The last of the bandits groaned as he lay sprawled on the ground, clutching his side where Kael's blade had struck—not a fatal wound, but enough to keep him from fighting. The others, seeing their leader defeated, scrambled to their feet and ran off into the darkness.
Kael remained still for a moment, his blade glinting under the starlight. His breathing was steady, his stance firm. He had fought like a man who had done this a thousand times before, precise and merciless.
Alina tightened her grip on the dagger at her waist, torn between fear and curiosity. Who was this man? Why had he helped her? And, more importantly, why did he feel… familiar?
"Are you hurt?" Kael asked, finally breaking the silence.
Alina hesitated. "No," she said, lowering her weapon slightly. "But I could have handled myself."
Kael tilted his head slightly, as if assessing her. "With that tiny blade?" He nodded toward the dagger at her waist, the corner of his lips twitching. "I doubt it."
Alina bristled. "I don't need some stranger to protect me."
"You're welcome."
His voice was laced with dry amusement, and that irritated her more than the actual bandits. Alina turned away, determined not to engage further. But then she remembered—the star. She quickly returned to her telescope, adjusting the lens and scanning the sky.
There it was again. The strange, blinking light, brighter than before.
Kael stepped closer, following her gaze. "What are you looking for?"
"A star," she murmured, more to herself than to him. "But not just any star. I think… I think I just discovered something new."
Kael's expression shifted, his amusement fading into something more serious. "A new star?"
Alina nodded, barely able to contain the excitement in her voice. "It's not on any map, not in any of my records. It wasn't here before, but now… it's shining so brightly. Almost as if it appeared just for me."
She glanced at Kael then, expecting indifference. But instead, she saw something she hadn't anticipated—recognition.
Kael's jaw tightened. His gaze flickered from the telescope to the star above. His hands clenched at his sides.
"You need to forget you ever saw that star," he said, his voice quieter now, but no less intense.
Alina frowned. "What? Why?"
Kael turned to her fully, and for the first time, she saw the shadows lurking behind his midnight-blue eyes. "Because if that star has appeared," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "it means something has awakened. And that is never a good thing."
A shiver ran down Alina's spine, though not from the cold.
"Who are you?" she asked again, this time with genuine urgency.
Kael hesitated, as if weighing how much to tell her.
Finally, he exhaled. "Just a drifter," he said. "A man who's seen what happens when people chase the stars."
Alina didn't know why, but she had the distinct feeling that Kael wasn't just talking about astronomy.
And she had no idea that, from that moment on, her life would never be the same.
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