The discordant note grew louder, threatening to shatter the harmony of the celestial music. Aria's fingers faltered on the lyre's strings, and the figure's song began to waver.
A dark shape emerged from the shadows, its presence like a cold wind that swept across the cliff. The shape coalesced into a figure – a woman with skin as black as the night sky and hair that flowed like the darkness itself.
"Arachne," the star-cloaked figure whispered, its voice filled with a mix of fear and reverence.
Arachne's eyes gleamed with malevolent intent as she raised a hand. The discordant note swelled, and the celestial music began to unravel.
Aria felt the starlight within her responding to the darkness. Her lyre began to glow with an intense, pulsing light. Without thinking, she launched into a fierce, improvisational melody – one that wove together the starlight, the celestial music, and her own inner light.
The music clashed with Arachne's darkness, creating a maelstrom of sound and fury. The cliff itself began to shudder, and the stars above twinkled in alarm.