The battlefield was quiet now. The clouds parted to reveal a sky awash in dawn—gold and silver streaks painting Aeris in a fragile serenity. Liora knelt beside Kael, whose chest rose and fell with effort, but the glow of his mortal energy had faded.
He opened his eyes slowly, weak but alive. "Liora…" he whispered. "Did we… survive?"
She smiled, though her heart ached. "We did. Together."
Kael's hand found hers, trembling, yet warm. "You… gave me your power?"
"I gave you our bond," she corrected softly. "And it changed everything. The realms… the prophecy… our lives. We're free now—though not without sacrifice."
He swallowed hard. "And us?"
Liora looked at the sky, her wings now folded and fading, replaced by soft human flesh. "We live," she said. "Mortal and fallen star, side by side. Love remains… even if the heavens forget our names."
Kael's lips curved into a faint smile. "Then we'll make our own world. One where we can be together, without fear."
They rose, hand in hand, stepping down from the ruins of battle. The Shadow Conclave had vanished into the clouds, leaving them to the quiet morning. For the first time, Liora felt her heart fully free, even as the memory of the cost lingered—a bittersweet reminder that destiny and love often demand sacrifice.
As they walked toward the mortal village below, a single star fell across the sky, brighter than all the rest. It hovered for a heartbeat above them, then faded. The Starbond remained, invisible to all but them—a promise eternal, sealed in heart and soul.
Liora glanced at Kael. "No matter what comes… we'll face it together."
Kael squeezed her hand. "Always. And maybe someday… the heavens will remember us, too."
The sun rose fully, bathing the Sky-City in warmth. The air was filled with a fragile, radiant hope. Though the heavens had tested them, love had endured, and that was enough.
Final line:
"And though the heavens forgot their names, the stars never did."