The darkness stirred.
In the shadows of the vast forest, something ancient and primal shifted. The demons had waited for centuries in the quiet corners of the world, hidden beneath the veil of time, watching the stars rise and fall. But now, the celestial war had awakened them.
The land beneath their feet rumbled as the demon lord rose, his massive form towering like a silhouette against the pale moon. His eyes, glowing with an unnatural light, scanned the horizon, sharp and vigilant.
"Master," a low voice rumbled from the shadows. One of his generals stepped forward, his massive frame covered in black scales, eyes burning like embers in the dark. "The time has come. The celestial stars have begun their march. The Twelve are at the edge of our reach."
The demon lord narrowed his eyes, the corner of his lips curling into something resembling a smile, though it was twisted and full of malice. "It seems the stars have awoken, but they still do not understand the true nature of the war they are fighting."
He stepped forward, his claws scraping against the earth as he moved. His gaze was fixed on the far horizon where the armies of the Celestial Lord were advancing. "Prepare the forces. We shall test the stars, one by one."
Back in the celestial camp, Miexing, the Third Star, stood before a crackling fire, her cold eyes staring into the flames. She had felt it—the faint tug of something dark, something malevolent that was stirring just beyond the edge of her awareness.
Her thoughts drifted, as they often did now, to Cangyan, the First Star. The man who had watched over her, the one whose emotions seemed as frozen as hers. She had felt his presence even now, standing behind her, watching from the shadows. He did not speak; he never did, but his presence was always there, like a cold breeze brushing against her skin.
Miexing clenched her fists, her fingers trembling for the briefest moment before she steadied herself. She had felt the power coursing through her veins ever since she had received the starstone—its cold, biting energy running like ice through her body, numbing her emotions, sharpening her instincts. But with that power came something else... something she was beginning to fear.
"Are you ready?" Cangyan's voice finally broke the silence, his tone as cold and emotionless as ever.
She nodded without looking at him. "I am."
"Then we move out."
Miexing turned and followed him, her steps light, her breath steady. She had learned to control the stone's power—its immense strength, its cost. Each time she used it, she felt something within her slip away. Her emotions had dulled, her heart frozen. The only thing that remained was the cold drive to fight, to survive, to destroy.
The army marched into the heart of enemy territory. The demons were waiting, lurking in the shadows, just out of reach. The air was thick with tension, every step bringing them closer to an unknown danger. Miexing's senses were on high alert, her eyes scanning every corner, every movement, every shift in the air.
And then, it came.
A deafening roar shattered the silence, and the ground beneath their feet trembled as the enemy's forces surged forward. Hundreds of demons, their monstrous forms twisting in the darkness, charged toward them with terrifying speed. The battle had begun.
Miexing's body moved on instinct. She raised her blade, and the cold energy of the starstone coursed through her. With a single slash, a demon was cleaved in two, its body falling to the ground in a heap of blood and gore. The power of the starstone surged within her, making her faster, stronger, and more precise than ever before.
But with each demon she cut down, she felt it—an emptiness growing inside her, a hollow space where emotions once resided. The world had become a blur, a series of targets and objectives. Nothing else mattered.
Beside her, Cangyan fought with equal ferocity, his movements smooth and calculated. He was a force of nature, his blade cutting through the enemy with precision. But there was something different in his eyes, something darker that Miexing had never seen before. A flicker of doubt, a flicker of something... human.
She turned her attention back to the battlefield, pushing the thought aside. Now was not the time for distraction.
The battle raged on, the clash of steel and the roar of demons filling the air. Miexing's blade became a blur as she cut through enemies, her movements flawless, her body a perfect instrument of death. But as the hours passed, something inside her began to shift. She had grown numb, her heart encased in ice, but now... now there was something more. A stirring, a flicker of something she could not name.
The demons were relentless, but Miexing's resolve was stronger. She had no fear, no hesitation. But there was a growing sense that something was wrong. The enemies seemed to multiply, and no matter how many she killed, more came. The battlefield was a sea of blood, and the ground beneath her feet seemed to be pulling her down into the depths.
It was then that she saw him.
A figure in the distance, standing at the edge of the battlefield. His presence was commanding, his form unmistakable. The Celestial Lord.
Miexing's heart skipped a beat, the ice within her cracking ever so slightly. She had heard the stories, the rumors, but seeing him in person was different. He was a force, a presence that seemed to distort the very air around him.
He stood tall, his eyes glowing with an intensity that could cut through the darkness itself. And for the briefest moment, their gazes met.
Miexing's breath caught in her throat.
What was it about him? Why did she feel this strange pull?