Zayn walked through the quiet land as the stars above shimmered like they were whispering secrets only he could hear. The path beneath his feet wasn't ordinary soil—it was made of crystalized star fragments. Each step echoed softly, as if the heavens themselves were watching him closely.
He had arrived at an ancient place known only to very few across the Realms—Stellanox, the Silent City Beneath the Stars. A city that was said to have vanished 100,000 years ago, buried under the sky itself. Legends said it was once a thriving realm of celestial beings who had created magic from starlight, but after one great war, they vanished without a trace.
Zayn didn't just stumble upon it.
He had followed the fragments of forgotten lore, read between the lines of lost scrolls, and decoded whispers carried by spirit winds. And now, here it was—silent, untouched, and breathtaking.
The entire city was glowing faintly in silver and blue. There were no walls. No guards. No people. Just massive floating structures, starlight bridges, and hovering towers made of moonstone and shimmering glass.
Zayn took a deep breath.
"Beautiful," he whispered.
But beauty was never without danger in this world.
As he moved forward, a soft hum rippled through the ground.
The air shifted.
And then—
An ancient voice echoed from the void, not in sound, but inside his mind.
"Only one of true celestial balance may enter the Hall of Origins."
Zayn stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
He looked at his palm and whispered, "Celestial balance…"
In the past, such riddles would puzzle even the greatest sages. But for Zayn, who had harmonized the divine and the dark, the stars and the void, balance was his nature.
He spread his arms wide, and his aura surged silently.
Blue—of stars.
Black—of void.
Gold—of divine.
Red—of bloodline.
White—of spirit.
All five forces flowed in a perfect loop around him.
The moment the energies balanced into a single rhythm, the world in front of him shifted. The space shimmered and opened.
The Hall of Origins revealed itself.
It was a massive dome floating above nothingness. Inside, countless books, glowing tablets, and floating crystals orbited in slow motion. But in the center stood something far more important—a glowing Egg of the Eternal Flame.
Zayn walked inside, slow and steady. No guards stopped him. No traps triggered. This place wasn't protected by weapons.
It was protected by purity.
Only someone who didn't seek to take, but to understand, could enter.
He stood in front of the egg.
It pulsed.
Alive.
Ancient.
He placed his hand gently on it.
Memories flooded into his mind.
A story, hidden for millennia.
This egg was the last remnant of the Celestials, the race who once ruled over space magic and soul forging. They were betrayed by one of their own and wiped out by an enemy from beyond the realms.
But they left behind this seed of hope.
A new life, one day to be born.
Zayn's eyes softened.
He whispered, "I'll protect it."
The egg glowed warmly in response.
At that moment, a soft voice echoed behind him.
"You're the first human to be allowed inside here."
Zayn turned.
A woman stood behind him, wearing silver robes, her hair floating like mist, eyes like twin galaxies. She wasn't human.
"Who are you?" Zayn asked, calmly.
"I am the Guardian Spirit of Stellanox. My name is Lunaria."
She stepped closer, eyes studying him.
"I watched kings fall and gods rise. I've seen greed, ambition, and destruction. But your soul… is quiet. Balanced. I've never seen a mortal like you."
Zayn didn't reply.
Lunaria smiled. "The egg has accepted you. That means... its fate is tied to yours now."
"I'll protect it," Zayn said again, his voice steady. "Even if I must fight every god, demon, or realm."
Lunaria nodded slowly. "Then you shall be its Guardian Father."
Zayn's eyes widened slightly. "What?"
"You are now the Flame Keeper," Lunaria said. "And this child… when born… will become the first new Celestial in the universe."
Silence fell between them.
Then Lunaria stepped forward and touched his forehead.
A seal appeared on Zayn's chest—a golden star surrounded by spiraling rings.
"This is the Stellar Core Seal. With it, you can awaken celestial energy in places long dead. You'll attract both allies… and enemies."
Zayn accepted it without hesitation.
Power didn't excite him anymore.
Responsibility did.
The moment the seal embedded into his being, the world around them shimmered and trembled.
Lunaria's face turned serious.
"They've sensed it already. The Void Eaters… they've awoken."
Zayn nodded. "Let them come."
He stepped outside the Hall, the egg floating behind him, wrapped in his star aura.
Far above, in the deepest layer of the heavens, a dark crack split open.
Something was coming.
Something terrible.
But Zayn didn't flinch.
He looked at the stars and said softly, "You will not fall again."
Then he disappeared into the night, with the future of a race floating quietly beside him.