stood the Twilight tower, a majestic spire that stretched toward the heavens. It was from this tower that the magic of the city's illumination began. Every night, as the sun disappeared entirely, the tower would ignite in a burst of radiant color, sending streaks of fiery light arcing across the sky. The people stopped what they were doing, their gazes lifted in awe as the city's most treasured ritual unfolded above them. The flames of the tower of dusk were said to be born of the ancient magic that kept Duskfall in perpetual twilight, a gift from their rulers the amirs of Duskfall. House Dusk
Below, in the Lower City, where the dwarves lived and worked, the night took on a different hue. Here, the glow of the forges provided a constant warmth, casting long, flickering shadows on the stone walls. The air was thick with the scent of burning coal and molten iron, a reminder that the dwarves' work never ceased. In their great hall, deep beneath the mountain, the clinking of metal on metal echoed like a heartbeat, the sound of creation. Dwarven runes etched into the walls shimmered with the heat of the forge, their magic entwined with the very foundations of the city.
In the streets of Duskfall, the people moved like shadows, blending with the light and darkness that filled the air. Elves walked in soft, graceful strides, their movements fluid and purposeful, as though they were one with the very magic that filled the city. Humans were a bit more hurried, their faces flushed with the energy of the moment, their voices raised in laughter and conversation. The dwarves, by contrast, were quieter, their heavy steps echoing through the streets as they made their way to the forges or to the quiet hearths of their homes.
The atmosphere of Duskfall was one of constant motion—of a city that never truly slept, but instead shifted with the rhythm of the night. The last rays of twilight lingered in the air, caught in the shimmering lights that flickered and sparkled throughout the city. It was a world suspended between worlds, a place of magic and wonder where time itself seemed to slow, caught in the quiet breath of the evening. This truly was a city that never slept
And at the center of it all, beneath the sky that burned with light, the people of Duskfall continued with their lives. Elves danced in the moonlight, dwarves toiled in their forges, and humans laughed and bargained in the marketplaces. The city was alive—not just with people, but with magic, with history, with the weight of countless stories waiting to be told. It was a city built for the ages, a city that held its secrets close, waiting for the night to embrace it once more.
The boy stood up as the ceremony of dusk ended, as magical as it was, he hated it, it blocked out the stars and the boy loved nothing more than to look at the night sky, it made his loneliness feel less lonely, his heart feels less empty, the stars were pretty, and he loved pretty things.
Today was the first day of the coming of spring, it made the city extremely lively as spring was the best season for this desert, there were many festivities happening around and the streets were flooded for the holiday.
As the boy descended the Highrise, he made sure to avoid the many gazes of the duskgaurds, his reputation in this part of the city wasn't exactly the best, he even had wanted signs on the post boards, he may or may have not robbed a human Nobel of her possessions when they were in the act of intimacy, he snickered at the thought of this, he hated intimacy with a passion and saw it as a means to an end.
He finally entered the streets, his hood up as he did not want to be seen, he also was unique looking and could be spotted easily, so the black hood upon his ragged clothes made him blend in more, many mages liked to sport robes, however his robe made him look like a homeless beggar, if it weren't for his violet swirling eyes he might have been mistook as one, but the subtle aura around him suggested otherwise for the many people passing by
He spotted his wanted poster, it was a snapshot, using basic light magic on a paper, it was of him shirtless looking at the snapshot in awe, he looked like an idiot! and on top of that you could clearly see how unique he looked with his curls!
[Wanted]
[Astra]
[Alive]
5 gold coins
His hand found its way on his forehead, "that skank, not only did she pressure me she even had the gall to report me, has she no shame for her husband!"
Astra made his way down to the crowded main streets, it was quite festive, with many families of all races celebrating as fireworks lit up the sky, many food stalls were up, and the aromas of all different kinds of foods and drinks were around, alcohol was plentiful too, astra found himself salivating
He sighed as he eventually entered between the human and dwarf districts through the giant bazaar, he spared the strawberry lemonade stand a glance as his mouth salivated at the aroma of the juice. Astra loved lemonade
"I need to get rich" astra sighed, he saw a couple with their child, happy as the kid looked up to the sky while sipping the lemonade, astra suddenly felt emptier and the feeling of melancholy seemed to assault him, his eyes became a darker shade of violet.
Astra grew up alone in the outskirts of the city, a city rat, trash as the city inhabitants so loved to call him, astra had no recollection of his parents besides his mom and she died when he was about 8, she was nothing but a blurry image in his mind, however he can recall how her deep velvet eyes looked at him, this thought made him subsequently smile.
Astra continued to make his way towards the busiest and most prestigious part of the bazaar, the upper bazaar, there were many duskgaurds there however…astra for some reason was quite well at hiding his prescience,
Why the upper bazaar? That's where the Nobels came down and shopped, astra loved nothing more than stealing from the rich, his violet eyes shone with a mischvious glint,
"Steal from the rich, steal from the poor or as the saying goes" he laughed,