Astral Epoch

The night consumed the Four Symbols Ruins, its oppressive darkness wrapping around the ruins like a suffocating cloak. Adrian's heart raced in his chest, but he forced himself to maintain control, pushing his emotions aside in favor of clarity. He moved toward the altar where Lia stood, each step deliberate and heavy with the weight of what lay ahead. He had come too far to turn back now—tonight, he would confront the truth.

Despite the countless questions swirling in his mind, the one that dominated was how she could possess the power of the stars. Yet, he kept his composure, refusing to let his confusion cloud his judgment. His footsteps were quiet, purposeful, but his eyes remained fixed on Lia, as if searching for the key to unlock all the secrets she carried. Every glance seemed to peel back another layer, each moment drawing him closer to understanding—closer to the truth that had eluded him for so long.

Lia slowly turned her head, her calm, water-like eyes locking with Adrian's. She didn't speak immediately, merely gazing at him with a stillness that seemed to invite him to ask, or perhaps, to allow the truest thoughts buried within him to finally emerge. Her eyes held a mix of serene composure and an unspoken depth, like an ancient lake whose depths no words could fathom—filled with secrets too vast to capture.

Adrian's questions seemed to have little impact on her tranquility, but the subtle curve of her lips—an expression barely perceptible—hinted at something unspoken, as though she already knew and had accepted whatever was to come.

"You've come," she said, her voice soft and low, like moonlight gently cascading across the night. Her words were neither rushed nor heavy, but they carried an undeniable weight, as though the very air held its breath in response.

Adrian stood before Lia, feeling an intense pressure in the air, a stark contrast to her usual calm demeanor. Her gaze, still serene, belied the unmistakable force that seemed to radiate from her, as if the power within her could tear through the fabric of reality itself. In that moment, it was clear to him—Lia was far more than he had ever imagined. The secrets she kept were not just profound but world-shaking, beyond anything he could comprehend.

His heart raced, every beat heavy with the weight of the realization. This was it—tonight, he would finally uncover the truth about her.

"Who are you, really?" he asked, his voice betraying the urgency and disbelief that gripped him. "How... how can you control the power of the stars?"

Lia didn't answer right away. Instead, she turned her gaze back to the altar, her fingers brushing over the ancient runes with a touch so light it seemed almost reverent. Her movements were fluid, graceful, as though the relics before her were part of her, as if she had always known the answers to the mysteries surrounding them.

She took a slow, deliberate breath, as though grounding herself in the energy of the site, then spoke, her voice like a gentle breeze—soft, yet carrying an undeniable weight:

"What you are witnessing is no accident," she said, her eyes fixed on Adrian with a gaze that seemed to pierce through him, seeing far beyond the present moment. "This power... it was always meant to be."

Adrian's mind raced, bombarded by a thousand questions, yet the calmness in Lia's response only deepened the storm within him. A volatile mix of anger and confusion churned in his chest, his emotions threatening to break free. He refused to be pacified by half-truths any longer. His eyes locked onto hers, demanding clarity. With each passing second of silence, the weight of uncertainty grew heavier, because he knew—if he didn't find the truth now, if he didn't understand what had been hidden from him, he would never be able to shape his own future.

"Do you understand?" His voice cut through the silence, sharp with urgency, a plea for something real, something concrete.

Lia met his gaze at last, and in her eyes, there was no longer the serenity he had always known. Instead, there was a profound understanding, a depth that seemed to peer beyond the chaos of his emotions. She sighed softly, the sound almost a whisper of something ancient, then spoke, her voice carrying the weight of inevitability:

"You are destined to be forever bound to the power of the stars," she said, each word laden with significance, "and your awakening... it began long before you even realized it."

The weight of her words struck Adrian like a thunderclap. Each syllable reverberated in his chest, sending a shock through his very soul. He had never imagined such a deep, unbreakable connection between himself and the starborn power. But now, in the quiet aftermath of her confession, he couldn't deny it anymore. This truth, harsh and undeniable, had become his new reality. He was bound to it, whether he liked it or not.