In the abandoned square, the silence was heavy with an even more ominous tension—a palpable sense of the unknown. The wan moonlight cast pale outlines of the two figures locked in a standoff, as if they were performers in a silent pantomime where every subtle movement was loaded with caution and probing.
Thalia stood motionless, her ice-blue eyes functioning like the most precise instruments as they repeatedly scanned Raine—especially his right arm, still bleeding. The droplets of blood that had imparted that strange, soothing sensation on her pale hand now seemed to ignite a silent storm within her. Shock, confusion, and disbelief gradually coalesced into a cold, piercing curiosity. The torment of years inflicted by Shadowblight had suddenly eased, and this unexpected relief was an immensely tempting change that she could not ignore. It forced her to reassess the target before her—a target who now appeared far more vulnerable than she had originally presumed.
Raine leaned against the cold stone base of the fountain, each breath a reminder of the scorching pain in his right arm. The dizziness brought on by blood loss was relentless, yet he forced himself to remain alert, his gaze fixed on the mysterious and dangerous woman before him. He did not understand why she had ceased her attack, nor could he decipher the complex emotions playing across her face. However, he sensed that the murderous intent had receded, replaced by a scrutiny that was even more disquieting. Clutched tightly in his arms was the gently warming Fallen Stone—the sole comfort and bargaining chip he had at that moment.
Time passed in that silent confrontation, each second as precarious as walking on thin ice.
Finally, it was Thalia who broke the suffocating stalemate. Her voice, brittle as shards of ice colliding, rang out—cold and devoid of any warmth, yet imbued with an undeniable, oppressive force.
"You," she began, her gaze locking onto Raine's eyes, "who exactly are you?"
Her question was abrupt, piercing straight to his core. She did not ask for his name or his history; rather, she sought to know his essence.
Raine exhaled shakily, his voice hoarse from pain but laced with the stubborn defiance of a man who had narrowly escaped death. "Before I tell you who I am, why would I do that?" he countered, his tone edged with both survivor's grit and wariness. "Who are you? Why did you attack me? And you seem strangely interested in that stone." He instinctively touched the Fallen Stone pressed to his chest.
Thalia's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. Accustomed to seizing control through strength and fear, she was unaccustomed to direct counter-questioning. Yet she was even more aware that this situation was unusual—the young man's blood... contained a power she had never experienced before.
Without answering his questions directly, she shifted her gaze once more to his injured arm, where the blood glistened strangely in the moonlight. "Your blood," she said quietly—almost as if stating a fact to herself—"is not ordinary."
A jolt rippled through Raine's heart. So, it was due to his blood! Yet, maintaining his guarded composure, he asked, "I don't understand what you mean."
"You need not understand," Thalia replied coolly, cutting him off as if impatient with his probing. "Just know this: within your blood lies a… special power. A power that can… quell the darkness."
Her words were deliberately vague, yet Raine immediately recalled the moment when a few droplets of his blood had fallen upon her hand—triggering her stunned reaction and momentary hesitation. His blood… capable of calming the dark? It sounded like a fable, yet the look on her face was not feigned.
Thalia continued, her tone imbued with a decisive certainty: "This trait is usually associated only with the legends of the 'Starborne'—those whose bloodlines are the purest, most intimately connected with the stars of old." She paused, her ice-blue eyes piercing again into Raine. "A descendant of the Dawnstar family, isn't it? Raine Dawnstar."
Raine's heart nearly stopped—she even knew his surname! This revelation only deepened his wariness. The Dawnstar family had long been in decline, dismissed in the capital as a family of fallen nobles. How could she possibly know? Moreover, she mentioned the term "Starborne"—a word he had only seen in the oldest, near-forgotten records of his family.
Noticing the flash of shock that crossed his face, Thalia knew her deduction was correct. She pressed further, using selective details to steer the situation.
"As for that stone," she glanced at his hand still pressed against his chest, "it is known as the 'Fallen Stone'—a key to channeling starlight energy. But it is far more significant and dangerous than you imagine." Her tone grew grave. "Etheria is changing. The stars fade; the area afflicted by Shadowblight expands relentlessly. The Church calls it 'divine punishment,' but the truth is far more terrifying. The threat of corruption is devouring everything at an unprecedented pace."
Her words, cold and relentless as a tide, washed over Raine. Starlight energy? Shadowblight? These terms were alien and remote to him, yet the ominous weight of "corruption" filled him with dread. He recalled the murmurs at the auction about the dimming stars, the ever-expanding forbidden zones at the city's edge.
Thalia continued, her eyes never leaving his. "Your blood can temper the corruption—this is nothing short of a miracle, but it also brings enormous danger. Those who covet such power or fear it will come after you. Just as… I have." She made no secret of her earlier intent to kill him.
Raine fell silent, overwhelmed by the barrage of revelations. Starborne blood, extraordinary blood, a Fallen Stone imbued with starlight, and the dreadful Shadowblight… all these surpassed everything he had ever known. He had merely sought to find his sister and uncover the mystery behind his family's massacre, yet now he was caught in an even larger, more perilous vortex.
He looked at this enigmatic woman before him—powerful beyond doubt, seemingly privy to secrets yet with motives shrouded in mystery. Not long ago, she had tried to kill him; now she was imparting these revelations. What was she after?
"Then… what do you want?" Raine finally managed, his voice weary and confused.
A flicker passed through Thalia's gaze. This was the pivotal moment. She needed his blood—at least until she found another way to stave off the invasive effects of the fragment within her. Meanwhile, the Fallen Stone in his arms and the visions related to Fallenstar Citadel had piqued her interest. Fallenstar Citadel— the last royal city of the Starborne, a place she, as its "Guardian," was duty-bound to watch over.
She could not fully trust him, but she needed him. At least, for the time being.
"I want the truth," Thalia said slowly, her voice still cold but now carrying a subtle complexity. "About the Fallen Stone, about your blood, and about… Fallenstar Citadel."
At the mere mention of "Fallenstar Citadel," Raine's body shuddered—the centerpiece of his vision and his only clue to finding his sister.
He drew a deep breath and met Thalia's penetrating gaze, his inner conflict raging. He knew that allying with this woman was as perilous as it was necessary—collaborating with her was like bargaining with a tiger. Yet, she seemed to be his only source of clues, perhaps even his sole hope. Besides, his grievous injuries rendered him incapable of facing the unknown dangers alone.
Perhaps… he had no other choice.
"You want the truth?" Raine's voice lowered, tinted with bitterness and resolve. "Alright, I'll tell you."
Under the cold moonlight, in that forlorn square, Raine began to recount his story. He spoke of the former glory and subsequent decline of the Dawnstar family; he recounted the tragic night when his ancestral estate was ambushed, his parents slain in a brutal massacre, and his young sister—Lia—mysteriously vanished. He described how, for years, he had wandered through life like a ghost, clinging only to the belief that one day he would find his sister and uncover the truth.
Then he mentioned the Fallen Stone.
"I spent everything to buy it," Raine's voice trembled as he continued, "simply because the residual starlight energy on it reminded me of a few cryptic passages in our ancient records about the 'Starborne.' I hoped… perhaps I might find a clue." His voice wavered. "And then, when I touched it, I saw… a vision."
He described that vague but real vision—a shattered, floating city; gigantic chains; and the image of his sister Lia trapped within.
"Is that… Fallenstar Citadel?" Raine looked up, his eyes filled with pain and a flicker of desperate hope, "You said you know of it. Tell me, what kind of place is it? Is my sister really there?" His voice trembled with sorrow and the last remnants of hope.
Thalia listened in silence, her face impassive though her inner turmoil surged.
Family annihilation, a missing sister, a Fallen Stone that had triggered a vision of Fallenstar Citadel… all the threads wove together into a complex mystery—one deeply entwined with ancient prophecies and the secrets of the Starborne. Raine Dawnstar, a seemingly ordinary descendant of a once-prominent noble house, might well be far more important than Thalia had initially surmised.
Not only did he possess a blood capable of "soothing" the corruption, but he also resonated profoundly with the Fallen Stone, and had received a "guidance" regarding Fallenstar Citadel. Whether that guidance was real or a projection of a deeper force, it meant that Raine could be the key to unraveling it all.
Perhaps… he truly was the "wild card" foretold in legend—a person who could change everything.
Thalia suppressed the myriad speculations and the stirrings in her heart, reclaiming her customary cool demeanor. Raine's frankness had revealed a possibility for cooperation—and an opportunity to leverage him.
"Fallenstar Citadel," Thalia began slowly, her tone as cold as ever yet carrying an unmistakable authority, "is the last royal city of the Starborne—a miracle suspended in the skies. But it has long been lost, shrouded by a formidable power. It is said that it conceals the ultimate secret of the 'Starcore.'" She deliberately omitted any mention of the "Void's Throat" or the true source of corruption, and did not reveal her role as its guardian.
"As for your sister…" Thalia paused, her gaze softening momentarily as it fell on Raine's expectant face, "the vision you saw might be a genuine guide—or it could be a trap. Fallenstar Citadel is no longer a haven; it is filled with unknown dangers, perhaps even occupied by… forces beyond our comprehension."
Her words were like a bucket of icy water, dousing the fragile flame of hope that had just been ignited in Raine's heart. A trap? Occupied by unknown powers?
"But," Thalia's tone shifted as a glimmer flickered in her ice-blue eyes, "if you truly seek the truth about your sister's fate, then Fallenstar Citadel is your only way. And I… might be the only one who can show you how to get there."
Raine's heart sank, then a faint hope stirred within him. He studied Thalia, searching beneath her cold mask for any sign of sincerity.
"Are you suggesting a partnership?" Raine asked, his voice gravelly with exhaustion.
"A temporary alliance," Thalia corrected curtly, her tone devoid of warmth. "We share a common destination—and perhaps common enemies. I can guide you with knowledge of corruption and ancient lore to help you reach Fallenstar Citadel. And you…" Her gaze returned to his wounded arm, the implication clear.
"You need my… help." Thalia chose her words carefully—he knew well that she meant his blood.
Raine fell silent, warring within himself.
To trust a mysterious Shadow Witch who had only just tried to kill him, and then to relinquish a part of himself—the very essence of his blood—seemed akin to digging his own grave.
And yet… my sister. Lia might be in Fallenstar Citadel, and whether it is a beacon of hope or a perilous trap, he must find out. Moreover, this woman before him appeared to be his only viable avenue.
He glanced at his bleeding arm, then at Thalia's pale hand, where the residual blood had seemingly softened those once-disturbing, dark lines. Was there truly something unique in my blood? Could this power be my asset in protecting myself and achieving my goal?
It was a colossal gamble. Lose, and he might be lost forever. Yet, if he did nothing, he would forever be mired in regret and despair.
"I need your assurance," Raine said, drawing a deep breath and meeting Thalia's penetrating gaze with determined resolve, "that you will show me the way into Fallenstar Citadel—and that you won't stab me in the back."
Thalia regarded him, a slight, almost mocking smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Assurances? In this world, guarantees are the cheapest currency. I can only tell you that until we reach Fallenstar Citadel, you need me—and I need you. For now, our interests align."
It wasn't a guarantee, but it was the brutal reality.
Raine closed his eyes. In his mind, his sister Lia's smiling face and that dreadful night of his family's annihilation flashed before him. Finally, he opened his eyes, now resolute.
"Alright," he managed to rasp through gritted teeth, "I agree. We work together."
Thalia gave a slight nod, accepting this fragile oral pact. Without extending a hand or uttering any words of camaraderie, she glanced once more at Raine's wound, then said, "You must tend to your injury and regain your strength. We cannot remain here."
She turned, her eyes fixed on the darkened perimeter of the city, where a deeper black horizon loomed. "To reach Fallenstar Citadel, we must first cross the Blightwood. There, we might find what we need—or encounter those who can help us."
Raine struggled to stand, the searing pain in his right arm making him stagger. As he watched Thalia's cold, unwavering back, his heart was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.
A fragile alliance—bound by blood, secrets, and a shared purpose (or perhaps merely a temporary truce)—had been forged in that forgotten, abandoned square beneath the dismal moonlight.
The path ahead was fraught with danger and the unknown, and trust was as fragile as thin ice. Yet fate's gears had already started to turn, binding these two unlikely souls together and pushing them toward a future forsaken by the stars and enshrouded in shadows.
The night wind blew again, stirring the dust on the ground, seemingly carrying away the last vestiges of warmth, leaving only a cold reality and a deepening enigma. Their journey had only just begun.