Silence.
Cold, endless silence.
When Aiden opened his eyes, he wasn't at Astraeus Academy anymore.
He was floating in a sky made of light. Fragments of shattered stars drifted around him like glowing snow, and beneath his feet, there was no ground—only an ocean of reflected constellations.
The Celestial Nexus.
He could feel it in his bones—this was the world between worlds, the place where dimensions crossed and gods once walked.
His head throbbed. Every breath shimmered like starlight leaving his lungs. The sigil on his chest glowed faintly, forming intricate lines that pulsed with rhythm—like a heartbeat guiding him deeper.
"Where… am I?" he murmured.
A voice answered, calm and melodic.
"Home, little star."
He turned sharply.
A figure stood in the distance, walking toward him across the air—Celestine.
She looked the same as before—silver hair cascading like moonlight, armor engraved with divine runes—but her presence was heavier, commanding. When she smiled, the stars themselves seemed to dim.
"Celestine!" Aiden ran to her, relief and confusion mixing in his chest. "You— You said not to trust the ones in gold! The Order— they're trying to open the Nexus!"
"I know," she said, her voice both tender and distant. "That's why you're here."
Her gaze flicked to the mark on his chest. "You've activated the Starlight Core. The Architect's final gift."
"Gift?" Aiden frowned. "She tried to kill me!"
Celestine shook her head softly. "No. She was testing your soul. The Architect doesn't destroy—she shapes. Just as she shaped me."
Aiden froze. "You… knew her?"
Celestine's expression darkened. "She created me, Aiden. Just as she did you. We are fragments of her design—light given form to guard the gates. But unlike you, I made a choice long ago... to keep the worlds separate, even if it meant becoming a monster."
He stared at her, heart racing. "You're saying all of this—our lives—were just part of her plan?"
Her eyes softened. "No. The Architect gave us power, but what we do with it—that's our choice. And now, the choice is yours."
Before he could reply, the sky began to shift. The stars flickered, rearranging themselves into vast runes that stretched across the horizon. A wind of shimmering dust swept through, and the air filled with distant singing—thousands of voices whispering his name.
Celestine drew her sword, its edge made of light. "They've found you."
Out of the glowing mist, figures emerged—hundreds of them, cloaked in gold. The Order of Aurion.
"How—how are they here?" Aiden stammered.
"The Nexus reacts to your energy," Celestine said. "The moment you crossed over, they followed your light."
The Order advanced, chanting in unison. Their leader stepped forward—a tall man with sunlit eyes and a crown of golden flame.
"Lady Celestine," he called out, voice echoing like thunder. "You were supposed to protect the seal, not hide the Heir!"
Celestine raised her sword. "The Heir is not your pawn."
"Then he is your curse," the man said, lifting his staff. "And the time of balance is over."
The air cracked. Beams of gold light shot toward them. Aiden instinctively raised his hand—and a shield of blue starlight flared into existence, blocking the blast. He felt the mana flow through him like fire, wild and unstoppable.
Celestine's eyes widened slightly. "You've awakened more than I expected."
The next attack came faster, and Celestine moved like lightning, her blade slicing through waves of golden energy. Each strike shattered the sky, stars scattering like sparks.
Aiden joined her, channeling the sigil's power into bursts of radiant light. For every blast they deflected, more enemies appeared. The Nexus trembled under the weight of their magic.
"We can't hold them forever!" he shouted.
"I know," she said, parrying another blow. "But we don't have to. Look behind you!"
Aiden turned—behind them, a massive circular gate pulsed, identical to the one above Astraeus but smaller, unstable.
"That's your way back," Celestine said, breathing heavily. "If you stay, they'll consume your energy to open the main Nexus permanently."
Aiden hesitated. "I'm not leaving you!"
Celestine smiled sadly. "You never change. You were like this even before you were reborn."
"What do you mean—before?"
Her smile deepened, eyes full of ancient sorrow. "You've lived this cycle a thousand times, Aiden. Every era, every world—you always come back. And each time, you choose humanity over eternity."
Aiden's breath caught. "Then what's different this time?"
"You might finally remember why."
She raised her hand, forming a barrier around him as golden magic rained from the sky. "Go! I'll hold them here."
"Celestine—!"
Her eyes met his one last time, fierce and loving. "Find the truth. Find her."
Light exploded.
Aiden was thrown backward through the gate, his vision tearing apart. He saw flashes—Seraphina shouting his name, Lyra's worried face, Kael drawing his sword. The real world rushing back in a storm of sound and light.
Then—
Darkness.
When his vision cleared again, he was lying on the grass near the academy's lake. The moons were gone, replaced by dawn's pale light.
Seraphina knelt beside him, relief flooding her face. "Aiden! You're awake!"
He blinked slowly, his chest still glowing faintly. "Celestine… she's still there. Fighting them."
Seraphina helped him sit up. "Then we'll bring her back. Whatever it takes."
Aiden looked at the rising sun, feeling both dread and hope swirl in his heart. The sigil on his chest pulsed once more, forming faint words only he could hear.
> Find the one who remembers.
And in that moment, Aiden knew—
His journey had only just begun.