The sky was deep that night. Stars scattered across it like tiny diamonds, some shining faintly while others burned brightly.
Constellations and stars stretched across the sky, forming patterns that had been seen for generations.
The moment Nova awakened from his death, the night sky trembled silently.
Across the vast heavens, stars flickered then flared, burning with an unnatural brilliance for the briefest second before dimming again.
And then an unseen ripple was spread across the world. Like a silent explosion in the cosmos, it surged outward, shaking the very fabric of existence.
Those that are attuned to power and those who stood above the ordinary, felt it.
…..
Deep within an untouched area, where the trees stretched higher than mountains and the air shimmered with unseen energy, darkness creeping in every corner of the forest, a woman lay asleep beneath the canopy.
Her beauty was unreal, as if sculpted by divinity itself. Her porcelain skin untouched by time, long silver hair cascading like liquid moonlight, and delicate features exuding both grace and power.
She lay in a bed of luminescent flowers, their glow pulsating softly in rhythm with her breathing. The entire jungle breathed with her, as if nature itself bent to her presence.
But suddenly the air trembled, an unexpected jolt ran through the woman's body making her eyelids flutter.
Slowly, they opened revealing eyes that are swirling with golden-white light, the same cosmic glow that had burned in Nova's eyes.
She inhaled sharply looking up at the sky, multiple lights shone in the night sky, like stars that illuminate the dark. It was mesmerizing and beautiful but her expression was one of shock and disbelief.
"Impossible! The Astrals!" she shouted, springing to her feet.
She knew there was nothing left but dark space. The stars in this realm had already been extinguished years ago.
Then, as if the miraculous events were just but a fleeting dream, the lights vanished instantly and darkness envelops the world once again.
But the woman was not upset, and a slow, knowing smile formed on her lips. "My child has awakened… I will come to you soon."
But before she could relish the revelation, a presence stirred in the distance and her expression instantly hardened.
"They found me sooner than I anticipated."
Without hesitation she muttered something incomprehensible, her silver hair flowing like water in the wind and then she vanished.
…..
Far away, beneath the world of the living, where light dared not reach. The ground was ashen and cracked, pulsing with veins of dim molten light and the ground itself was struggling to breathe.
A monstrous throne loomed in a dilapidated castle. A man, no a giant sat upon it, his appearance was surprisingly immaculate.
Like a flawlessly sculpted statue yet despite his immaculate form, his body was wrapped in decayed armor. Blinding orbs of light rotating behind him and tendrils of energy flowing from them, weaving into his very being.
His once closed eyes were opened wide to see burning with a cold, unholy fire.
There was no mistaking it, he too felt it. His fingers tightened into a fist and the tendrils of energy dissipated as it was interrupted abruptly.
A deep, unnatural growl rumbled from his throat. He released a sinister energy, its presence far beyond mere death.
"The last Astral Essence…" His voice, like the whispers of the dead, echoed through the chamber.
His rage boiled, his aura darkening the very air around him.
"Find it!" His command was venomous and absolute. "Find the last Astral Essence..."
He leaned forward, eyes burning with ancient fury, his voice dropping to a sinister whisper…
"And bring me its broken shell…"
…..
Deep beneath the ocean's surface, where sunlight dared not reach, an ancient temple lay in silence. Its towering stone pillars, covered in coral and creeping tendrils of kelp, stood as remnants of a forgotten age.
A lone figure can be seen walking to the temple covered in what seems to be a bubble of energy, keeping the water out of way.
The mysterious figure is obscured by a cloaked robe. With steady, deliberate steps, the figure approached an enormous statue at the heart of the temple.
A being carved from obsidian stone, the statue is tall, powerful and with massive folded wings at its back. Its face was chiseled with inhuman perfection, yet its expression was cold and unmoving.
The figure bowed slightly before it.
"My lord, does the foreseen future still hold true?" the voice beneath the hood murmured. "It has been many years… people have long forgotten."
Silence.
The supposed 'Lord' did not respond. The statue remained still, the silence lingered for a few seconds.
"We have prepared nonetheless… we are ready for what's to come. The proph…"
The figure's words were cut off as a mysterious ripple passed. The temple groaned as if the ocean itself had felt the shift.
The figure staggered back, gasping. "Wha.. what is happening?"
The figure moved as if to act but in a blink of an eye, silence returned.
With confusion still lingers in his being, he bowed once more to the statue. "The future is still beyond my reach… I will return again, my lord."
With those parting words, the figure turned away from the statue and left the temple.
The moment the figure vanished beyond the temple's bounds, the motionless statue's eyes flared to life.
A deep, ancient voice rumbled through the temple grounds.
"It is finally starting…"