The village of Elaris slept under a silver veil of moonlight, the kind that made the world seem smaller and every shadow deeper. Crickets hummed in rhythm with the whispering wind, and the faint glow of lanterns lined the cobblestone streets. But one corner of the village remained untouched by the peace that night — the old Vale estate.
Aiden Vale crouched atop the roof, his dark cloak blending with the night. His golden eyes scanned the horizon, ever watchful. The villagers called him cursed. A mark burned across his left forearm, twisting in dark swirls that shimmered faintly in the moonlight — the Mark of the Celestial Exile. It was a mark that had doomed him since birth.
"You shouldn't be out here again," a familiar voice murmured. Aiden turned to see Elder Kaelen, his mentor and the only person in the village who treated him with more than fear. "The villagers grow restless. They talk. And talk leads to trouble."
Aiden's lips twitched. "Let them talk. They've done nothing but whisper about me since I opened my eyes. I've grown used to it."
Elder Kaelen's sigh was heavy, like the weight of centuries. "There are greater dangers than rumors, Aiden. The celestial alignment is near. You must be ready."
The boy's fingers itched. He could feel the pulse of the stars tonight, calling him, tugging at something deep within. Something he had never been able to control. And then, from the edge of the forest, a soft glow appeared — not the harsh glow of lanterns or torches, but something delicate, almost ethereal.
Aiden's breath caught. He had never seen this before. It was like the moon had descended into the trees, dancing between the leaves. And there, stepping lightly over the roots, was a girl.
Her hair flowed like molten silver, catching the moonlight. Her eyes, a shade between the sky and the sea, seemed to hold a thousand unspoken truths. She paused for a moment, looking directly at him, and Aiden felt his heart skip, though he didn't understand why.
"Who… who are you?" he whispered, almost to himself.
The girl tilted her head, studying him with curiosity and something else — recognition. "I… I don't know," she said softly, as if speaking the words aloud might summon her memories.
Aiden's hand twitched toward the hilt of his sword, though instinct told him she meant no harm. Something about her presence, fragile yet radiant, made his mark burn faintly. Heat spread across his skin, a signal of awakening power he had barely learned to control.
Before he could speak again, she stepped closer, and the petals around her shimmered and floated, glowing faintly in a circle around her feet. "Are… are you from here?" she asked, voice barely louder than the wind.
"Yes," he replied cautiously. "But you… you shouldn't be here."
Aiden felt a pull he couldn't resist. Something deep in his chest urged him to step forward, to know her, to protect her. But instinct, honed over years of solitude, told him otherwise.
Then, as if sensing his hesitation, she raised a hand, and the air hummed. The petals lifted, spinning around her like a delicate storm. "I… I feel drawn here," she whispered. "I don't know why."
Aiden's pulse raced. His mark flared, hot and alive, and the world seemed to fall away. He wanted to ask a thousand questions, to understand why she had appeared, why she made him feel a warmth he had never known. But before he could move, she looked away — toward the horizon — and her expression shifted.
Fear.
And then she vanished. Not a step, not a whisper — just gone, leaving only the faint scent of jasmine in the air.
Aiden clenched his fists, the golden glow in his eyes dimming. His heart, for the first time, ached in a way he didn't understand. Something about that girl… something about her presence had awakened a storm inside him, one he didn't yet know how to weather.
From the shadows, Elder Kaelen's voice came again. "She is coming, Aiden. And whether you are ready or not, your destiny has begun."
A gust of wind rustled the rooftops, carrying with it the scent of magic, danger, and fate. And beneath the silver light of the moon, Aiden Vale, the boy cursed and feared, stared at the darkened forest, knowing with a certainty that chilled his bones: his life had changed forever.