The night sky over Aetheris was unlike any other realm. Stars didn't simply glimmer—they danced, streaking faint trails of silver across the heavens as if the cosmos itself painted over the canvas of eternity. Seven massive islands floated in the sky, each glowing faintly with magical runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. Beneath them stretched an endless ocean of clouds, rolling and shifting as though alive, hiding forgotten secrets far below.
On the largest island, Lunaria, the Moonlight Guild's tower reached high into the night. Built of pale stone infused with moon crystals, the tower glowed faintly whenever the full moon rose, as if the structure itself breathed. Tonight, however, its light wavered—an omen unnoticed by most of the island's sleeping citizens.
But not by her.
Inside the grand hall of the guild, a lone figure stood beneath the stained-glass dome that revealed the endless stars above. Lyria Moonfall, the guild's young leader, let the moonlight spill over her as though it belonged to her alone. Her silver hair shimmered with the same glow as the stars, cascading down her back in a silken waterfall. Her eyes, a deep violet touched by a trace of silver, reflected the celestial light with an intensity that made most people uncomfortable to meet her gaze for long.
Many called her the "Moonlight Bosslady"—a title whispered with a strange blend of respect and fear. Though only seventeen, her powers were already infamous across the islands. She had defeated challengers older, stronger, and wiser, her magic flowing with an elegance that seemed unnatural. And that was because it was.
Tonight, the hall was silent except for the crackle of distant torches. Lyria stared at her palm, where a faint glow pulsed beneath her skin. Embedded deep in her being was her Celestial Stone, the crystalline fragment of power every mage was born with. Unlike others, hers had always been… wrong. Too radiant. Too alive. It wasn't just a source of magic—it felt like a second soul beating inside her.
As she traced her fingers across the glow, her chest tightened. It's getting stronger, she thought. Why now?
A sudden gust of wind rushed through the windows, extinguishing the candles at once. The hall fell into eerie darkness, lit only by the pale moon above. The runes etched into the tower walls flickered, dimmed, then brightened again with nervous pulses.
From the shadows padded a creature both delicate and majestic—a crescent moon fox, its fur shimmering faintly as though woven from stardust. Its eyes glowed white, soft yet piercing.
"Nyxara," Lyria whispered, lowering her blade of light but not her guard.
The fox dipped its head in graceful acknowledgment. When it spoke, its voice was a melody of soft chimes, echoing faintly in the air.
"The stars whisper tonight, Lady Lyria. A storm approaches—one greater than any you have yet faced. Your path will bend, and with it… the fate of all Aetheris."
Lyria's lips pressed into a thin line. She had heard Nyxara's cryptic warnings before, but this one felt heavier, more deliberate. Before she could ask what it meant, the tower shuddered violently.
A roar—low, guttural, inhuman—echoed through the hall, shaking the glass dome above. The moonlight dimmed as shadowy tendrils burst across the stone floor, hissing as they absorbed the light itself. They curled around pillars, split the marble tiles, and spread like black fire.
"The Obsidian Order," Lyria murmured, her heart tightening. Of course. The guild of forbidden mages, banished long ago, had been whispering in the shadows for years. And now… they were here.
She raised her palm. The glow of her Celestial Stone flared, and silver light spilled into the hall. With practiced grace, she pulled that radiance into form—twin blades of moonlight extending from her hands, sharp as glass yet flowing like liquid.
"Show yourself!" she commanded, her voice echoing with power.
From the darkness stepped a cloaked figure, their face hidden beneath a hood, but their eyes glowed crimson like burning coals. The air around them warped as though reality bent beneath their aura.
"So the Moonlight Bosslady finally reveals herself," the intruder hissed, their voice cold and sharp as steel scraping stone. "I expected more resistance. But this power… oh, yes. This is exactly what we need."
"Need?" Lyria spat, her violet eyes narrowing. "Your order's greed has already poisoned too many lives. You'll take nothing from me."
The figure only laughed, raising a hand. A wave of dark magic surged outward, ripping cracks through the floor as tendrils shot toward her.
"Lady Lyria!" Nyxara cried, leaping forward. In a shimmer of light, the fox split into dozens of illusions—mirror images of Lyria herself, each wielding glowing blades. The intruder snarled as they slashed through the illusions, only to realize too late that the real Lyria was already above them.
With a swift arc, she brought her blade down. Silver and black clashed in an explosion of sparks, the sound reverberating like thunder through the tower.
The intruder smirked, unshaken. "Yes… yes! That power is exactly as the prophecy foretold!"
At that word—prophecy—Lyria froze for only a heartbeat. It was all the opening the intruder needed. A tendril whipped across her midsection, sending her tumbling across the hall. She slammed into the wall, dust scattering around her. Pain bloomed, but she gritted her teeth and stood, refusing to show weakness.
Her breath came ragged now. Too strong… and if this is only one of them…
Suddenly, a violent wind ripped through the hall, scattering the shadows like torn paper. The cloaked figure stumbled back, glaring toward the entrance.
And there, standing in the broken archway, was a boy.
His hair was dark and messy, whipping about in the gale that seemed to bend at his will. Sparks of lightning crackled lazily around his fists, illuminating a grin that was equal parts charming and reckless.
"You look like you could use some help," he said, his tone annoyingly casual for someone who had just burst into the middle of a magical war.
Lyria blinked, stunned by his sudden appearance. "Who are you?"
The boy smirked, tossing a small orb of lightning into the shadows. It exploded in a dazzling burst, lighting up the hall.
"Kairo Stormwind. Tempest Guild. And I never back down from a fight."
Before she could argue, he launched forward, his fists wreathed in electricity. The shadows shrieked as his blows shattered them into smoke. He fought with reckless abandon, every strike a mix of raw power and instinct.
Annoyed yet impressed, Lyria rose and joined him, her moonlight blades cutting through tendrils as if slicing mist. Lightning and moonlight intertwined, colliding with the intruder's shadows in a chaotic dance of color and sound.
For the first time in years, Lyria felt something she hadn't expected—her power resonating with someone else's. Moonlight flowed into wind, lightning sparked through silver arcs, and together they drove the intruder back step by step.
At last, with a furious cry, the cloaked figure unleashed a final wave of darkness and vanished into the shadows, retreating into the night.
The hall fell silent. The moonlight slowly returned, shining faintly through the fractured dome. Dust drifted lazily in the air.
Lyria lowered her blades, her chest heaving. She turned to the boy, irritation and curiosity warring in her gaze.
"I didn't ask for your help."
"And yet here I am," Kairo said, brushing dust from his shoulder with that same infuriating grin. "You're welcome."
Nyxara padded forward, eyes narrowing at him. "He is reckless," the fox said softly. "But… his energy resonates with yours. Perhaps it is not coincidence that he appeared tonight."
Lyria frowned, her hand drifting again to her glowing Celestial Stone. The words of the intruder and Nyxara tangled in her mind, heavy as lead.
A prophecy. A storm. Her power.
She gazed out the shattered window toward the horizon, where the moon dipped lower into the sea of clouds. A chill passed over her heart, though the air was still.
The star-born mage will either save Aetheris… or doom it.
And tonight, whether she liked it or not, her destiny had begun....