The path Nok opened glowed beneath Luma's feet, winding deeper into the silver forest. She could feel the air change — warmer, thicker, almost humming like a heartbeat.
It didn't feel like walking through a forest anymore. It felt like walking into a memory.
Nok floated beside her, his glow gentle but steady. Though he barely made a sound, she always knew what he meant — like her heart was translating his thoughts before her mind could catch up.
> "The stars were once free," Nok began, drifting ahead of her. "They danced. They sang. They guided all who looked up."
Luma listened closely, stepping over roots and through patches of glowing moss. "And now?"
> "Now, they sleep. Held by a silence woven long ago. A silence born from a curse."
Luma stopped. "Who cursed them?"
Nok's glow dimmed. For a moment, he didn't answer.
> "A queen. Of moonlight and shadow. She once loved the stars more than anything… until she feared they would fade. So she locked them in the sky — where they'd never disappear."
Luma frowned. "She thought she was protecting them."
> "Yes. But even the brightest lights fade when they cannot move."
They emerged into a small glade where the moonlight streamed like soft ribbons through the treetops. In the center stood an ancient stone pedestal, wrapped in vines of silver leaves. On its surface, carved in curling runes, was a single glowing phrase:
> "She who carries the mark of constellations shall wake the sky."
Luma's eyes widened. She touched the star-shaped birthmark below her left eye. The stone responded with a soft glow.
Suddenly, the air stirred.
The pedestal shuddered and opened — not like a trapdoor, but like a blooming flower. Inside was a small, round glass orb floating above the surface. Nok pulsed beside her.
> "This is a Starseed. Only one born under the Silent Moon can hold it."
Luma reached out, her fingers trembling. As soon as she touched the orb, a pulse of warmth surged up her arm and through her chest — not painful, but overwhelming. Visions flashed behind her eyes:
✨ A sky swirling with moving stars
✨ A girl singing to the moon
✨ A crown made of crescent moons… falling into darkness
And then… silence.
Luma gasped and stumbled backward. Nok steadied her gently.
> "It's started," he said. "You've awakened the path."
The trees around them shifted again. Three large stones emerged from the earth, each pointing in a different direction. At the base of each was a glowing symbol:
1. 🐺 A howling wolf beneath dark trees
2. 🪞 A cracked mirror reflecting a second moon
3. 💧 A heart-shaped droplet inside a mountain
> "These are the trials," Nok said softly. "Each one hides an Echo. Courage. Memory. Love."
> "Only when all three are gathered will the lullaby be whole. And the stars will dance again."
Luma stared at the three stones. Each path looked darker than the last. Scarier. Wilder.
"I don't know if I can do this," she whispered.
Nok floated in front of her, glowing with quiet strength.
> "The sky chose you. Not because you're fearless. But because you care."
Luma looked up at the stars beyond the trees. Still frozen. Still waiting.
She took a deep breath, held the Starseed close to her heart… and stepped toward the path marked with the howling wolf.
> "Then let's wake the sky."