The night sky above the city of Orindale sparkled with magic. Bright stars twinkled, and colorful lights floated and danced in the air. Orindale was a busy and lively place, full of tall spires and streets crowded with traders, performers, and travelers from all over the world. At the center of the city was the Starfall Bazaar, a market where you could find anything—from magical trinkets to old, mysterious maps.
In the middle of the noisy, bustling bazaar sat Kian Vale, a slim young man with messy silver hair and two different-colored eyes—one green, one gold. Kian was well-known in Orindale for his sharp sense of humor and quick hands, always getting into and out of trouble. He leaned against a crate, casually eating a piece of fruit, his confident smirk showing he was never far from mischief.
"Did you seriously try to sell a fake magic crystal to Karthas the Magnificent?" said a sharp voice from behind him.
Kian turned to see Nessa Lirien, a young mage-in-training with fiery red curls and an annoyed expression. Magic sparks flickered at her fingertips as she crossed her arms and glared at him.
"'Fake' is such a harsh word," Kian said with a grin. "I prefer 'creatively magical.' And anyway, I didn't sell it—I just left it in his study."
Nessa groaned. "Left it? Do you have any idea how dangerous Karthas is? If he finds out it was you—"
"He won't," Kian interrupted, tossing the fruit core away. "Besides, he's too busy admiring his shiny new paperweight."
Before Nessa could argue more, the ground trembled slightly beneath their feet. The glowing lanterns in the bazaar flickered, and a sudden hush fell over the crowd. Everyone stopped and looked up.
A star was falling.
But it wasn't an ordinary star. It was huge, glowing with violet and silver light, leaving streaks of energy trailing behind it as it fell. It hit the ground just outside the city with a massive crash and a deafening boom that shook the earth.
Kian's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Well, that's interesting," he said, standing up.
"Kian, don't even think about it," Nessa said, grabbing his arm.
But Kian was already moving, weaving through the crowd toward the crash site.
"Why can't you stay out of trouble?" Nessa shouted, running after him.
The crash site was on the outskirts of Orindale, in the wildlands filled with untamed magic. As they reached the glowing crater, the air around them felt thick with strange, eerie energy.
At the center of the crater stood a figure.
It wasn't a meteor, and it wasn't a monster. It was a woman.
She wore armor that looked like it was made of crystal, shimmering like starlight. Her hair, a mix of silver and violet, flowed gently in the wind. Her glowing eyes were filled with an ancient, powerful energy.
The woman looked directly at Kian and Nessa. When she spoke, her voice sounded like a hundred whispers all at once: "The Void is waking. The balance is broken. You must awaken the Veilkeepers."
Kian blinked. "Uh... what?"
Before he could ask anything else, the ground cracked open, and dark shadows began to rise, twisting and moving like living snakes.
"Run!" Nessa screamed, throwing a bolt of magic at one of the shadows.
"Great idea!" Kian yelled, grabbing her arm and running as fast as he could.
As they sprinted away, the woman's calm voice echoed behind them: "You cannot run from destiny."
But Kian didn't care about destiny. Staying alive was his top priority.