The Shattered Constellations Between Stars

Over the next couple of days, Nyx would visit the other constellations as she usually did.

Drac’s Cave

Dragon, God of Wrath

When Nyx returned from the Peacock, she was feeling excited. She spun around, showing off her new boots.

“I’m a magical princess!” she declared with a grin. “The Peacock told me so!”

Drac rumbled, his deep voice filling the cave. “A magical princess, huh?” he said, his tone half-amused. “But every princess needs more than just boots. A crown is a must.”

“Yes, I do!” Nyx said, suddenly pouting. “But I don’t have any…”

Drac felt a soft twinge of frustration at her sadness and decided to cheer her up. With a gruff but gentle growl, he said, “Alright, your highness. Since you’re a magical princess, you deserve a magical flight.”

Nyx’s face lit up in excitement as she scrambled onto his back. He launched into the sky, and the cool air nipped at her skin as her hair flowed freely in the breeze. The flight was exhilarating, like nothing else. Her cheeks stretched wide into a smile, and her eyes sparkled like the stars scattered across the sky.

“Drac, this is amazing!” she hollered, her laughter carried by the wind.

Drac growled contentedly, twisting through the air. He went up and down, left to right, soaring through the sky. Nyx hollered again, this time in pure happiness. In that moment, she truly felt like the magical princess she had claimed to be.

Griff’s Lair

God of Sloth

Nyx, Len, Nabi, Ryu, Suli, and Guerim gathered at Griff’s place, as usual, to carry out their daily tasks. The banter was light as they cleaned and joked with each other.

“How do you even get Griff to move at all? I think he’s part rock,” Len teased, shaking his head.

“I think he’s perfected the art of napping while awake,” Nabi added with a laugh.

Nyx grinned and showed Griff her new skills as she groomed his massive, shaggy form. Griff blinked slowly, his voice coming out like a lazy drawl.

“Not bad, kid. But don’t wear yourself out. What’s the point of all that effort when you could just take a nap instead?” he mused, his eyes half-closed.

“Maybe I’ll nap after,” Nyx teased back, knowing full well she wasn’t going to.

Tiger’s Territory

God of Envy

When they reached the Tiger, Nyx showed him her new skill, Solar Aegis. The Tiger narrowed his eyes, watching carefully as she demonstrated her ability. After a moment, he nodded approvingly.

“Impressive, Nyx,” he said, his voice edged with admiration. “The Fox must have really liked you to give you such a mighty skill.”

Nyx beamed at the compliment.

“But remember,” Tiger continued, “true power lies in how you use it.” He circled her, his tail flicking behind him. “Now let’s see how you control it.”

“Do we have to?” Nyx groaned, knowing what was coming next.

Tiger gave her a sly smile. “Power without control is dangerous. You’ve got to master it.”

They spent the next while training, much to Nyx’s dismay, but she couldn’t deny the Tiger’s teachings were valuable.

Snake’s Domain

God of Pride

Next, they visited the Snake. As usual, he greeted them with his long, winding rants about nothing in particular. Nyx chatted away, her voice lively as she told him about her recent adventures.

“And then there was this dungeon, oh, and Peacock said I was a magical princess—can you believe it?” Nyx bubbled with excitement, her words tumbling out rapidly.

The Snake, barely batting an eye, listened with a nonchalant air. “A title befitting one so… talkative,” he muttered under his breath.

He thought about shutting her up somehow but knew that giving her a new skill would only encourage more chatter. So instead, he listened to her endless stories without reacting, letting her excitement burn itself out.

Peacock’s Territory

God of Lust

At the Peacock’s lush and decadent home, Nyx indulged in snacks and dressed up in elegant outfits. As she munched on treats, she listened to the Peacock’s grand stories about the world outside the forest.

“Is it really that beautiful outside the forest?” Nyx asked eagerly, her eyes wide with wonder. “Do you think I’ll get to see it soon?”

The Peacock chuckled, his feathers shimmering in the light. “Oh, the world is vast and dazzling, my dear. There’s so much to see, so many wonders to experience. But all in good time,” he said smoothly, a knowing glint in his eyes.

Nyx couldn’t help but feel the growing itch to explore beyond the forest’s borders. She couldn’t wait for the day when she would be able to see everything for herself.

Fox’s Visits

God of Gluttony

In between her visits to the other constellations, Nyx always made time for the Fox. She was always prepared, with food stashed just for him. As they crossed paths, she handed him a small container of food.

“Ah, you know me too well,” the Fox grinned, his sharp teeth gleaming as he took the food. “And here I thought I’d have to beg for a meal.”

Nyx laughed. “You? Beg? Never.”

As they walked together, the Fox gave her a sidelong glance. “So, how’s that new skill coming along? Solar Aegis, wasn’t it? Show me something impressive, or I might start to doubt you,” he teased with a playful smirk.

*****************************************************

One Week Later

Today, Nyx was going to a dungeon—but this time with Drac. After waking up, taking a bath, and eating breakfast, she, Len, and the others gathered outside, waiting for Drac to arrive. He was taking her to a new cave today.

As they waited, chatting about the scenery around them, Len knelt down to examine a patch of vibrant flowers. “These plants are everywhere lately,” he said, brushing a hand over the petals. “They’re always near the dungeons, ever notice that?”

Nabi nodded, joining him. “Yeah, it’s almost like they thrive in these places. Maybe the dungeons are affecting the soil somehow.”

Suli laughed, plucking a nearby leaf. “Or they’re just resilient, like us. All those dungeons Nyx dragged us through, and we’re still here.”

Nyx giggled. “Hey, don’t blame me! The slime dungeon was fun!”

“Fun?” Len raised an eyebrow. “You’re the only one who thinks fighting slimes is fun.”

Ryu crossed his arms, smirking. “What about the ant dungeon? Now that was a real challenge. Those ants were relentless.”

Suli shrugged playfully, her wings flapping in the air “Okay, maybe that one was tougher… but we survived, didn’t we?”

Just then, Drac appeared, his presence as commanding as ever. His aura radiated power and dominance, and as usual, Nyx felt a mix of awe and intimidation. But deep down, she knew Drac would never harm her.

With a single glance, Drac turned, signaling them to follow him. The six of them quickly fell in line behind him.

Nyx, though slightly disappointed that they were walking instead of flying, still enjoyed the experience. The path ahead was long, and the environment around them was rich with life. The wind rustled through the trees, and birds flitted between branches, their songs filling the air.

Len glanced around, his eyes scanning the forest. “You ever notice how different the animals act near dungeons?” he mused. “It’s like they know something’s off.”

Nabi nodded. “I heard that in the deeper parts of the forest, the creatures grow bigger. Maybe they feed off the magic from the dungeons.”

“Like the slime dungeon?” Suli asked, looking at Nyx. “Those slimes were massive compared to the usual ones we see.”

“Yeah,” Nyx agreed. “And in the ant dungeon, those tunnels were so deep, I thought we’d never find the queen.”

Ryu glanced around the path. “I’m just hoping this one doesn’t have any surprises like that.”

Drac listened to their conversation without interjecting, his silent presence a comforting contrast to their lively banter. He rarely spoke, but his awareness was always sharp, and Nyx felt safe knowing he was leading the way.

Finally, after what felt like hours of walking, they reached the dungeon. But this one was different—far more imposing than the others Nyx had seen before. The entrance loomed ahead, dark and mysterious, as though it was hiding something more sinister within.

“This… looks a bit different,” Nyx muttered, her curiosity piqued.

Drac let out a low growl, his way of urging them forward, and Nyx knew it was time to face whatever awaited them inside.

The new dungeon looked vastly different from what Nyx was used to. For one, it was orange, a clear sign that it would be a challenging one.

“I want to see you challenge yourself with this one, Nyx,” Drac gruffed, his gaze fixed on the dungeon entrance.

Nyx swallowed hard, feeling a flicker of nerves. “What kind of dungeon is it?” she asked tentatively.

“It’s a spider dungeon,” Drac rumbled. “These are known as Crystalfang spiders—creatures with crystalline exoskeletons. They’re tougher and can use elemental attacks.”

Nyx’s eyes widened slightly at the description. She could already imagine how difficult this would be.

“I already checked,” Drac added, shifting his gaze to her. “There aren’t too many spiders inside. But if you feel like you can’t handle it, let me know, and I’ll step in to help.”

Nyx nodded, trying to steady herself. She exhaled slowly, releasing some of the tension building in her chest.

“Nyx,” Drac’s voice grew serious, “when was the last time you used Echo Vision?”

Nyx stopped in her tracks, avoiding his gaze. Since she had regained her normal eyesight, she had almost forgotten about that skill. But there was no way she could admit that to Drac.

When she didn’t answer, Drac let out a sigh. “Well, here’s a new way you can use it,” he told her. “I want you to focus on the energies and aura surrounding the dungeon. Then, penetrate the magical essence you sense inside to make out the shapes of the monsters.”

Nyx blinked and nodded slowly.

“Take your time,” Drac instructed.

“Breathe in, and try it out.”

Nyx did as she was told. After taking a deep breath in, she focused, tuning into the energy of the dungeon, letting her Echo Vision activate.