Ari’s thoughts churned as she left the Hollow Star behind. The pulsing energy still thrummed within her, an ember refusing to fade. She had expected answers, but instead, she had been given something far greater - a choice.

  A choice she didn’t yet understand.

  The air around her crackled as she ascended the tunnels, back toward the surface. She felt… different. Not just in mind, but in body. A strange sensation coiled at the base of her spine, and as she stepped into the open air, a shiver ran through her. She turned her head and froze.

  A second tail swayed behind her.

  Her breath caught. Kitsurians were born with a single tail, and only through age, wisdom, or power did they earn more. Yet, here she was, barely on the cusp of adulthood, with two.

  The Hollow Star had changed her.

  Ari clenched her fists. Power meant nothing if she didn’t know how to use it. And she had no time to figure that out - not now.

  Something was wrong.

  The wind carried an unfamiliar scent; smoke, mingled with iron. Ari’s ears twitched. She dropped low, instincts guiding her as she moved through the underbrush. Beyond the rolling hills, figures flickered between the trees, their movements sharp and disciplined.

  Warriors.

  Her heart pounded as she took in the sight of their armor, the gleam of weapons catching the last light of the setting sun. They weren’t just passing through. This was a march. A force moving with purpose.

  And at its center, astride a black-plumed beast, rode a figure wrapped in dark armor. His wings stretched wide, commanding the attention of all who followed.

  Korai.

  Ari’s claws dug into the dirt. She had heard his name whispered among the scattered villages - an Avaran warlord with his sights set on the Hollow Star. Some said he wanted to harness its power, others that he sought to destroy it. Whatever the truth, one thing was clear.

  He was here.

  She wasn’t ready to face him. Not yet.

  Ari slipped back into the shadows of the forest, her new tail curling behind her as she steadied her breath. Home was still far, but she couldn’t return blindly. She had to understand what was happening - why Korai was moving now, and what he planned to do next.

  The Hollow Star had awakened, and the war for its power had already begun.

  Ari had a choice to make.

  But first, she had to survive.

  Ari moved through the underbrush with silent precision, her ears twitching at every shift in the wind. The weight of her second tail was still unfamiliar, throwing off her balance slightly, but she adapted quickly. She had to. Korai’s forces were too close, and she couldn’t afford a misstep.

  The Avaran warlord had never marched this far into Kitsurian lands before. Whatever had changed, it was because of the Hollow Star. Its awakening had set everything in motion, and now, war loomed over Hytrol.

  Ari crept along the forest floor, careful not to disturb the dense foliage. She needed to understand Korai’s movements, his numbers, his purpose. He wasn’t the type to march without reason. She scaled a low branch, her claws digging into the rough bark, and peered through the canopy.

  What she saw made her blood run cold.

  Korai’s forces weren’t just Avarans.

  Hytrolians marched among them. Warriors clad in hardened river-shell armor, their skin painted with war sigils, wielding weapons carved from deep-sea bone. Even a few Kitsurians - traitors - walked in their ranks, eyes hardened with purpose.

  This wasn’t an Avaran conquest.

  This was a coalition.

  Ari’s breath caught in her throat. What had Korai promised them?

  Her mind raced through possibilities. The Hollow Star was powerful, capable of warping reality itself. If Korai had convinced these factions to join him, it meant he had a plan to claim that power.

  She needed to warn someone.

  But who?

  Her village was too small, her mother’s influence not enough to rally a defense. And the Kitsurian warlords who did have power? They wouldn’t listen to a single, young scout with an unproven second tail.

  Unless…

  Ari’s claws flexed against the bark. There was one Kitsurian who might listen.

  The Wandering Sage.

  A sharp sound cut through the air. Ari dropped low, her breath steady as she blended into the leaves. Someone was nearby. Moving carefully. Stalking.

  Not Korai’s warriors.

  A scout? No - too silent, too deliberate.

  Then she saw it.

  A lone figure, moving between the trees like a shadow. A Hytrolian, but not one of the armored warriors she had seen below. This one was different. A hunter, wrapped in dark leathers, with a twin-bladed spear resting across his back. His webbed fingers moved with precision as he traced a sigil into the air—one of silence, meant to mask his presence.

  He wasn’t with Korai.

  He was following them.

  Ari’s ears flattened as she considered her options. She could let him pass, continue on her way, and reach the Sage alone. But this hunter… he was moving with a purpose. If he was after Korai’s forces, then he had a reason. A reason she needed to know.

  Her second tail curled behind her.

  She made her choice.

  Ari dropped soundlessly from the branch, landing just behind the hunter. He spun, spear half-drawn.

  She met his gaze, her golden eyes flashing in the dim light.

  “We need to talk,” she whispered.

  The hunter hesitated, eyes narrowing. Then, slowly, he lowered his spear.

  “Who are you?” he asked.

  Ari let a small, knowing smile tug at her lips.

  “The one who’s going to stop Korai,” she said. “And you?”

  The hunter studied her for a long moment. Then, with a quiet breath, he nodded.

  “My name is Kaelen,” he said. “And I’m going to kill him.”

  Far beneath them, in the depths of the world, the Hollow Star pulsed.

  Its ancient energy twisted through the earth, seeping into the roots, the stone, the bones of forgotten creatures. The deeper its power reached, the more it stirred the balance of Hytrol.

  The beasts in the wilds felt it first. Their bodies shifting, their minds twisting. Some grew stronger. Others lost themselves entirely.

  And far away, beyond the forests and rivers, in the depths of a sacred chamber, the Seers of the Hollow Star turned their eyes toward the sky.

  The time had come.

  The war for the Hollow Star had begun.

  Kaelen studied Ari in the dim moonlight, his expression unreadable. The weight of his words still hung between them.

  I’m going to kill him.

  Ari wasn’t sure what to make of him yet. His presence here, alone, meant he wasn’t working with Korai’s army. But she couldn’t trust him, not yet.

  “Why?” she asked, keeping her voice low. “What did Korai do to you?”

  Kaelen’s fingers tightened around the shaft of his spear. “He took everything.”

  Ari’s tails flicked as she considered him. Vague, but honest.

  She glanced down toward the forest floor, where the army continued to march. They were moving quickly, with purpose. If she didn’t act soon, she’d lose her chance to get ahead of them.

  “I don’t have time for mysteries, Kaelen,” she said. “If you want to kill him, fine. But right now, I need to find someone who can stop him before it gets that far.”

  Kaelen tilted his head. “Who?”

  “The Wandering Sage.”

  A flicker of recognition crossed his face. “You think he’ll help you?”

  Ari exhaled sharply. “I hope he will.”

  Kaelen was silent for a moment. Then he nodded. “Then let’s go.”

  Ari blinked. “You’re coming?”

  “You won’t make it alone,” he said simply. “Korai isn’t marching blindly. He has scouts, hunters. If you want to reach the Sage before him, you’ll need someone who knows how to move unseen.”

  Ari hesitated, then nodded. She couldn’t afford to be reckless, not when the Hollow Star’s awakening was already shifting the balance of the world.

  Together, they vanished into the trees.

  Far below, the Hollow Star pulsed again.

  The land above it twisted. The creatures closest to its buried core writhed, their bodies shifting unnaturally. Some grew stronger, their muscles thickening with unnatural power. Others fell apart entirely, their forms unable to withstand the warping energy.

  Korai’s war priests felt it too.

  Inside the Avaran encampment, a circle of cloaked figures stood before a massive, pulsating crystal. The shard was ancient, torn from the Hollow Star itself centuries ago. Now, it trembled with a new energy.

  “The time is near,” one of the priests whispered.

  A second priest nodded. “The Hollow Star stirs. Its gifts are ready to be claimed.”

  From the edge of the chamber, Korai watched. His golden eyes glowed with a fierce hunger.

  “The Hollow Star belongs to the strong,” he said.

  And he would be the one to claim it.

  The journey to the Wandering Sage’s last known location was long, but Ari and Kaelen moved with precision, avoiding patrols, bypassing Korai’s forward scouts.

  By the time they reached the mountain ridge, dawn had begun to break.

  Ari’s breath hitched as she saw the ruins.

  The Sage’s camp had been ransacked.

  Ash and broken stone littered the ground, the scent of burned parchment thick in the air. The remnants of scrolls, ancient texts and Kitsurian histories, lay scattered, trampled by heavy boots.

  Ari’s ears flattened.

  “We’re too late,” Kaelen muttered.

  Ari moved through the wreckage, her heart pounding. If the Sage was gone, if Korai had already gotten to him, then there was no one left to stop him.

  But then, beneath the rubble, something stirred.

  Ari and Kaelen froze.

  A figure emerged, wrapped in a tattered cloak. His fur was singed, his breathing labored, but his eyes - piercing, violet - were sharp as ever.

  The Wandering Sage.

  Ari rushed forward. “You’re alive.”

  The Sage coughed, wincing as he straightened. “Barely.” He glanced at the destruction around him. “Korai’s men came for me. They wanted answers.”

  “About the Hollow Star?” Kaelen asked.

  The Sage nodded. “They seek to harness its power. But they don’t understand it. No one does.” His eyes darkened. “The Hollow Star is not a weapon. It is not a blessing. It is a force beyond our control.”

  Ari’s tails bristled. “Then what is it?”

  The Sage exhaled. “A wound in the world.”

  Ari’s tails flicked. “It’s waking up.”

  The Sage met her eyes. “You’ve seen it, haven’t you?”

  She nodded. “I was just there.”

  A deep silence fell between them. The wind howled through the wreckage, as if the world itself was bracing for what was to come.

  Kaelen exhaled sharply. “Korai doesn’t care what it is. He just wants to use it.”

  The Sage’s expression was grim. “The Hollow Star is not a tool. It is not a blessing. It is a scar on reality itself.” He clenched his fists. “If he reaches it, if he tries to wield its power—” He shook his head. “He won’t control it. He’ll unleash it.”

  Ari’s stomach twisted. She had already felt the Hollow Star’s energy creeping into the world—warping the land, twisting the creatures near it. The change had already begun.

  She took a steadying breath. “I know where it is.”

  The Sage fixed her with an intense gaze. “Then you must get there before he does.”

  Ari already knew that. She had known it from the moment she left.

  But now, hearing it from the Sage himself, it felt final.

  She wasn’t running anymore.

  She was going back.

  Ari and Kaelen moved swiftly. The Sage, weakened and unable to accompany them, had given Ari all he could—a final warning, a map marked with ancient paths, and the weight of responsibility she could no longer ignore.

  The Hollow Star was calling.

  By nightfall, they reached the outskirts of the ruined valley. The land had changed since Ari had last been here—twisted and wrong.

  Jagged fissures carved through the ground, pulsing with eerie, violet light. Trees, once strong and towering, now stood gnarled and blackened, their leaves brittle and shimmering like glass. The air crackled with unseen energy, distorting the sky above into shifting hues of blue and indigo.

  Kaelen tensed. “It’s spreading.”

  Ari exhaled. “It won’t stop unless we do something.”

  They pressed forward.

  The deeper they ventured, the more reality frayed around them. Shadows moved without light. The ground beneath their feet trembled as if alive. Strange whispers echoed in the distance—voices that did not belong to the living.

  Ari’s ears twitched.

  Then she saw them.

  Creatures lurked at the edge of the Hollow’s influence, their bodies twisted beyond recognition. Once-ordinary beasts—now warped by the Star’s power—stalked the valley. Their fur and feathers shimmered with unnatural hues, their limbs elongated, their eyes hollow.

  Kaelen drew his blade. “We’re not alone.”

  Ari’s tails bristled. The energy of the Hollow Star pulsed through her veins, urging her forward, drawing her closer.

  She couldn’t turn back now.

  Somewhere ahead, Korai and his warriors were moving toward the Hollow Star. If she didn’t reach it first, if she didn’t stop him-

  A sudden growl tore through the silence.

  The creatures had seen them.

  And they were hungry.

  The first beast lunged.

  Ari twisted aside, feeling the wind from its swipe graze her fur. The creature - a massive, six-limbed thing with elongated fangs and eyes that burned with violet fire - landed with an unnatural thud. Its flesh shimmered, shifting like a mirage, as if it wasn’t entirely bound to this reality.

  Kaelen reacted first, his blade flashing. He slashed at its side, but the wound sealed almost instantly, flesh warping to knit itself back together.

  Ari cursed. They’re changed. They don’t die like normal beasts.

  The monster struck again, its claws carving deep furrows into the earth where Kaelen had been moments before. He rolled, barely avoiding another swipe.

  Ari had no time to think. Instinct took over.

  Her hands moved, fingers weaving through the motions of an old Kitsurian technique, one meant to channel her inner fire. The Hollow Star’s energy, already thrumming through her, surged in response. A deep, unnatural warmth coiled in her chest.

  Foxfire.

  She exhaled. Flames erupted from her palms, blue and flickering like a dying ember, yet scorching hot. She thrust them forward.

  The creature recoiled with a shriek as the foxfire clung to its warped hide. Unlike Kaelen’s blade, the flames stuck, burning deeper, unmaking whatever corruption bound it together.

  Kaelen saw his opening. He struck again, this time severing its head with a clean, precise slash. The beast crumbled, dissolving into ash.

  But they weren’t alone.

  Ari turned. More shapes slithered from the darkness, their forms barely distinguishable against the ever-shifting landscape. Some had wings, others too many limbs. All of them had eyes that gleamed with hunger.

  Kaelen stood beside her, breathing heavily. “I hope you have more of that fire left.”

  Ari clenched her fists, the foxfire crackling between her fingers.

  “We fight our way through,” she said. “We’re too close to stop now.”

  The Hollow Star pulsed in the distance, its light twisting the sky.

  And its guardians would not let them pass without blood.

  The beasts swarmed.

  Ari didn’t stop to count them—twisted things of too many limbs, eyes like molten glass, and shifting bodies that never settled on a single form. They moved like shadows, like thoughts given shape, their existence a mockery of the natural world.

  She burned through them.

  Foxfire roared in her hands, swirling blue flames that seared flesh and bone alike. A lunging creature met her strike mid-air, its shriek cut short as fire engulfed it. Another lashed out, clawed hands grasping for her throat, but Kaelen was there, his blade flashing in a silver arc. The severed limbs hit the ground, writhing before dissolving into black mist.

  “There’s too many,” Kaelen growled, breathing hard. “They don’t stay dead.”

  Ari knew why.

  The Hollow Star had warped these creatures just as it had spoken to her before. They were bound to it, feeding off its power just like her.

  Then they saw it.

  The path forward. A thin distortion in the air, like a ripple in a pond, pulsing with an unseen force. The entrance to the Hollow Star’s core.

  “We don’t need to kill them!” Ari shouted. “Just get to the core!”

  Kaelen didn’t argue. They ran.

  The creatures shrieked behind them, chasing, shifting, multiplying. Ari didn’t look back. She sprinted through the distorted air, her tails flaring behind her.

  And then, stillness.

  The world shifted. The cavern around them blurred, darkness stretching and twisting as if space itself had unraveled. When it reformed, they were standing before it.

  The Hollow Star.

  Ari stood at the threshold, her breath shallow as the world around her bent.

  The Hollow Star loomed before her, vast and alive. It was not a mere object, nor a relic of lost ages, it was an anomaly, a wound in reality itself.

  Jagged rock formations curled around it like grasping fingers, pulsing with a deep, eerie light. The air shimmered and warped, shifting like the surface of water under an unseen force. Space itself seemed to struggle to exist in its presence, as if reality were being rewritten with every breath she took.

  Kaelen stood beside her, gripping his blade tightly. His eyes were locked onto the Hollow Star, his face tense.

  “This is it,” he murmured. “We’re here.”

  Ari barely heard him.

  The Hollow Star knew she was here.

  And it spoke.

  Not with words carried on air, but with meaning pressed into her mind, a voice of pure thought unraveling inside her.

  "You have returned."

  The moment stretched, stretching past time, past thought, an eternity compressed into a single breath.

  She had stood here once before, when she first touched the boundary of its power. And it had given her a choice.

  To wield it; to let its energy flow into her, to become something beyond Kitsurian, beyond mortal. Strength beyond all limits, but at the cost of something she could not yet grasp.

  Or to destroy it; to sever this wound in existence, to cast its power into oblivion, to make sure no one could ever use it.

  Back then, she had run.

  Now, she could not.

  The Hollow Star pulsed. The world shifted. And once more, its voice pressed into her thoughts.

  "The choice must be made."

  Ari took a slow breath, her multiple tails flicking behind her, and stepped forward.

  Ari’s heartbeat drummed in her ears, the weight of the Hollow Star’s presence pulling at her very core. It felt as though every fiber of her being was being drawn toward it, as if something within her had already chosen, long before her mind could process it.

  Kaelen, ever the sentinel, stood silently, his eyes never leaving her. He knew what was at stake. His grip on his blade tightened, though his fingers trembled. He, too, understood that the Hollow Star was a force unlike anything they had encountered before.

  And now, Ari had to choose whether to confront it or walk away.

  The choice weighed heavy in her chest. Destroying the Hollow Star would mean keeping the balance, keeping the factions at bay, and leaving the world as it was; a place she knew, with its struggles, its fragile peace. But something deep within her, something in the very marrow of her bones, told her that to destroy it would be to deny herself. It would be to deny what she could become.

  To wield it, to claim the power the Hollow Star offered... it could make her unstoppable. It could make her stronger than she had ever dreamed. But she could feel the weight of it—feel how it tugged at the essence of who she was, threatening to consume her with its intensity. Would it change her? Would it change her people? Or worse, would it consume everything she had fought to protect?

  The Hollow Star pulsed again, its presence filling her mind, urging her, calling her to embrace the path of power.

  "You know what must be done."

  Ari’s tail flicked sharply, her fur bristling, and she looked down at the ground beneath her. The memories of her people, of her family, of the struggles she had faced and those she had lost, all of it swelled inside her. She wanted to change things. She wanted to protect them all—not just from what they faced now, but from what was to come.

  She had already made her choice long ago. She had just been too afraid to admit it.

  With a deep breath, Ari stepped forward, closer to the glowing anomaly. The air shimmered, the energy in the air clashing with her own. Her tails swished in unison behind her, and for the first time, she felt the weight of them, not just as symbols of her age and wisdom, but as a representation of her choices, her journey.

  She raised a hand toward the Hollow Star, feeling the warm energy pulse through her skin as if it were drawing her closer, beckoning her to embrace it. It wasn’t just a pull; it was a bond. The Star had chosen her as much as she had chosen it.

  And she made her decision.

  “I will wield it.”

  The moment she spoke the words, the Hollow Star’s power surged forward, wrapping around her, pouring into her veins like liquid fire. The world seemed to bend, the jagged rock formations around them pulsing with an overwhelming energy, as if the very fabric of reality was being rewritten. The air grew thick with energy, vibrating with an intensity Ari had never felt before. Her tails flicked once more, each one shimmering with newfound power.

  In that instant, Ari felt herself change. The Hollow Star’s power flowed through her like a torrent, filling her with strength, with clarity. The world around her seemed clearer, sharper, as if she could see through the veil of reality itself.

  "You are the key," the voice of the Hollow Star whispered in her mind. "Now you hold the power to shape the future."

  Her body thrummed with the force of it. It was intoxicating. Overwhelming.

  But Ari didn’t flinch. She felt it—the power—and instead of fear, she felt something else: purpose. She understood now. The path ahead was unclear, dangerous even, but the Hollow Star had given her the strength to face whatever came.

  Kaelen stepped forward, his eyes wide with awe, his hand reaching out as though to touch her—but hesitated, sensing the change. He knew it was no longer the Ari he had followed. She had become something more, something both terrifying and incredible.

  “Ari...” His voice trailed off, uncertainty flooding his words.

  She turned to him, her eyes blazing with newfound power.

  “We are not done yet,” she said, her voice steady, no longer a trembling echo of the girl she once was.

  Her eyes flicked to the distant horizon, where the fractured world awaited, where factions stirred, and a future of chaos and war loomed.

  But Ari, now the wielder of the Hollow Star, was no longer afraid of what lay ahead. She would shape the future, even if it meant reshaping the very reality around her.

  The path was clear.

  Ari stood tall, her body humming with the energy of the Hollow Star, her mind ablaze with the power coursing through her. The ground beneath her feet seemed to tremble, as if the world itself acknowledged her new role. Kaelen, standing a few paces away, watched her with a mix of awe and concern, his fingers twitching toward his blade but unsure if it would be enough to challenge the force he saw now in her.

  Her once-doubting heart was now filled with certainty. The Hollow Star had given her power, but it had also given her clarity—a sense of destiny that had been absent before. It was not just the ability to reshape the world around her that drove her; it was the realization that the Hollow Star’s energy was more than just raw force. It was the key to understanding the true nature of this world, of their enemies, and of her place within it.

  “I will make them understand,” Ari muttered to herself, her voice steady and firm. She knew she was not just carrying the weight of the Hollow Star now, she was becoming it, a bridge between the ancient power it held and the future she was now tasked with shaping.

  Kaelen’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Ari... we can still turn back. We don’t know the cost of what you’ve just done.”

  She turned toward him, her eyes glimmering with an intensity that made his breath catch. “There is no turning back, Kaelen. Not now. We’ve chosen this path.”

  He hesitated, his brow furrowing. He didn’t speak again, but his uncertainty was clear in his eyes. He had seen the Hollow Star’s power change Ari, and he wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or a curse. But he knew, deep down, that she wasn’t the same person who had walked into that cavern just moments ago. She had changed, irrevocably.

  But he also knew he had no choice but to follow her. They had all chosen this journey, and it had led them to this pivotal moment.

  “I’m with you,” he said, his voice rough but resolute.

  Ari nodded and, with a swift motion, turned her gaze back to the Hollow Star. The jagged rock formations around them had stopped pulsing, but the air still hummed with a quiet, ethereal energy. It felt as though the world itself was holding its breath, waiting for what would come next.

  Suddenly, the ground trembled again, but this time, the sensation was different. It was a ripple, a wave of power that emanated from deep beneath the earth, pulsing outward. Ari’s eyes narrowed. She could feel the Hollow Star’s power reacting to something distant—something that resonated with it.

  “The Hollow Star isn’t finished with us,” she murmured, more to herself than to Kaelen. “It’s calling out. There’s more to this... something beneath the surface.”

  Her tail flicked, sensing the pull of the Hollow Star's energy. She could feel it now, a deep, pulsating connection, a tether to the unknown, drawing her deeper into the mystery of its existence.

  “There’s something else,” Ari said, her tone now filled with resolve. “Something buried beneath this land... a secret the world has forgotten. And we’re going to uncover it.”

  Kaelen frowned, but Ari could see the faintest flicker of understanding in his gaze. He didn’t ask any questions. It was clear now that this was no longer just about survival. This was about unraveling the very fabric of their world.

  “We need to find it,” Ari said, her voice now firm, her gaze fixed on the horizon. The Hollow Star had given her the power to change the world—but that wasn’t enough. She had to understand it, understand why the power existed, and why it had chosen her.

  She took a step forward, Kaelen falling in line behind her. The wind was picking up, a soft whistle in the distance, as if the world itself was guiding them forward. But Ari knew it wasn’t the world. It was the Hollow Star, its call growing louder with each passing moment.

  “Where do we start?” Kaelen asked.

  Ari looked to the sky, feeling the weight of the question pressing on her. “We start with the land itself. The Hollow Star’s energy... it didn’t just change me. It changed everything around it. We need to trace it. Find its source.”

  Kaelen nodded, his expression now hardening with determination. “And what about the factions? The ones who want to harness it?”

  Ari didn’t answer immediately. She knew the factions would come for the Hollow Star. Some would try to control it. Others would try to destroy it. But she also knew this—no one could truly understand its power until they experienced it firsthand.

  “They’ll come,” Ari said, her voice steady. “And when they do, we’ll be ready.”

  As she spoke, she felt the first flicker of something else, an energy she hadn’t noticed before, creeping at the edges of her senses. The Hollow Star’s power was not just an external force; it was changing her, reshaping her from within. She could feel the shift in her body, in her mind. She could already hear the voices; soft, ethereal, whispering like the wind.

  “Come... closer. The truth is waiting.”

  The words were not her own. The Hollow Star was speaking to her again, its power radiating through her very being. Ari’s heart raced as the truth of her decision settled within her. This path was only the beginning, and with it came a promise—one that would either save or destroy everything she held dear.

  And there was no going back.

  The words of the Hollow Star echoed in Ari’s mind, and she could feel their weight pressing down on her. The air around her seemed to distort again, bending with the pull of its power. There was no turning back now, she had chosen this path, and it was a path that would define everything that came after.

  She took another step, the ground beneath her shifting as though it, too, acknowledged her decision. Kaelen kept pace beside her, his eyes narrowed, scanning the landscape. He wasn’t sure what to make of this new version of Ari, the one who now wielded the power of the Hollow Star. He could see the change in her; it was more than just the glowing intensity in her eyes. She was different now—stronger, more focused, more... determined.

  Ari paused, feeling a sharp tug in the pit of her stomach. She knew what it was. The Hollow Star's energy was calling her, leading her somewhere. She raised her hand, feeling the pulse of power in her fingertips, and in that moment, everything aligned. The path ahead was clear.

  "We need to go deeper," she murmured, more to herself than to Kaelen. Her voice was steady, but a deep, primal instinct was awakening within her, one that she hadn’t expected. Her tail twitched in response, a soft and curious gesture.

  Kaelen looked at her, concerned, but there was something in her expression now—a certainty. The Hollow Star had chosen her, and whatever lay ahead, she would face it. "Are you sure about this? It’s... not like we know what we’re walking into.”

  Ari turned to him, her gaze intense but kind. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” she said. “The Hollow Star spoke to me before. I heard its call, felt its pull. It’s guiding me. Us. We’re meant to find the source of its power, wherever it lies beneath this world.”

  Kaelen hesitated for a moment longer but then nodded, his resolve hardening. He was with her. They both were in this, together.

  Taking a deep breath, Ari stepped forward. The land around them felt alive, as if the very earth was shifting beneath their feet in response to the energy she now wielded. The Hollow Star was not just an object or relic, it was something far older, far more powerful. And it had recognized something within her, a potential, a strength that she hadn’t even fully understood yet.

  They walked on in silence for a time, the distant horizon filled with shifting shadows and light, the air thick with the weight of the unknown. Ari could feel the Hollow Star pulling at her, urging her toward something. There was a sense of urgency in the air, like they were running out of time.

  The wind began to pick up as they entered a deeper part of the land, a place where the trees grew tall and twisted, their roots curling into the earth like ancient, gnarled fingers. The energy of the Hollow Star seemed to grow stronger here, its pull more urgent. Ari could hear the faintest hum, as though the land itself was singing to her. The resonance was familiar now, an invitation.

  Suddenly, the ground in front of them cracked, the earth splitting open with a violent tremor. Ari’s heart skipped a beat, but she was not afraid. This was the path she had chosen, and whatever lay beneath the surface would reveal the next step in her journey.

  Without a word, she stepped forward into the rift, feeling the Hollow Star’s energy surge through her. The darkened cavern beneath them seemed to pulse with an ancient force, the air heavy with the scent of earth and decay. But there was something else here too, something alive.

  Kaelen followed, his hand on the hilt of his blade, every muscle tense. He didn’t know what lay ahead, but he knew that whatever it was, they were going to face it together.

  Ari’s heart pounded in her chest as the rift closed behind them, the world above sealing off once more. They were deep now, deeper than they had ever been before. And as the darkness enveloped them, Ari could feel it—the true source of the Hollow Star’s power. It was close.

  Ahead of them, a soft, flickering light began to grow brighter, its warmth familiar, yet distant. Ari could hear the voices again, whispering to her in that ethereal language, urging her forward.

  "You are the one," the voices said. "You are the key."

  Ari reached out instinctively, her hand brushing against the cool stone walls as she moved deeper into the cavern. The light grew brighter, and then, suddenly, she saw it.

  The Hollow Star wasn’t just an anomaly or a rift in reality. It was the key to something far larger, far more ancient than she had ever realized. The walls of the cavern shimmered, showing glimpses of long-forgotten places, cities that had crumbled into dust, civilizations lost to time, their histories woven into the very fabric of this land.

  And there, at the center of it all, was a massive chamber, its floor covered in glowing symbols, some of them faded and barely recognizable, others still vibrant and full of life. The Hollow Star’s energy pulsed from deep within the earth, radiating outward like the heartbeat of the world itself.

  Ari stood on the precipice, the truth crashing over her all at once. This was no mere relic. The Hollow Star was a doorway, a passageway to untold power, a force that could reshape the very foundation of their world.

  But with that power came a choice. It had always been there, just beneath the surface, waiting for Ari to make her decision. To wield the Hollow Star’s power was to control the fate of not just herself, but of everything.

  And now, with the cavern opening up before her, Ari knew that her journey was far from over. The Hollow Star had called her to this moment, and now it was up to her to decide what would come next.

  Would she wield its power and risk everything? Or would she choose another path?

  As the light from the Hollow Star intensified, Ari felt a weight settle over her—this was her moment. Her decision would shape the future, and no one, not even Kaelen, could predict what would happen next.

  She closed her eyes, feeling the energy course through her once more.

  And then, with a single breath, she chose.

  Ari opened her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest, and the weight of her decision settled deep within her bones. She had chosen to wield the power of the Hollow Star.

  The air around her thrummed, and for a moment, time itself seemed to freeze. The symbols on the floor glowed brighter, their light refracting like prisms in the cavern, casting eerie shadows against the walls. Ari felt the power surge through her, filling her veins with fire and electricity. It was overwhelming, yet exhilarating—a strange sense of clarity washed over her, as if the answers to all of her questions had suddenly become apparent.

  Kaelen stepped forward, his eyes wide with concern. "Ari, what is happening? Are you- are you okay?"

  She turned to him, the glow in her eyes sharper now, reflecting the energy that hummed in the air. She nodded, though she could barely find the words to speak. I’ve chosen, she thought. I am no longer just Ari. I am something more. I must embrace it.

  The Hollow Star’s energy enveloped her, wrapping around her like a cocoon of light. She could feel it now—not just as a power, but as a part of her, coursing through her body, awakening something deep inside her that she hadn’t even known was there. Her senses sharpened. She could hear Kaelen’s breath, feel the pulse of the earth beneath her feet, even sense the distant tremors of the world beyond the cavern.

  The Hollow Star was no longer just a force that she had stumbled upon. It was part of the very fabric of her being now. She could feel it shifting the world around her, bending reality itself. The cavern around them began to shift, the walls warping as if the very space was being rewritten. Ari’s thoughts became clearer, sharper. She could see patterns she had never noticed before—traces of the ancient world that had once thrived here.

  But with this knowledge, came an undeniable truth.

  The Hollow Star was not just a relic of power. It was a gateway. A doorway to another realm—one that Ari would need to navigate if she were to understand the true purpose of this power. And she wasn’t the only one who wanted it.

  "Kaelen..." Ari said, her voice steady despite the magnitude of what was happening. "We’ve awoken something far bigger than we thought."

  Kaelen hesitated, his gaze flicking around the cavern, searching for something, anything, to make sense of the shifting reality around them. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice tight with apprehension.

  Ari stepped closer to the central chamber, where the Hollow Star’s energy was strongest. The air around her buzzed with intensity, and the symbols on the floor flared, their glow pulsing in sync with her heartbeat. "It’s not just a relic. It’s... a force. An entity. And it’s connected to something far older than any of us." She turned back to Kaelen, her expression hardening. "We need to be careful. Whatever this power is, it’s not just going to sit here and wait for us to understand it. It has its own agenda."

  Just as she spoke, a low rumble echoed from the depths of the cavern. The floor beneath their feet trembled, and the walls seemed to grow colder. The once-stable air around them seemed to ripple with tension, and Ari knew that whatever had been awakened was no longer dormant.

  The Hollow Star's energy pulsed faster, more urgently. Ari instinctively reached out with her senses, trying to control it, to understand its intentions. But as soon as her mind touched the raw power, a voice, a deep, resonant voice, spoke directly into her consciousness.

  "You are the chosen. The first to awaken. The bearer of this power. But the path ahead is not for the faint of heart. Your choice will shape the future of this world, and of all those who inhabit it."

  Ari’s breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t just a whisper in her mind—it was a force, as though the Hollow Star itself was speaking, shaping the reality around them. She could feel the weight of its words, the gravity of its meaning.

  "You will either wield this power, and bend the world to your will, or destroy it. The balance of life itself hangs in the balance."

  The ground trembled again, and a sudden rush of wind swept through the cavern. It was as if the Hollow Star was testing her, pushing her, daring her to make a decision.

  Ari closed her eyes, breathing deeply, centering herself in the chaos that surrounded her. She could feel the immense power of the Hollow Star coursing through her, offering her the strength to do what she had always dreamed, to change the world, to protect those she loved. But she also felt the darkness that accompanied this power, the temptation to bend it to her own will, to dominate.

  She opened her eyes, staring down at the symbols on the floor beneath her feet. The paths were laid out in front of her, both alluring in their own way. But she couldn’t ignore the truth that lay deep within her heart.

  It was never just about the power, it was about how she used it.

  The Hollow Star pulsed one last time, its energy swarming around her, awaiting her final decision.

  Ari lifted her chin, her voice steady and determined. “I will wield it. But on my own terms.”

  The energy around her intensified, and with it, a burst of light erupted from the Hollow Star. The cavern shook, the walls cracking and splintering as the power that had been dormant for eons began to awaken in full force.

  Kaelen gritted his teeth as the ground cracked beneath them. “Ari, what are you doing?!”

  But Ari remained calm, her gaze focused on the Hollow Star as its power swirled around her, coursing through her veins. She was no longer just a wanderer. She was now the vessel through which this ancient power would flow.

  The world around her seemed to warp and bend, and in that moment, Ari knew—her decision had set everything in motion. Whatever lay ahead, she would face it with strength, with purpose, and with the power of the Hollow Star at her side.

  The world trembled beneath her feet, and she stepped forward into the unknown.

  The Hollow Star had chosen her, and now, the path she would walk was hers to forge.

  The world around Ari pulsed with a new, alien energy as the Hollow Star’s power thrummed through her. It wasn’t just her body that was affected; the very atmosphere of the cavern seemed to warp with each heartbeat. The stone walls, jagged and ancient, vibrated, and the once-still air now rippled like water disturbed by a stone. As she stood at the center of it all, she could feel the pull of the Star, a connection that went deeper than blood or thought, deeper than time itself.

  Kaelen, his face pale with a mixture of awe and fear, took a hesitant step closer. "Ari..." His voice faltered, barely audible over the thrum of the power surrounding them. "What is happening to you?"

  Ari’s gaze remained fixed on the Hollow Star. The glowing symbols beneath her feet shifted in response, like they were breathing, pulsing with the rhythm of her own heart. The Star had chosen her, and it was clear now, she was no longer just a vessel. She had become a part of it.

  "I’m not sure," she murmured, her voice distant as she spoke to him, yet she couldn’t tear her focus away. "But I can feel it... This is just the beginning."

  The Hollow Star’s energy surged once more, pulling at the very fabric of the cavern as if it were a living entity. It whispered in Ari’s mind once again, its voice low and commanding. "You are the key. The first to wield what was lost. With this power, you may reshape what was broken. The world will bend, the stars will tremble, and your path will lead you into realms forgotten."

  Ari clenched her fists as the Star’s words rang in her mind, its weight both intoxicating and terrifying. She had made her choice, but now she faced the consequences. There was no turning back. The Hollow Star was no mere artifact, it was a living, breathing force, and she had bound herself to it.

  Her vision blurred for a moment, and she could feel the Star’s energy rushing through her body, like lightning racing through her veins. Her thoughts and emotions became a whirlwind, and she could feel her mind expanding, reaching out beyond the cavern, beyond the world she knew. It was as though she could sense everything, every creature, every heartbeat, every whisper of the wind on the other side of the world. The power overwhelmed her, and yet, it also comforted her with its presence, a constant hum that reverberated through her very soul.

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  The symbols around her on the floor grew brighter, more complex, as though they were drawing power from her. She was becoming one with the energy, more than just a wielder. She was the conduit.

  But the Hollow Star’s power wasn’t just a gift; it was a burden. She could feel its influence, urging her to bend reality, to reshape the world according to her will. She was no longer the simple traveler she had been when she first stepped into this place. Now, she was something greater. Something dangerous.

  Kaelen, still watching from the edge of the chamber, hesitated before speaking again, his voice trembling. "Ari... What will you do with this power? It’s too much for any one person to control. You don’t know what you’re facing."

  She turned slowly, locking eyes with him, feeling the weight of his concern. He was right, she didn’t know what this power would do to her or to the world. But there was something inside her, something born of both fear and determination, that refused to let her back away now. She had made her choice.

  "I’m not afraid," she said, her voice stronger now. "I don’t know what the future holds, Kaelen, but I know that the Hollow Star didn’t choose me by accident. There’s a reason it awakened inside me."

  A pause hung between them, thick with uncertainty. Then, Kaelen nodded slowly, his gaze shifting to the pulsing power at her side. "Then we’ll face it together. We’re in this now, no matter what comes."

  Ari felt a flicker of gratitude for him, his steadfast loyalty and courage in the face of this unknown. She wasn’t alone, she couldn’t afford to be. She had a purpose, and it was clearer now than ever.

  The Hollow Star’s power surged again, sending a shockwave through the cavern that sent stones tumbling from the ceiling. Ari gasped as the force of it nearly knocked her to her knees, but she caught herself, steadying herself against the tremors. The Star’s energy hummed louder now, like a living creature, a beast with a mind of its own.

  Suddenly, the air shifted. A deep, rumbling sound echoed through the cavern, as if something massive was stirring beneath the earth itself. Ari’s senses sharpened, and she felt a pulse, a presence, moving toward them. Her eyes widened as the very ground seemed to crack open, and a dark shape emerged from the shadows at the far end of the cavern.

  Something was coming. Something that had been drawn to the Hollow Star’s awakening.

  Ari instinctively stepped forward, her hand reaching for the power inside her, feeling the surge of energy rising within her. She was ready. Whatever this was, whatever had been drawn here by the power of the Star, she would face it. She would protect herself. She would protect the world she had vowed to change.

  The ground trembled again, and the shape moved closer, revealing itself as it stepped into the light.

  It was enormous, its dark form silhouetted against the pulsing glow of the Hollow Star. It was a creature unlike anything Ari had ever seen, its massive body covered in jagged, armored plates, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light. It was both terrifying and awe-inspiring, a manifestation of the Hollow Star’s influence on the world.

  Ari held her breath, her body tense with anticipation. The creature stopped just short of her, its glowing eyes locked onto hers.

  And then, in a voice that seemed to echo from the very depths of the earth, it spoke.

  "You have awakened me, mortal."

  Ari’s pulse quickened as she prepared for what would come next. The choice she had made was leading her down a path she could never turn back from, and whatever this creature was, it was only the beginning of the challenges to come.

  The Hollow Star had chosen her.

  Now, it was time to find out why.

  The massive creature before Ari let out a roar, a deep, guttural sound that echoed through the cavern, vibrating the walls. It lunged toward her with incredible speed, its claws outstretched, aiming to strike. Without hesitation, Ari’s body reacted on instinct, powered by the force of the Hollow Star pulsing within her. Her limbs were faster, stronger, her very senses sharper than they had ever been before.

  She sidestepped the creature’s claws, the air around her crackling with the residual energy of the Hollow Star, and drew on the power now coursing through her. Ari felt the weight of the energy in her hands, forming into something solid, a weapon forged from the very essence of the Star itself.

  The creature roared again, lashing out with its enormous tail, but Ari’s movements were fluid, controlled, like a dance. She summoned the power within her and thrust her hand forward, unleashing a surge of energy that cracked the stone floor beneath her. The blast sent the creature stumbling back, its form staggering under the sheer force of the attack.

  Ari was still reeling from the rush of power that surged through her veins. She didn’t understand it fully, but she knew this: The Hollow Star had chosen her for a reason, and now, she had to wield its power to survive.

  She rushed forward, leaping into the air with an agility she had never possessed before. As she descended, she brought her energy-infused fist down toward the creature’s head with the force of a lightning strike. The creature recoiled, but it wasn’t fast enough.

  The impact cracked the ground beneath them, and for a moment, the cavern seemed to hold its breath. The creature let out a final, wounded screech before it collapsed, crumpling into the cavern floor, its massive form now lifeless.

  Ari stood over it, panting, her body glowing with the residual energy from the Hollow Star. The overwhelming rush of power slowly ebbed away, but she could feel the thrum of it deep inside her, a constant hum that she now knew would never fade.

  But before she could fully process what had just transpired, the ground trembled once more. Ari’s head snapped up, her senses alert. She wasn’t alone.

  From the shadows of the cavern entrance, a group of figures appeared. At their head was a tall, imposing figure, his eyes glowing with a fierce intensity. The others were formidable, too—clad in the battle-worn armor of seasoned warriors, their faces a mix of awe and wariness as they sized her up.

  "Korai," Ari whispered under her breath, recognition striking her.

  Korai stepped forward, his gaze steady as he took in the scene, the fallen creature, the glowing energy that still lingered in the air, and Ari standing at the center of it all, her body now radiating power.

  "You’ve done it," Korai said, his voice low, though there was no fear in it, only respect. "You’ve awakened the Hollow Star."

  Ari didn’t respond immediately. The weight of his words hung in the air, mixing with the sharp sting of exhaustion and adrenaline that flooded her veins. But she knew that Korai, an Avaran warrior, had been watching her for a reason. He’d known something like this would happen.

  Korai’s warriors, his Avaran warriors, stood behind him in formation, their wings folded neatly, though their eyes were fixed on Ari with a mixture of curiosity and caution. Some of them were still tense, the battle with the creature having stirred their instincts, but they were all silent now, waiting.

  Ari felt the Hollow Star’s power still thrumming within her, waiting for her next command. She had just defeated a monstrous creature, but what would come next? What was her role in all of this?

  "You know what this means, don’t you?" Korai continued, stepping closer. "The Hollow Star’s power is not something that can be controlled by just anyone. You’ve been chosen, Ari. And now... the world will know."

  She swallowed hard, trying to steady her breath. "I didn’t ask for this," she said quietly, her voice betraying the uncertainty she felt deep down.

  Korai’s expression softened slightly, though his gaze remained intense. "None of us ask for the power we wield. But once it’s in your hands, there is no turning back."

  Ari turned her head toward the Hollow Star, the pulsating light casting strange shadows across her face. She could still hear the Star’s voice faintly, like a distant whisper, urging her to choose—to use its power for something greater. But what that would be, she couldn’t yet fathom.

  "We need to leave," Korai said, his voice firm, snapping her from her thoughts. "The Hollow Star is only the beginning. There are forces that will come after it—and after you—if they haven’t already."

  Ari didn’t hesitate. She was no longer the girl who had wandered into this cavern seeking answers. She was now something different. She was the wielder of the Hollow Star’s power, and that meant she would have to face whatever came next.

  Korai motioned for his warriors to move forward, and they began to fan out, covering the entrance. "We’ll escort you out of here, but there’s no safe place for you anymore. Not until we know what’s truly at stake."

  As the Avaran warriors formed a protective circle around her, Ari couldn’t help but feel a sense of both dread and resolve. She had made her choice. Now she would have to live with it, face the consequences, and perhaps, for the first time, truly understand the weight of the Hollow Star’s power.

  Together, they began the journey out of the cavern, the weight of what lay ahead pressing down on them. The Hollow Star’s influence stretched beyond the cave, its radiance now a constant presence in her mind. And with Korai and his warriors by her side, Ari knew that the path she walked had only just begun.

  But the real battle, the war for the Hollow Star’s secrets, had yet to come.

  The journey back through the winding cavern tunnels felt different now. The air seemed charged, like a storm was building on the horizon, only it wasn’t in the sky - it was inside Ari. Every step felt heavier than the last, as if the very ground beneath her feet was infused with the energy of the Hollow Star. The warriors around her moved with practiced efficiency, their sharp eyes constantly scanning for threats, but there was no hiding the fact that they were all on edge.

  Korai, walking ahead of her, was silent, his wings tucked neatly behind him. His posture was that of a leader, confident yet there was a tension in his movements that Ari could sense. He had to know the stakes of what had just transpired.

  "We need to get back to the outpost," Korai said, his voice steady but urgent. "There’s no telling who’s aware of the Hollow Star’s awakening. We’ll be vulnerable out here."

  Ari nodded, but her mind was elsewhere. She had made her choice to wield the Hollow Star’s power, but she wasn’t sure what that meant for her, what it meant for the world. The Hollow Star had spoken to her, given her a glimpse of what she could do with its power. But there was no turning back now.

  The journey back to the outpost was swift and uneventful, but Ari could feel the weight of Korai’s eyes on her the entire time. He was watching her. Studying her. She had no doubt the others were doing the same.

  By the time they reached the Avaran outpost, night had fallen. Tucked between jagged cliffs, the camp was little more than a handful of sturdy buildings surrounded by a defensive perimeter. Fires flickered in the darkness, and warriors patrolled the outskirts, but despite the security, Ari felt exposed. Vulnerable.

  She wasn’t sure why.

  Inside the main structure, Korai finally turned to her, arms crossed. His warriors filed in behind him, the air in the room thick with unspoken expectation.

  "You made your choice," he said, voice even. "The Hollow Star is yours now."

  Ari straightened. "I know."

  Korai studied her, and for the first time since they left the caverns, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Then you also know what comes next."

  Training. She had known it was inevitable. The Hollow Star’s power wasn’t something that could be left untamed. If she didn’t control it, it would control her.

  "I need to learn how to use it," Ari said.

  Korai nodded. "You need to do more than that. The Hollow Star isn’t just a weapon. It’s an anomaly, something beyond our understanding. You’ve only taken the first step. Now, we shape that power into something that can be wielded properly."

  Ari’s fists clenched at her sides. "Then let’s begin."

  Korai’s smirk deepened, but there was something else behind it. Something calculated.

  "Not yet," he said. "Power without direction is nothing. You’ll train, but not just to control it. You’ll learn to fight with it. To become something more than just a wielder."

  Ari’s stomach tightened, but she met his gaze without wavering. She had chosen this path. Now, she would walk it.

  Korai turned to his warriors. "We move at dawn. The real training starts then."

  Ari exhaled slowly, her pulse steady despite the storm of energy inside her. Whatever came next, she would be ready.

  Or she would break trying.

  The Avaran outpost buzzed with early morning activity—warriors sparring, smiths hammering steel, scouts preparing to ride out. But as Ari stood at the edge of the encampment, all of it faded into the background. She wasn’t one of them. Not yet.

  Korai’s presence was impossible to ignore. He approached with his usual air of authority, his armor catching the dim morning light, his crimson cloak shifting with the wind. But this time, he wasn’t alone.

  Beside him walked a Kitsurian unlike any Ari had ever met.

  His fur was a deep silver, streaked with white, and his three long tails swayed behind him with effortless grace. The loose, embroidered robes he wore suggested wisdom, but his stance, straight-backed and firm, spoke of a warrior’s discipline. His amber eyes locked onto Ari with quiet intensity.

  "Ari," Korai said, his voice even, unreadable. "This is Master Rhenzo. He will be your mentor from this day forward."

  Ari stiffened, glancing between the two. Korai had made the decision for her, as if her path was already set. And maybe it was. She had chosen to wield the Hollow Star. But that didn’t mean she was eager to be put under someone else’s guidance.

  Rhenzo studied her in silence before speaking. "I’ve heard of you. The Kitsurian who called forth foxfire without training."

  Ari’s ears flicked back slightly. She had done it, once. When she had been cornered by the Hollowed Beasts near the ruins, when sheer willpower had forced her flames to life. But it had been unstable, wild. She hadn’t controlled it, only unleashed it.

  "You got lucky," Rhenzo continued, folding his arms. "Luck won’t be enough next time. The Hollow Star’s power will devour you if you do not learn to wield what is already yours."

  Ari narrowed her eyes. "Then teach me."

  The elder Kitsurian smirked faintly. "Good. We begin now."

  He lifted a hand, and in an instant, blue-white flames sprang to life in his palm. They moved unnaturally, shifting like liquid, curling into elegant patterns before settling into a steady burn. "This is foxfire," Rhenzo said. "Not just flame, our spirit made manifest."

  Ari had seen foxfire before, but never like this. Never with such absolute control.

  Rhenzo clenched his fist, and the flames vanished as if they had never existed. "Summon yours."

  Ari exhaled, steadying herself. Last time, it had come from desperation. Now, she had to do it with intent.

  Closing her eyes, she reached inward. At first, there was nothing. Only the faint hum of the Hollow Star, waiting, watching. She ignored it, searching deeper for something else—the ember that had been inside her long before she had ever set foot in the ruins.

  And there it was.

  A flicker of warmth.

  She reached for it, pulling it forth, and suddenly—

  A spark.

  Blue-white flames curled around her fingertips, flickering weakly but undeniably real.

  She opened her eyes, heart pounding, as the tiny fire wavered before vanishing.

  Rhenzo nodded. "Again."

  Ari gritted her teeth and tried once more.

  And so, the training began.

  For hours, she struggled, coaxing the fire to life, watching it flicker out, summoning it again. It was nothing like before. This time, there was no life-or-death urgency to force it into existence. There was only discipline.

  By the time night fell, Ari was exhausted. Sweat matted her fur, and her arms trembled. But when she looked at her hands, she saw tiny embers still smoldering at her fingertips, responding to her will.

  Rhenzo studied her for a long moment before speaking.

  "Rest," he said. "Tomorrow, you will learn to shape it."

  Ari nodded, but as she turned away, she felt the Hollow Star stir within her, pulsing faintly in response to her efforts.

  It was waiting.

  Soon, she would have to do more than summon foxfire. She would have to channel the Hollow Star’s power through it.

  And when that time came, she would be ready.

  Ari woke to the scent of damp earth and smoldering embers. The Avaran encampment was already alive with movement, but her world had narrowed to one thing, control.

  She had managed to summon foxfire the previous night, but now came the true challenge.

  Master Rhenzo stood at the center of a clearing beyond the camp, arms folded, waiting. "Again," he said simply.

  Ari took a steady breath, raised her hand, and focused. The ember inside her flickered, then flared, blue-white fire curling at her fingertips. It was easier this time, but still fragile, as if it could vanish at the slightest distraction.

  Rhenzo’s tails swayed behind him as he studied her. "Good. Now shape it."

  Ari frowned. "Shape it how?"

  "Make it more than fire."

  She clenched her fingers, trying to will the flames into something solid, something more—but they sputtered and collapsed.

  Rhenzo shook his head. "You're forcing it. Foxfire is not ordinary flame. It is part of you. It responds to thought, to intent. If you cannot master this, you will never be able to channel the Hollow Star through it."

  Ari exhaled sharply. She wasn’t used to failing—not like this. She had fought, survived, and even called forth power she didn’t understand. But mastery was different.

  Rhenzo stepped forward. "Watch."

  He raised his hand, and his foxfire appeared—controlled, steady. With a flick of his wrist, the flames shifted, twisting into the shape of a serpent that coiled around his arm, its mouth opening in a silent hiss before it faded away.

  Ari stared. It hadn’t been just fire, it had been alive.

  "You must see what you wish to create before you shape it," Rhenzo said. "Try again."

  Ari closed her eyes and reached inward, past the exhaustion, past the doubts. The Hollow Star pulsed within her, a steady, knowing presence. It did not interfere, only watched.

  She summoned her fire again, but this time, she didn’t just think of it as flame.

  She pictured something more.

  The flickering light began to shift, stretching, shaping itself. For a brief moment, a single, spectral fox tail flickered behind her, its glow casting faint blue light across the ground.

  Then, it faded.

  Ari staggered, her breath ragged.

  Rhenzo regarded her for a moment, then gave a short nod. "Better. You have the spark of understanding now, but a spark is not enough. Keep practicing for the rest of the day."

  Ari swallowed her exhaustion and straightened. She had no choice but to push forward.

  Ari wiped sweat from her brow, her muscles aching from hours of training. The sun had begun its descent, painting the sky in hues of orange and violet. She was about to summon the foxfire again when the sound of hurried footsteps and tense voices broke her concentration.

  She turned toward the camp, where Korai and several of his warriors gathered around a scout who had just returned. His feathers were ruffled, his breathing uneven from what was clearly a rushed flight.

  Ari inched closer, straining to hear.

  “Another village was attacked,” the scout reported. “Southwest of here, near the river basin.”

  Ari’s chest tightened. Southwest. Near the river.

  Her village was near a river.

  Her breath quickened. She forced herself to listen.

  “The Hollowed struck hard,” the scout continued. “Survivors fled into the woods, but many were taken. We don’t know how many still live.”

  Ari felt her blood run cold.

  It had to be her home. It had to be.

  She stepped forward, her voice sharp with urgency. “What was the village’s name?”

  The scout hesitated, glancing toward Korai.

  Korai turned his gaze to Ari, unreadable as ever. “…We don’t know yet. But we leave at dawn.”

  Dawn? That was too long. Every second they waited, the Hollowed would dig deeper into the ruins, leaving nothing behind but echoes of suffering.

  “I can go ahead,” she said quickly. “I can move fast, find out if-”

  “No.” Korai’s tone was final. “We move together. Rushing in alone will only get you killed.”

  Ari’s fists clenched at her sides, her tails twitching anxiously. She knew he was right—but that didn’t make it easier.

  A hand rested on her shoulder. She turned to see Rhenzo’s steady gaze.

  “Patience, Ari,” he said. “You will see soon enough.”

  She swallowed hard, forcing herself to nod.

  But inside, she was already bracing for the worst.

  Ari sat near the fire, her heart pounding too fast for her to rest. The Hollowed had attacked a village near the river, she knew it had to be Natsuyama. But waiting until dawn? That was impossible. Every second she hesitated, her home could be burning. Her family could be…

  She shook her head. No. She couldn’t think like that.

  Glancing around the camp, she saw the warriors still deep in discussion. Korai stood with his arms crossed, speaking in low tones with his commanders. Rhenzo was nearby, watching the flames. No one was paying attention to her.

  This was her chance.

  Ari took a slow breath, steadying herself. Then, without a sound, she slipped into the darkness.

  Her tails trailed behind her as she darted between tents, weaving through the outskirts of camp. Her heart hammered, her body moving on instinct. She reached the treeline and didn’t look back.

  The moment she was beyond their sight, she ran.

  The world blurred past her, trees whipping by as she sprinted through the night. Her ears twitched, listening for pursuit, but none came. Either they hadn’t noticed her absence yet, or they weren’t bothering to stop her.

  Fine. Let them think what they wanted. She had to reach Natsuyama.

  The journey would take hours, but she refused to stop. Every aching muscle, every breath that burned in her chest, none of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was getting home.

  She whispered a silent prayer to whatever spirits still listened.

  Please… let them be safe.

  Ari’s legs burned as she pushed herself harder, faster, racing toward Natsuyama. Her thoughts churned with fear, each heartbeat louder than the next. Her village was in danger. Her family… Please, let them be safe.

  As she broke through the final stretch of the forest and the village came into view, her breath caught in her throat. The once serene landscape was now engulfed in chaos. Smoke billowed into the air, black and thick, twisting in the wind like the tendrils of some great beast. The sky, once a bright blue, was now an ominous red.

  The distant roar of Hollowed beasts echoed through the air, followed by the distinct crackle of burning wood. Ari’s heart plummeted as she saw the village in ruin—homes burning, smoke rising from the crumbled remains of familiar structures. There were no sounds of villagers shouting or calling for help, only the horrible sounds of the beasts tearing through the ruins, their twisted forms casting shadows in the fiery glow.

  Her mind raced. No... no, no, no…

  She had to get there. She had to find her family. The Hollow Star’s power pulsed inside her, and she could feel the foxfire shifting within her, but she knew it wasn’t enough yet. Not to take on these creatures alone.

  Ari glanced toward the distant village center, where the fires burned the brightest. Mother, Father...

  Without thinking, her legs carried her forward, rushing toward the chaos, heart in her throat. She had to check on her family. The Hollow Star's power surged within her, but her only thought was getting to them, to make sure they were okay.

  She dodged rubble and debris, her paws skimming across the scorched earth. The closer she got, the more she could feel the dark presence of the Hollowed beasts. Their grotesque shapes moved through the streets, tearing through whatever they encountered. The village was lost, but she still had to find her parents.

  “Please, please be safe,” Ari whispered to herself, pushing herself faster.

  She passed the once-thriving market square, now a charred ruin, and the bakery where she used to play as a child. The familiar scents of the village had been replaced by the acrid smell of smoke, blood, and decay. Her breath came in shallow gasps, her chest tight with anxiety.

  She rounded the corner of a ruined building, only to find one of the Hollowed beasts in her path. The grotesque creature, a massive, twisted form of bone and sinew, turned toward her, its eyes glowing with a malevolent hunger. Ari froze for a moment, staring into its glowing eyes, heart hammering in her chest.

  But then she heard a familiar voice.

  “Ari! Get back here!” It was her father’s voice, hoarse and strained.

  Relief flooded her as she spun toward the sound. There he was, her father, bloodied and battered but alive. His fur was singed, and his eyes were wide with desperation as he backed away from another Hollowed beast, trying to protect a smaller form hidden behind him.

  Ari’s heart skipped a beat. She could see her mother crouched behind him, holding her younger brother close, fear etched on her face. Her mother’s eyes locked with Ari’s, and in that moment, everything seemed to still.

  Ari’s father’s voice trembled. “Get back, Ari! This place is falling apart! You’re not strong enough!”

  Ari didn’t hear him. Her heart surged with a wild mixture of emotions, relief that they were alive, but terror at the sight of them in danger. The Hollow Star’s power stirred within her, its influence tugging at her thoughts, pushing her forward.

  “Ari!” Her father shouted, but it was too late.

  She was already running toward them.

  The Hollowed beast turned toward her, a low, guttural growl escaping its throat. Ari didn’t stop. She couldn’t. Not now.

  She summoned the foxfire within her, the flames of her kitsurian power flickering to life around her hands. It wasn’t much, not yet, but she didn’t care. She could feel it; the raw, unrefined power of the Hollow Star still hidden inside her, waiting to be unleashed.

  With a yell, Ari shot a burst of foxfire at the creature. The flames hit the Hollowed beast’s chest, sending it stumbling back, but it wasn’t enough to stop it. It hissed in fury, its glowing eyes narrowing as it advanced.

  “Get out of here!” Ari’s father shouted again, but Ari was already on the move. Her heart was racing, her vision focused on the Hollowed beast. She could feel the Hollow Star’s energy growing within her, pushing her onward.

  She wasn’t afraid anymore.

  Her hands burned with power, her foxfire now swirling in the air, stronger than before. She could feel it—more than just her own abilities. The Hollow Star was speaking to her, urging her forward.

  She had no choice but to listen.

  With a surge of determination, Ari stepped into the Hollowed beast’s path, raising her hand and unleashing the full force of the foxfire. The flames exploded in a brilliant arc, engulfing the creature in a blaze of light. It screeched, its body writhing, but the flames only grew hotter, the power of the Hollow Star within her giving it strength.

  Finally, with one last scream, the Hollowed beast collapsed to the ground, its body charred and still.

  Ari stood, breathing heavily, staring at the creature’s fallen form. Her hands were trembling from the effort, but she felt something else, something deeper. She was alive. She was strong. But it wasn’t enough. Not yet.

  “Are you okay?” Ari’s mother asked, her voice shaking as she rushed to her side. She clutched her younger brother to her chest, his eyes wide with fear.

  Ari nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She had no time for words. There was more to do.

  “Where’s father?” she asked, her voice tight.

  Her mother pointed toward the burning remains of the village square. “He’s holding them off for now. But you can’t stay here. You need to leave. It’s too dangerous.”

  Ari’s heart raced again. She couldn’t leave. Not like this. She wouldn’t abandon her family. Not while they still needed her.

  But the Hollow Star pulsed within her, the pressure building.

  “Come on!” her mother urged, pulling Ari toward the shadows. “We need to go.”

  Ari didn’t look back. Not yet. She could feel the Hollow Star’s power surging in her veins, but she wasn’t strong enough to stop the beasts yet. They had to get out, regroup, and fight back.

  She glanced toward the horizon where Korai and his warriors would soon arrive. She didn’t know if they would make it in time, but she had to trust they would. For now, it was her family that needed saving.

  And she wasn’t about to fail them.

  Ari’s heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she scanned the horizon, her mind racing. The Hollow Star’s power still pulsed through her, urging her to act. But she was still too inexperienced, still too untrained to wield the full strength of its force.

  Then, as if the world had answered her with its cruel twist of fate, she heard it. The guttural growl of more Hollowed beasts, coming from all directions. Her eyes widened as shapes began to emerge from the smoke, their eyes glowing with an unnatural hunger. There were too many.

  She turned toward her mother and brother, who were standing only a few feet away, too close to the danger.

  "Mother!" Ari cried out, but her voice was drowned out by the chorus of growls and snarls that filled the air.

  Her mother’s eyes snapped to hers, and for a moment, Ari saw the same fear in them that she had felt earlier. But her mother was calm, resolute, the fierce protector she had always been.

  "Get behind me, Ari," her mother said, her voice steady despite the rising panic. "Take your brother and-"

  “No!” Ari cut her off, shaking her head. “I’m not leaving you!”

  But it was already too late. The first beast lunged, and Ari was forced to act. She extended her hands, focusing the foxfire she had learned to conjure, but this time, it felt different. Raw. Chaotic. It burned in her chest like an open flame, pulling her into a state of desperation.

  The foxfire surged forward, blasting one of the beasts away, but it wasn’t enough to stop the pack. They swarmed her, their snarling jaws snapping in the air. Ari danced backward, using her agility to dodge and weave, but the beasts were relentless.

  “Stay back!” she yelled, pushing more foxfire toward them, but the flames fizzled out before they could do any real damage. She wasn’t strong enough. She needed more.

  Behind her, she could hear the sound of her mother pulling her brother into a safe corner. “Get to cover, Riku!” her mother shouted, her voice edged with fear as she crouched protectively over him.

  But Ari couldn’t let her mother fight alone.

  One of the Hollowed beasts lunged at her, its claws slashing through the air, and she barely managed to dodge, tumbling backward. Her feet scrambled against the broken earth, but she quickly regained her stance, pushing herself back to her feet.

  Her eyes darted over her shoulder, toward the edge of the village. There, she saw her father. He was fighting with everything he had, his body moving with precision, every strike an effort to keep the beasts at bay. But he was alone. His energy was starting to wane, and the Hollowed beasts were closing in on him, relentless.

  Ari’s chest tightened as she watched him. There was no way she could reach him, not with the beasts in her way. Her heart threatened to shatter as the distance between them grew, and all she could do was watch helplessly.

  "Ari!" her mother shouted, pulling her back to the present. "We need to fight together. They’re closing in on us."

  Ari turned, and in that moment, she saw it, the deep flickering glow of the Hollow Star’s power inside her, beckoning her to push harder. She wasn’t strong enough to face them all at once, but she could protect her family. She had to.

  Her mother, sensing the shift in Ari’s energy, stepped forward, her eyes now burning with determination. She was ready to fight, even though her focus was always on keeping her young son safe. The instinct to protect her family, to fight back against the beasts that threatened them, was too strong to ignore.

  "I’ll keep them back," her mother said, locking eyes with Ari. "You protect Riku. Let’s fight together."

  Ari nodded, barely hearing the words as she summoned more of the foxfire, now focused and determined. Her mother leapt forward, using her own foxfire, wild and untamed, to push back against the beasts that had surrounded them.

  The beasts shrieked and hissed as the flames blasted toward them. Ari and her mother moved in tandem, each strike calculated to push the creatures back, but there were too many. More kept coming. With every burst of flame, the beasts seemed to adapt, growing bolder, more vicious.

  Ari’s father was still fighting in the distance, his efforts becoming more desperate as the number of Hollowed beasts surrounding him grew.

  Ari’s heart twisted with guilt. She couldn’t reach him, not yet. She wasn’t strong enough to fight the tide of monsters alone, but she would be. She had to be.

  But then one of the beasts managed to break through her foxfire and lunged for her mother, who was still shielding her brother.

  “No!” Ari screamed, feeling a flash of panic surge through her.

  In one swift motion, Ari hurled herself forward, her body colliding with the creature, knocking it off course before it could harm her mother. The force of the impact sent Ari crashing to the ground, her vision blurring with pain.

  Her mother grabbed her, pulling her up as they both scrambled to get back into position.

  "We can’t hold them off forever, Ari!" her mother gasped, her fur singed from the creature’s flames. "We need help, now."

  Ari’s eyes burned with fury as she looked at her father again, her heart breaking as she watched him struggle against the overwhelming odds.

  “I won’t let you fall,” Ari muttered under her breath, clenching her fists as the Hollow Star’s power surged through her once more.

  But the beasts kept coming. And time was running out.

  She had to make a choice. She had to find a way to stop them.

  Ari’s world slowed as her gaze fixed on her father. The Hollowed beasts were too many, and his body was faltering beneath their assault. She saw the moment his movements stilled, his strength finally failing.

  Her heart froze.

  "Father!" she screamed, her voice raw with fear and pain. Without thinking, her feet were already in motion, her body moving faster than she ever thought possible. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe.

  She weaved through the beasts, ignoring the sharp claws and fangs that came at her, their jaws snapping mere inches from her. She had no time to feel the sting of their blows or the burn of their sickening energy. She could only see him, her father, falling, lying broken in the dirt.

  When she reached him, her legs gave way beneath her. She collapsed beside him, her hands trembling as they hovered over his battered form. Blood soaked his fur, his breath ragged, shallow.

  “Dad, please... please stay with me,” Ari choked, her throat constricting as tears blurred her vision.

  But her father’s eyes were dim, and he reached a hand out to touch hers weakly, a faint smile on his cracked lips.

  “Ari…” His voice was barely a whisper, rough with pain, but there was no mistaking the urgency in his words. “You have to go. Take your brother... protect him. Don’t... stay here.”

  Ari shook her head violently, clutching his hand. “No! You’re going to make it, please! I can’t-”

  But he cut her off, his grip tightening on hers just enough to make her pause. His face twisted in pain, and yet there was a deep, aching calm in his eyes.

  “I’m... proud of you,” he whispered. “Be strong... for your family.”

  Ari’s heart shattered as she saw the light flicker from his eyes. His hand went limp in hers, and the unbearable weight of loss pressed down on her chest. She felt it—his death was final, and there was nothing she could do.

  Her eyes filled with rage, hot, burning, searing. She wasn’t just devastated. She was consumed.

  A roar erupted from deep within her, the Hollow Star's power flaring wildly in her chest, fueled by an uncontrollable, all-encompassing fury. The foxfire that had once been a gentle flame now exploded in waves of unrelenting energy. She felt it tearing through her body, coursing through her veins, and she let it go.

  With a cry that echoed through the broken village, she unleashed her fury.

  The first Hollowed beast nearest her was incinerated in an instant, its body turning to ash in the intense blaze. The power of the Hollow Star coursed through her like a flood, unstoppable and blinding. She slashed and struck with foxfire-fueled swipes, her fury guiding her every movement, each one faster, more precise, and more lethal than the last.

  Her father’s lifeless form was the catalyst for her wrath. The monsters surrounding him, the ones who had taken his life, paid the price. Each beast she touched was engulfed in flames, its roars drowned out by the crackling fire that consumed it.

  It wasn’t enough to kill them. No, Ari wanted more. She wanted to feel every death, every moment of power, every surge of fury that spilled from her as if it was her last breath.

  Her eyes locked onto the creatures as she spun through them, her claws of foxfire slashing, each strike clearing her path. She could see her mother in the distance, holding Riku close, fear and anguish in her eyes. Ari’s rage boiled over, she would never let anything take them from her again.

  With a cry of pure desperation, Ari surged forward, tearing through the remaining beasts like they were nothing more than shadows. Her foxfire danced in unrestrained chaos, ripping through everything in its path. The ground trembled beneath her as the power of the Hollow Star consumed the village’s heart, warping the world around her.

  The last of the beasts were reduced to smoldering piles of ash, their foul existence snuffed out by the overwhelming energy Ari wielded. Her breath was ragged, her body trembling from the strain, but the fire in her chest still burned.

  Finally, as silence fell over the blood-soaked ground, Ari turned to face her mother and brother. Her heart clenched as she saw the terrified expression on her mother’s face, Riku clutched tightly to her chest, eyes wide with fear.

  “Ari...” her mother breathed, as though she couldn’t believe her daughter was standing before her, her body surrounded by the wreckage of their attackers.

  Ari’s knees buckled, and she dropped to the ground, exhausted, the power of the Hollow Star fading as quickly as it had risen. Her body trembled from the exertion, the effects of the wild energy taking its toll.

  “I... I couldn’t save him,” Ari whispered, tears running freely down her face. The grief weighed heavily in her chest, threatening to suffocate her. “I couldn’t save him.”

  Her mother was by her side in an instant, pulling her into her arms, her voice a mixture of relief and sorrow. “You did what you had to, Ari. You saved us. You protected your brother. Your father… he would have been proud.”

  Ari buried her face in her mother’s chest, the tears flowing freely. She didn’t know if she was grieving for what had been lost or for what she had become in the process of saving them.

  The Hollow Star had given her power. But at what cost? Would this rage, this darkness, consume her too?

  “I’m sorry,” Ari whispered, though she didn’t know who she was apologizing to, her father, herself, or the world that had changed so completely in that moment.

  The silence that followed felt heavier than the weight in Ari’s chest. The scent of burnt flesh and scorched earth lingered in the air, mixing with the coppery stench of blood. The bodies of the Hollowed creatures lay in twisted, charred heaps, their grotesque forms barely recognizable. The battlefield was still, but inside her, the fire had not yet gone out.

  Ari pulled away from her mother’s embrace, her body shaking from exhaustion and lingering fury. She wiped the tears from her face with a trembling hand, forcing herself to push past the grief that threatened to consume her.

  She looked at Riku, her little brother clutching tightly to their mother’s robes. His wide, tear-filled eyes stared up at her, not just in fear, but something else—something that made her chest tighten.

  He had seen what she had done.

  She reached out hesitantly, brushing a hand over his head, trying to soothe him. “It’s okay, Riku. I won’t let anything hurt you.”

  Riku hesitated, then nodded, though his grip on their mother did not loosen. He was safe—for now. But their father was gone. Their village was in ruin. And the Hollow Star inside her still pulsed with a quiet, restless energy.

  The wind carried the distant sound of movement, and Ari’s ears twitched.

  Someone was coming.

  She pushed herself up, instincts still on edge. Were more Hollowed beasts lurking? Was the attack not over? She clenched her fists, ready to fight, despite her exhaustion—despite the unsteady feeling in her limbs.

  But then, figures emerged from the smoke.

  Kitsurian warriors, their armor dark and battle-worn, moved swiftly into the ruined village. At their head, Korai strode forward, his sharp gaze scanning the wreckage, his expression unreadable. Elder Rhenzo was not far behind, his own face tense with grim understanding.

  Ari’s breath hitched.

  They had come too late.

  Korai’s eyes locked onto her, taking in the scene—the bodies, the smoldering remains, the still-burning foxfire flickering at her fingertips.

  She didn’t know what he saw in her at that moment. A survivor? A warrior? Or something else entirely?

  He stepped forward, his tone steady but carrying weight. “You unleashed the Hollow Star’s power.”

  Ari swallowed, her throat raw. She didn’t deny it. There was no point.

  Her hands clenched at her sides. “I had no choice.”

  Korai studied her for a moment before nodding. “No. You didn’t.” His gaze swept over the village again before landing on her mother and brother. “Gather the survivors. We leave immediately.”

  Ari’s mother stiffened but nodded, holding Riku close.

  Ari frowned, stepping forward. “Where are we going?”

  Korai met her gaze, his expression unreadable. “Away from here. This place is lost.”

  Ari’s heart clenched at his words, but she didn’t argue. There was nothing left for them in Natsuyama.

  Her home was gone.

  She turned, looking one last time at where her father had fallen. She wanted to stay—wanted to bury him properly, to give him the respect he deserved.

  But there was no time.

  She turned back to Korai and nodded. “Let’s go.”

  Ari turned to leave, but a gentle hand caught her wrist.

  “Ari.”

  Her mother’s voice was soft yet firm, filled with grief but also resolve. Isari’s golden eyes shimmered with unshed tears, but she held herself steady, even as she cradled Riku protectively against her side.

  “We can’t just leave him like this.”

  Ari’s breath caught in her throat. She didn’t want to stay, not with the weight of loss pressing so heavily against her chest. But she couldn’t just turn away either. Not from him.

  She looked toward her father’s body, still lying where he had fallen. The ground was stained dark with blood, his weapons resting uselessly at his sides. He had died protecting them. The least she could do was stay a little longer, long enough to say goodbye properly.

  Korai stood in silence, watching them. He did not protest, nor did he rush them. Instead, he simply gave a short nod and turned to his warriors. “Make sure the area is secure. We move when they are ready.”

  Ari let out a quiet breath and turned back to her father.

  With slow, deliberate movements, she and Isari worked together, gathering stones to build a small cairn over his body. Riku sat nearby, quiet and tear-streaked, watching them with wide, solemn eyes. Ari wasn’t sure how much he truly understood—only that their father was gone, and he would never come back.

  They set his sword atop the stones, a final tribute to the warrior he had been.

  Isari knelt beside the cairn, murmuring a quiet Kitsurian prayer, her tails wrapped protectively around Riku. Ari closed her eyes, letting her mother’s words wash over her, trying to steady the storm inside her chest.

  When the last word was spoken, Isari placed a hand against the stones. “We’ll meet again one day,” she whispered.

  Ari swallowed the lump in her throat and did the same, resting her palm against the rough surface of the cairn. She didn’t speak, because she knew if she tried, her voice would break.

  Instead, she simply bowed her head.

  A soft wind passed through the ruins, stirring the ashes and dust. It almost felt like a response.

  Isari rose to her feet, pulling Riku close. “We should go,” she said gently.

  Ari nodded.

  They turned back toward Korai and his warriors. The general watched them with an unreadable expression but said nothing.

  With nothing left in Natsuyama, no home to return to, no family except the two at her side, Ari stepped forward.

  She didn’t know where the path ahead would lead, but there was no turning back now.

  As one, she, Isari, and Riku followed Korai into the unknown.

  The air grew colder as they moved deeper into the forest. The trees, gnarled and ancient, loomed overhead, their twisted branches heavy with mist. Korai led the way, his steps steady and deliberate, his warriors forming a protective perimeter around them. Ari stayed close to her mother and Riku, her gaze flickering restlessly between the shadows of the trees, still on high alert despite the silence around them.

  Her thoughts, however, were far from the forest’s eerie stillness. The weight of her father’s death, the destruction of their village, and the hollow, aching emptiness that followed clung to her like a shadow. She couldn’t push it away, no matter how hard she tried. It was all too raw.

  Suddenly, something tugged at the edge of her awareness, a soft rustling in the air, faint but insistent. Her heart skipped a beat, and before she could fully process it, a slip of parchment drifted down to land in her hand, as if guided by some unseen force.

  Ari glanced up, her pulse quickening. No one else seemed to notice, but she could feel the weight of the letter in her grasp. She unfurled it quickly, her eyes scanning the words written in neat, hurried handwriting.

  **"**Ari, it’s Kaelen. I’m alive. Meet me near the Hollow Star later. We have much to discuss."

  Her breath caught in her throat. Kaelen. Alive. She hadn’t heard from him since Korai had found them at the Hollow Star, and after that, he had disappeared. She had thought him lost, like so many others. But now… now, he was reaching out.

  A flood of emotions surged through her—relief, confusion, hope—but there was no time to dwell on them. She quickly folded the letter and tucked it inside her cloak, making sure no one saw it. Her heart raced as she tried to focus on the path ahead.

  Her mother, still walking beside her, hadn’t seen the letter. Ari’s thoughts spun. What had happened to Kaelen? Where had he been all this time? Why hadn’t he contacted her sooner?

  “Who’s Kaelen?” her mother’s voice broke through her thoughts, low and curious.

  Ari stiffened. She hadn’t realized Isari had been watching her so closely. She glanced at her mother, her heart pounding as she tried to gather her thoughts.

  “Kaelen…” Ari hesitated, unsure of how to explain. She didn’t want to reveal too much, not yet. “He’s... someone I met before. Someone important.”

  Isari’s golden eyes narrowed slightly, her expression unreadable. “Important? How?”

  Ari’s throat tightened, and she quickly looked away. “It’s complicated.”

  Before her mother could press further, Korai called out, his voice carrying across the clearing as he signaled to his warriors. “Set up camp here. We’ll rest before moving out again.”

  Ari couldn’t focus on anything but the letter now, the pull of Kaelen’s message too strong to ignore. She had to meet him. But when? And why hadn’t he contacted her earlier? What had happened to him?

  As Korai and his warriors began their preparations, Ari quietly pulled Isari aside, away from Riku, who was sitting with the rest of the group, quietly clutching his mother’s robes.

  “Mother, I need to go,” Ari said, her voice barely a whisper.

  Isari raised an eyebrow. “Go where?”

  Ari’s heart pounded. She couldn’t tell her everything—not yet, at least. “There’s someone I need to meet. I’ll be back soon.”

  Isari studied her daughter for a long moment, her expression softening as she recognized the urgency in Ari’s voice. “Who is it? Where are you going?”

  Ari bit her lip, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to maintain composure. “I can’t explain right now. But it’s important. I have to do this.”

  Her mother didn’t push her further, but the concern in her eyes was clear. “Ari… be careful. I don’t know who this Kaelen is, but if he’s the reason you're leaving, you need to be sure he’s someone you can trust.”

  Ari nodded quickly, the words from the letter ringing in her mind. Kaelen’s alive. That was all that mattered now. "I’ll be careful. I promise."

  Isari hesitated, then nodded, pulling her daughter into a quick embrace. “Come back to us. Whatever happens, I need you to come back.”

  “I will,” Ari whispered.

  With one last look at her mother and Riku, Ari turned and stepped away, her footsteps quick and quiet as she made her way back toward the edge of the clearing. The Hollow Star was still visible in the distance, glowing faintly in the twilight. She had to reach it, and she had to meet Kaelen. She didn’t know what answers he had, or what he needed from her, but something about his message stirred something deep inside her. She couldn’t ignore it.

  The path ahead was uncertain, but there was no turning back now. She had to see it through.

  As she made her way toward the Hollow Star, the weight of the world seemed to lift just a little, replaced by the hope that Kaelen's message had brought. Whatever happened next, she would be ready.

  And soon, she'd have the answers she so desperately needed.

  Ari’s heart raced as she approached the familiar silhouette of the Hollow Star, its jagged spires glowing faintly against the dimming sky. The air was cooler here, heavy with the lingering scent of ash and the remnants of the battle that had torn apart her home. But despite the chaos that had unfolded in her life, the sight of the Hollow Star, even in its broken form, was a constant—a point of grounding.

  She slowed her steps as she neared, her mind swimming with questions, her hands trembling with anticipation. What had happened to Kaelen? Why had he disappeared? Why hadn’t he contacted her sooner?

  The soft crunch of footsteps on the forest floor echoed in the distance, and her pulse quickened. Then, from the shadows, a figure emerged; tall, familiar, with an air of quiet intensity. Kaelen.

  Her breath caught as their eyes met. There was a sharpness to him now, an edge that hadn’t been there before. His once-casual demeanor had hardened, and the easy smile that had once graced his lips was nowhere to be found.

  “Ari.” His voice was low, almost a growl, but there was a trace of relief in it too.

  She stepped forward, her chest tight with so many emotions. “Kaelen,” she breathed, her voice cracking slightly. “Where have you been? Why didn’t you … why didn’t you come for me sooner?”

  Kaelen’s gaze flickered with something unreadable, then softened just a touch. “I had to stay away,” he said quietly, stepping closer to her. “I couldn’t risk drawing attention to you, not with everything happening right now.”

  “Drawing attention? You disappeared, Kaelen,” Ari shot back, her voice rising in frustration. “I thought, I thought you were dead. I thought I lost you. Why would you stay away? Why not contact me? I had no idea where you were!”

  He didn’t flinch at her words. Instead, he met her gaze with an intensity that made her heart ache. “Because I was watching Korai,” he said, his voice steady, but with a faint edge of weariness. “Following him. Keeping my distance. Korai’s not just some general, Ari. He’s an Avaran. And I’ve been tracking him to understand what he’s really up to.”

  “Korai?” Ari whispered, the confusion in her voice thick. “But... why would he come here, to us? What does he want with our people?”

  Kaelen’s eyes darkened, his voice low. “That’s just it. He’s not here for your people, Ari. He’s here for something bigger. The way he’s manipulating things behind the scenes... it’s not just about survival. He’s got plans, and I’m trying to figure out what they are before it’s too late.”

  Ari’s breath caught in her throat. “And what does that have to do with me?” she asked, her heart racing as she realized the gravity of the situation.

  Kaelen stepped closer, his voice softer now, though still urgent. “Korai knows about you. About what’s inside you. The Hollow Star’s power. And that makes you a target.” His eyes locked onto hers. “He’s dangerous, Ari. He’ll use anyone to get what he wants, and I’m not going to let that happen to you.”

  Ari shuddered. The weight of Kaelen’s words settled in her chest like a stone. “So, what do you want me to do?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Kaelen’s gaze softened just a fraction, but the urgency in his words remained. “You can’t stay here. Not with him so close. I’ve found a secondary camp, hidden deep in the forest. I thought it was safe, a place to hide out. But it’s Korai’s camp, Ari.” He paused, his tone heavy. “It’s filled with prisoners—Kitsurian and Hytrolian alike. They’re being used, held captive, and Korai’s pulling the strings.”

  Ari froze, her pulse quickening as Kaelen’s words sank in. “You found his camp?” she whispered, the weight of the revelation making her stomach twist. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  Kaelen’s jaw clenched, his gaze darkening. “Because I couldn’t be sure of what I found. At first, I thought it was just another hidden base. But it’s more than that. Korai’s controlling them—using their suffering for something I still don’t fully understand. But I know enough to say this: you can’t stay near him. Not with the Hollow Star inside you.”

  Ari’s mind raced, trying to process everything. Kaelen’s words rang in her ears. Korai had a camp—a base of operations where he was holding prisoners and controlling them for some unknown purpose. He wasn’t just an Avaran general. He was something far darker than she had realized. And now she was a part of his plan, whether she liked it or not.

  Kaelen’s hand found hers, his grip firm but gentle. “Ari, I know this is hard. I know you don’t want to leave your family, but if you stay with him, if you stay near Korai, you’ll only be putting yourself and your loved ones in more danger. I can keep you safe, but not if you stay here.”

  Ari’s heart ached, torn between the safety Kaelen offered and the family she had left. “And my mother? Riku?”

  “They’re safe for now,” Kaelen said, his voice softening. “I’ve made sure of it. But you need to come with me, Ari. For your own sake.”

  Her chest tightened, and she glanced back toward where her family was waiting. She couldn’t just leave them behind. But the urgency in Kaelen’s eyes, the fear in his voice, it was enough to make her second-guess everything.

  “I- I need time to think,” she whispered, her mind a blur of uncertainty. “I can’t just walk away from them.”

  Kaelen nodded, though his expression remained troubled. “I’ll give you time, but not much. Korai’s camp is closer than you think, and I’m not sure how long we have before he realizes we’ve found it.”

  Ari swallowed, her thoughts in chaos. She had lost so much already—her home, her father. Was this really the only way to protect what was left of her family? Would leaving them behind, even for a short time, be worth it?

  “Okay,” she finally said, her voice shaking. “I’ll go with you. But only for a little while. I have to make sure they’re safe first.”

  Kaelen’s gaze softened. “I’ll help you with that. But we need to leave soon. It’s not just your family at risk anymore. It’s everything.”

  Ari’s heart pounded in her chest as she looked toward the direction of her family. The weight of Kaelen’s words hung heavily in the air. Everything she had known, everything she thought was secure, now felt like it was teetering on the edge of a precipice.

  "I won't stay for long," Ari said, her voice barely above a whisper, but firm. "I need to know they're safe, Kaelen. Then we can go."

  Kaelen nodded, his gaze still intense, though there was a subtle shift in his expression, as if relieved she was agreeing to come with him. "I’ll make sure of it. But we can't waste too much time. Korai is unpredictable, and he has eyes everywhere. The longer we stay here, the more dangerous it becomes for you."

  Ari hesitated, looking back one last time toward her family’s location. She could see the faint outline of her mother and Riku in the distance, unaware of the shifting danger around them.

  "I’ll make this quick," she said, her voice steadier now. "Give me a moment. I promise I won’t take long."

  Kaelen stepped closer to her, his voice low but urgent. "I’ll be right here," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "Just hurry."

  Ari turned and sprinted back toward the direction where she had last seen her family, the crunch of the forest floor beneath her feet the only sound in the quiet evening. The trees loomed overhead, their branches creating an almost oppressive canopy of shadows. Every step felt heavier as the weight of Kaelen’s warning loomed over her.

  When she finally reached the clearing where her mother and Riku had set up camp, she found them sitting by a small fire. The soft glow of the flames illuminated their faces, casting long shadows across their features.

  “Ari!” her mother called out, a mix of relief and concern in her voice. “We were getting worried. Where did you go?”

  Ari forced a smile, though it felt tight on her face. “I just needed to clear my head,” she replied, walking closer to them. “I’m fine.”

  Her mother’s gaze softened, but Riku, ever observant, tilted his head, sensing something was off. “What’s going on, Ari? You look... tense.”

  Ari sat down beside them, her eyes darting between the two, trying to figure out how to explain the urgency she felt without scaring them. She couldn’t tell them everything, not yet, not with the threat of Korai so close. But she knew she couldn’t stay either. The feeling of being trapped, of being caught in an invisible web, pressed down on her.

  “I... I need to go away for a little while,” she said quietly, her voice shaky but determined. “It’s for my safety. And yours too.”

  Her mother looked startled. “What do you mean, ‘go away’? Where are you going?”

  Ari glanced over her shoulder, her heart racing. She could feel the time ticking, feel the invisible pressure building. "I... I have to leave for a bit," she said, standing up slowly. "I don’t know for how long, but I’ll be back. I’ll be okay, I promise."

  Her mother stood up too, concern flooding her face. “Ari, no. What’s going on? Why are you suddenly talking like this?”

  Ari took a deep breath, feeling the weight of everything on her shoulders. She didn’t want to lie, but the truth would have to wait. "I can’t explain everything right now, Mom. But please... trust me."

  She turned quickly, trying not to let her emotions show. She didn’t want them to worry, but deep down, she knew they already sensed something was wrong. Still, there was no time left for explanations.

  “I’ll be back soon,” she whispered, her voice breaking as she turned away. She could feel her mother’s gaze on her, but she didn’t dare look back.

  As she stepped back into the forest, she glanced over her shoulder once more. Her mother and Riku were still standing in the clearing, watching her go, but Ari couldn’t stop now. She had to leave.

  She made her way quickly back to Kaelen, who was waiting just beyond the tree line, his eyes scanning the horizon.

  “Are they okay?” Kaelen asked, his voice low and filled with concern.

  “They’re fine … for now,” Ari said, her voice shaking. “But we need to go. I’ll explain everything when I can. I don’t have much time.”

  Kaelen gave a single nod, his expression unreadable, though there was something in his eyes that told Ari he understood. He was ready to move.

  Without another word, he took the lead, guiding her deeper into the forest. The air felt heavier now, the sound of distant birds and rustling leaves seeming to fade into a thick, oppressive silence. Ari walked closely behind him, her thoughts swirling. She had no idea what she was walking into. All she knew was that this moment, this decision, felt like a turning point. There was no going back from here.

  After what seemed like an eternity, they reached a small, hidden camp. The area was shrouded in dense trees, almost undetectable to anyone who didn’t know where to look. There were no signs of life—no guards, no soldiers. But Kaelen’s movements were deliberate, confident, as if he had been here many times before.

  “This is where we’ll be safe,” Kaelen said, his voice soft as he turned to face her. “For now.”

  Ari nodded, the weight of everything finally crashing down on her. She didn’t know what Kaelen was leading her into, or what dangers lay ahead. But one thing was clear: she couldn’t stay in the open any longer. Not with Korai hunting her, not with everything at stake.

  As Kaelen set up a small fire and some makeshift shelter, Ari found herself standing at the edge of the camp, gazing into the dark forest. The echoes of her family’s lives felt like they were fading away, slipping through her fingers. But she had made her choice.

  Ari sat near the fire, her mind a tangled mess of questions and emotions. The warmth from the flames did little to ease the cold knot of uncertainty in her chest. Kaelen was still moving about the camp, checking the perimeter with practiced precision, his movements deliberate and measured. He was different now—no longer the carefree, charismatic figure she had met that day in Natsuyama, but a man with an agenda, a man with scars that ran deeper than any battle wound.

  She watched him for a long while, her fingers absently tracing the edge of her blade, the only thing she still had from her old life, her past.

  “Are you ever going to tell me the whole truth, Kaelen?” Ari's voice broke the silence, quiet but full of tension. She needed answers, and she needed them now.

  Kaelen stopped what he was doing and turned to face her. His expression was unreadable, a mask he had worn for so long that Ari wondered if he'd even know how to take it off.

  “I’ve told you what’s important,” he replied, his voice calm but with a note of something darker beneath. “Korai isn’t who he seems to be. And you shouldn’t trust him.”

  Ari’s eyes narrowed. “I’ve seen the way you look at him. You don’t just dislike him—you want him dead. Why?”

  Kaelen’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, Ari thought he might avoid the question. But instead, he took a slow, deliberate step toward her, his gaze hardening as he spoke.

  “Because he took everything from me.”

  Ari blinked, taken aback by the rawness in his voice. She had never seen Kaelen like this before—not this vulnerable, not this broken.

  “He destroyed my life,” Kaelen continued, his tone colder now, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “I’ve been tracking him, watching him from a distance for longer than you realize. Ever since he destroyed everything I had, everything I cared about. I’ve been waiting for the right moment to take him down, to make him pay for what he did.”

  Ari's heart pounded in her chest as she tried to process what Kaelen was saying. He wasn’t just some wandering ally. He wasn’t someone who had come to Natsuyama to help in the heat of battle. He had been watching Korai, studying him, waiting for the moment when he could strike.

  “Wait a second,” Ari said, taking a step forward. “You’ve been watching Korai? This whole time? And you didn’t help us? You didn’t step in when the Hollowed attacked? Why?”

  Kaelen’s eyes darkened, his expression hardening as if she’d struck a nerve. “I couldn’t risk it, Ari. You don’t understand. Korai’s influence goes deeper than you think. Every step I’ve taken has been carefully planned, waiting for the right moment. I couldn’t just reveal myself to him. He would’ve killed me on sight. And he would’ve taken you down with me.”

  Ari’s chest tightened at his words. The truth was harsh, too harsh to ignore. She had thought Kaelen was someone who would fight alongside them, someone who would help. Instead, he had been shadowing them from the beginning, waiting for the right time to make his move.

  “I don’t understand,” Ari said, frustration building in her voice. “Why are you telling me this now? Why not sooner? We’ve been fighting for our lives, trying to survive, and you’ve been just... watching?”

  Kaelen’s gaze softened for a brief moment, but there was no warmth in his eyes; just the cold, bitter edge of someone who had lost everything.

  “Because you’re in the middle of it now,” he said, his voice quieter. “I’ve been watching Korai for years. I’ve seen the way he works, the way he manipulates people. And when I saw you, I saw something I hadn’t seen before, someone strong enough to stop him. That’s why I’ve been following you. You’re the key to bringing him down. But you can’t do it alone.”

  Ari swallowed hard, a chill creeping down her spine. “You think I can take him down?” she asked incredulously, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Kaelen met her gaze, his expression serious, his eyes burning with something fierce. “You don’t have a choice, Ari. You’re already in this. Korai won’t stop until he gets what he wants, and that means he’ll come for you, for your family, for everything.”

  Ari’s mind raced. She had no idea how to fight someone like Korai. She had only just learned about the Hollow Star and its power inside her. How could she take down an Avaran like Korai when she was barely keeping herself together? And yet, there was something in Kaelen’s words, in the raw intensity of his gaze, that made her wonder if he was right. If she was the one who could stop him.

  “I don’t know if I can do this,” Ari admitted, her voice small despite the fire that still burned inside her. “I don’t even know who to trust anymore.”

  Kaelen stepped closer, his expression softening just enough to show he wasn’t entirely cold. “I’m not asking you to trust me,” he said quietly. “But I’m asking you to trust that Korai is a monster. And I’ve spent too long waiting to destroy him. I need your help, Ari. We need to work together. If we don’t, he’ll destroy everything else, and it’ll be too late.”

  Ari looked down at her hands, feeling the weight of the Hollow Star pulsing beneath her skin. It wasn’t just a mark. It was a weapon. And if she didn’t learn to control it, she might lose herself in it.

  “Where do we go from here?” she asked quietly, lifting her head to look at him.

  Kaelen’s lips pressed into a thin line. “We move forward. We gather what allies we can. We get you to a place where you can learn how to control the Hollow Star. And then... we end this.”

  Ari nodded, feeling the heavy weight of his words settle in her chest. The path ahead wasn’t going to be easy. But if what Kaelen said was true, Korai wasn’t just the enemy. He was the reason for all of this. And if she wanted to end it, to find some semblance of peace, she was going to have to face him.

  Together, they would find a way.

  The fire crackled in the silence that followed Kaelen's words, and Ari could feel the weight of their unspoken pact hanging between them. The air seemed to thicken, each passing second pulling her deeper into a world of uncertainty and danger. Kaelen had made his intentions clear—he had his own reasons for wanting to bring down Korai, reasons that were personal, as much about revenge as about justice.

  Ari wasn’t sure if she could trust him fully. His words, however, painted a picture of a man who was single-minded, perhaps to the point of obsession. But what choice did she have? She couldn’t go back to Natsuyama, and she couldn’t stay hidden forever. The fight wasn’t over. It was just beginning.

  “What’s the plan, then?” she asked, her voice steadier than she felt. She was done with hesitation. Her family had already lost too much.

  Kaelen’s eyes gleamed in the firelight as he crouched next to her, his voice low but clear. “We’ll head to a place called the Hollow Reach. It’s a place of refuge, where people like us—people who want to fight back—can gather in secret. But we can’t just walk in there. Korai has eyes everywhere, and we’re being hunted. If we’re spotted, we’ll have to move fast.”

  Ari nodded, digesting his words. She still wasn’t fully sure of where this would lead or how they were supposed to trust one another, but Kaelen had a fire in him that made her think he wasn’t lying. He’d been running his own covert war against Korai for far longer than she had known. His secrets, his pain, it all made sense now.

  Kaelen stood, looking over the camp one last time. “You need to rest. We leave at dawn. Keep your guard up. Korai’s reach is wide, but we’ll be okay if we keep our wits about us.”

  Ari didn’t reply immediately. She stood, pacing for a moment, letting the weight of everything sink in. Her father’s loss, the Hollow Star’s power, the destruction of her home, everything felt like it was collapsing in on her. The fire inside her still burned, but it felt colder now, like she was running out of time.

  She finally spoke, her voice steady despite the storm inside her. “Why didn’t you come to Natsuyama? You could’ve helped us. You could’ve helped my father.”

  Kaelen didn’t flinch at her accusation. He knew it was coming, and the answer was simple. “I had to stay hidden. I had to keep watching. If I’d revealed myself, if I’d intervened... it would’ve made everything worse. I’m not the hero you think I am, Ari. I’m not here to save anyone. I’m here to kill Korai. That’s all.”

  Ari swallowed hard, understanding the darkness in his words, but still searching for any hint of the man she had once seen as an ally. There was a bitterness there, an anger that ran so deep it seemed to have consumed him entirely.

  “But we could’ve fought together,” she said quietly, though she wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince anymore.

  Kaelen’s eyes flickered briefly with something softer, something akin to regret, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. “I fight my own battles, Ari. I always have.”

  The silence that followed was heavy, both of them standing in the dim light of the fire, surrounded by the weight of unspoken truths. Ari didn’t know if she could follow Kaelen into the kind of war he wanted to fight, but at that moment, she didn’t have any other options.

  She had already lost everything.

  She turned toward the edge of the camp, where the shadows of the trees stretched long and dark. “I’m going to get some rest. But I’m not doing this alone, Kaelen. Not anymore.”

  Kaelen’s expression softened just a little. “You won’t be.”

  The camp was still, the only sounds the occasional rustle of the wind through the trees, the low hum of insects in the underbrush. Ari made her way to her tent, the weight of her father’s death still hanging over her, but with every step, the fire inside her burned a little brighter. If this was the path she had to walk, then so be it. She had to learn to control the Hollow Star, to wield its power, to survive.

  And above all, she had to end Korai. For everything he had taken from her. For everything he had ruined.

  Ari lay down on the hard ground, the cloak she had wrapped around herself offering little warmth. She closed her eyes, but sleep didn’t come easily. The weight of everything pressed on her chest, each thought like a hammer on an anvil. She was caught between two worlds, the one she had lost and the one she was now forced to fight for.

  As the night stretched on, Ari felt the Hollow Star within her stir, its power still raw and untamed. It was only a matter of time before she would have to face it, to face what it had made her. But for now, there was only the promise of the journey ahead, and the understanding that, somewhere in the distance, Korai’s shadow still loomed.

  Tomorrow, they would begin their move. And Ari would make sure that this time, it would be the last time Korai would have the power to destroy anything.