In the vast realm of the Astral Continent, every soul's destiny is woven by the celestial tapestry, and the power of the Twenty-Eight Star Guardians maintains the fragile balance between heaven and earth. These guardians, chosen by the inheritance of bloodlines, bear the divine duty of upholding order, their strength drawn from the very stars themselves.
Yet, as ages turned and empires rose and fell, darkness crept forth from the abyss, seeking to shatter this equilibrium.
The Legion of Dusk—the harbingers of chaos. Devotees of the Abyss, they hunger for the power of the constellations, waging ruthless campaigns to dismantle the order of the Astral Continent. Their arrival spells the doom of civilizations, leaving behind only cinders and despair.
They burn cities to the ground, slaughter the innocent, and conduct forbidden rituals to extract the very souls of Star Guardians, offering them as sacrifices to the Abyss.
Legends whisper of their enigmatic leader—once a revered Star Guardian, now a defiled being who forsook fate itself in pursuit of abyssal might. His name has been struck from the annals of history, but his actions have left scars upon the world. Every nation that falls before the Legion is reduced to ruin, its people condemned to an eternity of wailing beneath a sky that no longer bears their stars.
And now, their gaze has turned to House Jiao.
For generations, House Jiao had stood as one of the last protectors of the Azure Dragon Constellation, their bloodline brimming with celestial power. They were more than just warriors—they were symbols of order itself.
But the storm had come.
And as the first shadows fell upon their sacred halls, the question remained—could their ancient might hold against the tide of darkness?
Days of the Past: The Dawn's First Light
Three days before the fall, the first light of dawn spilled into my chamber, threading through the gaps in the curtains, casting golden streaks across the ancient tomes on my bookshelf and the crest of House Jiao upon the wall.
A steady knock came from the door.
"Young Master, today is the day of the clan banquet. It is time to rise."
The voice belonged to Victor, our family steward. Deep and measured, it carried the weight of experience and unwavering loyalty.
I exhaled slowly, pushing aside the last remnants of sleep. Rising from my bed, I dressed with practiced precision before making my way to the window.
Beyond the glass, the courtyard stirred with the sounds of steel against steel—the rhythmic clash of blades, the measured steps of warriors locked in morning drills. Sunlight caught the polished armor of the knights, reflecting off their disciplined movements.
I took a deep breath.
This was the morning of House Jiao—a morning of order, of strength.
The Clan Banquet: A Decision for the Future
"Today's banquet is not just a celebration of our family's glory—it is a moment of choice."
At the far end of the great hall's long table, my father, Esker Jiao, sat in contemplative silence. His fingers drummed lightly against the polished wood, his face unreadable.
"The Legion of Dusk has grown increasingly active," he said at last, his tone composed but firm.
"We must remain vigilant."
Across from him, my mother, Elena, regarded him with a calm yet thoughtful gaze.
"But this banquet," she said softly, "is also an opportunity—to strengthen our alliances, to reinforce the ties that may soon be tested."
I nodded, yet a silent unease lingered in my chest.
Turning toward the window, I cast my gaze upon the city I had known all my life—Azure Dragon City.
Its towering walls stood unyielding, a bastion of protection, a monument to the power of our lineage.
Yet, beneath the security, an unspoken tension loomed.
For the whispers of the Legion of Dusk had grown relentless.
And the shadows of war were drawing near.
The Great Hall of House Jiao: A Choice for the Future
At the far end of the long table, my father, Esker Jiao, sat with an air of quiet authority. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the polished wood, his expression steady as ever.
Beside him, my mother, Elena, sat with her usual poise, her eyes warm yet shadowed by worry.
"The Legion of Dusk grows bolder," my father said, his voice low and firm. "Their movements have become too frequent to ignore. We must remain vigilant."
"But today's banquet," my mother countered gently, "is more than a celebration—it is an opportunity to secure our allies."
I nodded, though uncertainty gnawed at me.
If the Legion of Dusk truly planned to strike, would our so-called allies stand beside us… or would they choose to remain silent, watching from the sidelines as our family was consumed by the darkness?
The Banquet: Undercurrents in Gold and Crystal
The grand banquet hall gleamed with opulence. Crystal chandeliers bathed the room in warm light, illuminating the swirl of silk and steel—nobles draped in their finest attire, warriors adorned with ceremonial armor. Laughter rippled through the air, the clinking of goblets a melody of celebration.
Yet beneath the polished veneer of merriment, an undercurrent of silent calculation stirred.
"Adrian," a white-haired marquis raised his glass toward me, his gaze shrewd yet amicable. "A young heir should broaden his horizons—step beyond the walls of his lineage and see the world for himself."
I returned his toast with a measured smile, the practiced diplomacy of nobility ingrained in my gestures. But as I sipped my wine, my gaze flickered toward the far corner of the room.
A small gathering of nobles whispered among themselves—the lords of the Southern Territories, men whose alliance with House Jiao had always been tenuous at best.
"I heard the Legion of Dusk has seized yet another city."
"Indeed. If House Jiao is as mighty as they claim, why have they not taken action sooner?"
Their words, hushed though they were, did not escape me.
I tightened my grip on my goblet, a quiet unease settling in my chest.
At my side, Lia—my most trusted confidante—spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"They are testing you. The shadows of night have already seeped into this hall."
At that moment, my father stepped into the gathering, his presence alone enough to draw silence. He lifted his glass, his gaze sweeping over the assembled nobles—assessing, weighing, commanding.
With quiet authority, he spoke.
"House Jiao has never wavered in its duty as a guardian. Our strength is not something to be flaunted—it is something to be wielded when the time is right."
A hush fell over the room. The weight of his words settled in the space between us, unchallenged.
And yet—I did not know then that this banquet would be the final night of House Jiao's glory.
Battle and Destruction
Night fell upon Azure Dragon City.
And with it—doom arrived at our gates.
A deafening boom shattered the silence as the city's grand entrance was violently breached.
From atop the walls, the last of our sentries sounded the alarm—only for their voices to be swallowed by the advancing darkness. Shadows emerged through the firelit haze—warriors clad in blackened armor, their eyes glowing with abyssal blue, corrupted beyond recognition.
"ENEMY ATTACK!"
The warriors of House Jiao unsheathed their weapons and charged toward the front lines.
Yet the Legion of Dusk were no longer men. What lay beneath their armor were nothing more than husks—hollowed vessels bound to the will of the Abyss.
In the great hall, my father stood at the center of the chaos. His silver armor gleamed with the reflection of the raging inferno, his spear carving through the air with deadly precision—bolts of lightning crackling in its wake.
"Form defensive formations!" Raymond, our battle captain, bellowed.
Yet for every enemy cut down, more took their place. The Legion of Dusk surged forth like an unending tide, pressing against our forces with relentless brutality.
Our knights fought valiantly, their blades clashing against the abyssal steel, but our numbers dwindled.
The enemy did not falter. They felt no pain. They sought only annihilation.
"All of you—fall back! Get Adrian out of here!"
I barely had time to react before my mother grasped my arm. Her fingers trembled against my wrist—something she had never allowed herself to show before.
"Adrian, you must live!" Her voice was urgent, almost desperate.
"But Father—"
"You cannot die here!"
The guards seized me, forcing me toward the escape route.
I fought back, turning just in time to witness the final moments of my father—his spear dancing like a storm through the battlefield, carving through the abyssal horde.
Yet then—a blade emerged from the darkness.
A blackened sword, wreathed in abyssal mist, pierced through his back.
His body staggered, his spear fractured, his silver armor shattered.
Beside him, my mother fell—her gown soaked in crimson, her eyes fluttering shut.
The flames roared.
The screams faded.
And then—darkness consumed everything.
Awakening: The Wrath of Jiao
They dragged me into the hidden passage, but my limbs felt numb, my fingers trembling, my mind drowning in rage and despair.
Unwillingness. Fury. Agony.
These emotions burned within me, roaring into a storm of unrelenting wrath that threatened to consume me whole.
"I cannot run!"
With all the strength I could muster, I wrenched free from the guards' grasp, stumbling back toward the ruins that had once been my home.
The courtyard had become a hellscape.
Flames devoured the fallen pillars, their embers licking the sky. The acrid stench of burning flesh and charred stone thickened the air. Distant screams mingled with the crackling of fire—the final battle cries of warriors who had given their lives to defend our legacy.
Bodies lay strewn across the blood-soaked ground, their lifeblood pooling into dark crimson rivers along the stone.
And in the center of the carnage—my father still stood.
His silver armor lay cracked and scorched, yet his spear still burned with the azure lightning of the Jiao lineage. Each swing of his weapon unleashed storms of destruction, tearing through the enemy ranks with merciless fury.
Even surrounded by dozens of abyssal warriors, his stance did not falter.
Lightning cleaved through the dark, obliterating the twisted figures of the Legion of Dusk, leaving behind only smoldering remains.
"Come forth!" My father roared, his eyes ablaze with the fire of a dying star.
With one last leap, he drove his spear forward, impaling a Legion commander straight through the chest.
But in that moment—his final opening was laid bare.
From the shadows, a blade wreathed in abyssal mist struck.
It plunged deep into his back.
His body shuddered—but he did not fall. With a last act of defiance, he turned, lightning surging through his broken spear, and incinerated his assassin into nothing but dust.
Yet even a warrior like him had limits.
He staggered. His spear finally splintered. His armor fractured beyond repair.
Blood poured freely from his wounds, but his gaze remained unbroken, fixed upon the enemies before him.
Beside him, my mother lay motionless—her once-pristine gown stained in crimson, her eyes gently closed, as if lost in a dream she would never wake from.
"Why…?"
My throat tightened, my breath hollow and ragged.
I collapsed to my knees, my fingers pressing into the still-warm blood of my parents. Rational thought crumbled—all that remained was an unrelenting, soul-consuming void.
Then—pain.
A searing agony erupted within my chest, twisting through my veins like fire.
I gasped, doubling over, a deep growl tearing from my throat as if something ancient, something buried within my very soul, had begun to awaken.
Then—it happened.
A surge of blinding azure light exploded from within me, cascading over my limbs in torrents of celestial brilliance. My skin burned as if set aflame, my very bones twisting, reforging, breaking and mending in an instant.
BOOM!
A deafening shockwave erupted outward, shattering the ruins around me, the force reducing stone to dust and flame to cinders.
A shadow of a dragon unfurled behind me, its azure eyes burning with the fury of a storm.
It reared back, letting loose a roar that split the heavens.
And then, from the depths of my mind, a voice—
Ancient. Deep. Absolute.
"You are of the Jiao bloodline. Today, your fate awakens."
"You are of the Jiao bloodline. Today, your fate awakens."
A torrent of memories surged into my mind—visions of constellations woven across the heavens, of the ancient and eternal power of the Star Guardians, of House Jiao's past glories, and of my father's final stand before he fell into darkness.
The power of the Jiao Spear surged through my veins, awakening from its dormant slumber. My muscles contracted, then expanded, as if my very body was being reforged. A current of invisible lightning coursed through my bloodstream, racing through my limbs with an overwhelming intensity.
My heartbeat grew stronger—each pulse reverberating through my very being, shaking the world around me.
A faint, crackling energy danced at my fingertips, spreading up my arm in a wave of azure light. The shattered ruins around me glowed with its brilliance, as though I stood beneath a sea of stars.
Then—my spine arched back.
A force beyond my comprehension pulled at my very core, stretching my body as an untamed power surged through my bones.
It was unfamiliar—and yet, somehow, I knew this power.
My joints tightened, my muscles tensed, and then—electricity surged through me like a roaring tempest. I curled my fingers into a fist, and thunder rumbled in response. The very air trembled as if the heavens themselves acknowledged my awakening.
Slowly, I rose to my feet.
The azure glow in my eyes intensified, no longer flickering like an ember, but burning like a storm that could no longer be contained.
Rage. Sorrow. Vengeance.
They swelled within me, an unstoppable tide, threatening to consume everything in their wake.
I tried to suppress it—to hold it back—but the inferno within would not be caged. My nails dug deep into my palm, blood trickling between my fingers. But even pain could not quell the storm.
My mother's voice whispered in my mind—gentle, reminding me to remain in control.
My father's teachings echoed—a true warrior does not succumb to fury, but bends it to his will.
But my world had already been ripped apart.
My reason collapsed. My restraint shattered.
The fire of vengeance consumed me whole.
I lifted my head.
Azure lightning veiled my vision, but beyond it, I saw only the enemy.
A slow, chilling smile curved my lips—one devoid of warmth, one filled only with unrelenting coldness.
The warriors of the Legion of Dusk hesitated.
They sensed it.
The shift in the air. The overwhelming pressure.
They were afraid.
I raised my hand, extending a single finger toward one of the black-armored knights.
"You… all deserve to die."
The moment the words left my lips, a bolt of azure lightning ignited in my palm—not a flicker, but a spear of pure destruction.
It thundered forth—tearing through the night, piercing straight through the knight's chest.
The soldier's body convulsed, blue electricity searing through his armor, turning him into nothing more than a charred husk.
The remaining warriors staggered back, for the first time showing something they had never displayed before—fear.
"The power of Jiao… it has awakened!"
But it was far too late.
The storm had already arrived.
The roar of lightning filled the battlefield as I became a tempest of destruction, tearing through the enemy ranks like a specter of vengeance.
From a distance, standing atop the ruins, a lone figure observed in silence.
His gaze was unreadable, but beneath the moonlight, an intricate mask etched with ancient runes glowed faintly.
"The power of Jiao… has finally awakened."
He tilted his head slightly, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Perhaps, it is time to hand him the 'Chronicles of the Stars'..."