The sun dipped low in the sky, casting long shadows across the village of Lira's Vale. Elionna stood at the river's edge, the cool wind tugging at her fiery red hair. Her feet were submerged in the shallow waters as she watched the waves ripple, lost in thought. Her heart beat strangely in her chest, as though it was responding to the rhythmic flow of the river itself. There had always been something different about her. A connection to the stars. A pull toward the night that others couldn't understand.
Elionna had grown up in the Vale, a quiet village hidden deep in the forest. Life was simple here, and the villagers took comfort in the peace of their world. But Elionna had never felt fully at home. It wasn't the people or the land—it was the feeling that there was something more out there, beyond the Vale, waiting for her. It was the same sensation she had every night when she gazed at the stars, the strange sense that they were calling to her.
"Stop daydreaming, Elionna," her mother's voice rang out from behind her, a gentle but firm reminder. Lena, a woman of great patience, called her daughter to dinner. "Come inside before it gets too late. I won't have you out here alone."
Elionna shook herself out of her reverie and turned toward her cottage. "Sorry, Mother. I was just... thinking." Her words were soft, but they lingered in the air. As she walked back, she caught a glimpse of the stars twinkling above, as if beckoning her once again. She had longed to understand this strange connection, but something about it made her hesitate.
Inside, her mother sat by the hearth, preparing stew. Elionna took her seat at the table, but her thoughts were far away. Her eyes turned toward the ceiling, where the stars glistened through the small window. "Mother… what do you think the stars mean?"
Lena paused in her stirring. "Stars? They are just lights in the sky, dear. There's no meaning in them other than beauty."
But Elionna couldn't shake the feeling that her mother was wrong. She wanted to believe that the stars had a purpose, a deeper significance, something meant just for her. The dream she had last night, the sword that had appeared in her mind, was so vivid. It had been calling to her, and she couldn't ignore it anymore.
As Elionna lay down to sleep that night, she tried to ignore the persistent pull. She shut her eyes and drifted into unconsciousness. Yet, the moment her lids closed, the familiar voice spoke again, clearer this time.
"Elionna…"
Her heart jumped in her chest. The sound of her name reverberated like a distant echo across a vast expanse. It was neither human nor animal—an otherworldly whisper that vibrated deep within her soul.
"The stars are waiting… you are the one…"
The dream grew more intense, her body feeling light and weightless, as if she were floating in the very cosmos. A brilliant sword appeared before her, its hilt adorned with shimmering symbols that glowed like the night sky. And as she reached for it, the world exploded in a burst of light.