"The world was created in eternal darkness. Night had reigned over the world since time immemorial.
Glazing the skies in an abyssal black. Dying the seas to be as dark as ink. Reducing the lands to no more than a bleak expanse.
Should one look at their hands, they would not be able to see their fingers; thus, one could not tell the time.
Should one look at their surroundings, they would not be able to see through the dark; thus, one could not see direction.
Should one look at their world, they would not be able to see anything but a single shade; thus, one could not know of colour.
Night existed as an absence of all things good ("In a sense"); it was the antithesis to living itself."
("What does 'antithesis' mean?"
"Opposite, my dear.")
"If one wanted to experience the passing of time, or the sense of direction, or the colours of life, one would have to escape the all-encompassing authority of Night.
Escape that which was inescapable; it was hopelessness incarnate."
("Shimmer~…"
"Father...")
Piercing the veil of darkness, a shimmering golden light descended to the world below, scattering the near dark to mere shadows.
A Golden Youth appeared before the very world, arriving at the very centre of the world, and becoming the centre of the world!
He walked along the soil, travelling North and meeting the denizens of the peerless plateaus.
As his light shone in the dark, he revealed a group of young and old people.
They asked, "Who are you?" "What are you doing?" "What is this…?"
The Golden Youth simply replied, "I am a star!" "I am walking!" "This is but my young body!"
As he said this, North's denizens revered and rejoiced. They came to understand time.
Continuing, the Golden Youth swam in a river, reaching East and meeting the denizens of the islands.
As his light shone in the dark, he revealed a group of disorganised people.
They asked, "Who are you?" "What are you doing?" "What is this…?"
The Golden Youth simply replied, "I am a star!" "I am swimming!" "This is but my light!"
As he said this, East's denizens praised and sang. They came to understand direction.
Continuing, the Golden Youth flew to the sky, reaching South and meeting the denizens of the clouds.
As his light shone in the dark, he revealed a group of very dull people.
They asked, "Who are you?" "What are you doing?" "What is this…?"
The Golden Youth simply replied, "I am a star!" "I am flying!" "This is but my gold!"
As he said this, South's denizens hailed and whistled. They came to understand colour.
Thus, the Golden Youth descended once more and fell to the West, among the denizens of the mountains.
Landing on the peak, the people of the west were revealed.
Everywhere the Golden Youth went, a Way of Life was left behind.
Now? Looking at the people, he did not wait for them to plead.
The Golden Youth spoke with a light tone, "I am a star!
I come before Night and banish the dark!
I come to these lands, the seas, and the clouds above!
I come to bring you life!"
Saying so, the Golden Youth stole the world's attention.
Pointing up was a little hand, a daring finger stabbing upwards, as if trying to poke a hole in the sky.
Then and there, light began to shine from high above, from Night's sky.
The Golden Youth continued,
"Heaven will not ignore these hardships.
They will welcome you with open arms."
"Night will not ignore your merits.
It will continue to pile difficulties on your life."
Saying so, the Golden Youth shimmered with a golden light.
"You must not give up!
You must follow your Way!
You must live on!"
As the Golden Youth said this, the golden light faded, and the youth was gone.
Only the lonely light in Night's sky was left."
"And so the Starlit Sky was made…?"
"That is only the story behind the first star."
The man replied as he held this young child in his arms.
Before the two of them was the vast sky of inky black; countless dots of white lit the darkness, casting a grey hue over the world.
"The Starlit Sky was made thereafter, with generations of humanity striving for Immortality and poking a hole in Night's sky!"
The little girl, held in her father's embrace, lost herself in the sight.
Pointing up, the man led his daughter's gaze to one particular star in the sky, far in the distance.
"That was the first star," he pointed to another star, "and that is mine."
"Father… I can't tell which one you're pointing at…"
"…"
"Don't worry about it. Just know that I have a star. Soon, you, too, will have a star, Dawn."
"Will I?"
"I'm sure of it. Don't you want to be like your father?"
The little girl — little Dawn — giggled happily as she responded.
"Of course I do!"
"I'll be strong, and fly around in the sky, and walk on the sky, like you do."
"And… I'll have my own star in the sky too!"
Her father laughed heartily at her declaration.
"Where might you place your star?"
"Hmm…"
Little Dawn searched the sky, gazing over every white dot that shone radiantly.
"I want to place my star next to yours! But... I don't know where it is."
She said while squinting her eyes.
"Hahaha! Then I will show you where to place it when the time comes."
…
…
…
Looking back on those memories, Dawn found herself a little tearful.
Now, she watched as her father rose to the sky with a blinding golden light.
Without time to consider anything else, she yielded to the orders her father left behind.
'Evacuate the people.'
'Lead them far from the mountain.'
'Await my return.'
Those words echoed in her mind as she took off from the monastery on the mountain top.
It was Late Hour, the stars were at their dimmest, so most people would be sleeping at this time, but with the resounding clashes, the thunderous rumbles in the sky, who could sleep at this time?
Dawn ran through the streets of the Settlement, the home where she had been raised since birth.
Rallying everyone she could reach, and directing them to head down and reach the Settlement's Southernmost gate.
Looking up again, she turned to the area in the sky where those deafening sounds originated.
"Please, return to us soon, Father…"
…