The air grew colder as Aki and Hoshikiri moved deeper into the forest. The light of dawn had faded behind thick, ancient trees, replaced by a soft, silvery mist that blanketed the ground like fallen stars.
"This place…" Aki murmured, "It feels different."
Hoshikiri nodded. "It should. This is the boundary between the present and the past."
They stepped into a grove surrounded by stone pillars, each engraved with celestial markings. In the center stood a pool of still water, its surface glowing faintly with starlight.
"The Veil of Memory," she whispered. "This place holds echoes of what was… and what was forgotten."
Aki knelt by the water. As he gazed into its surface, his reflection shifted—changing into the boy he once was: younger, smaller, eyes wide with hope and wonder. Then the image rippled again… and his mother appeared.
She was kneeling in their old garden, smiling as she tied the pendant around his neck.
"Promise me, Aki," she had said. "Promise you'll remember who you are, no matter what the stars demand of you."
The memory faded, but her voice lingered.
Suddenly, the pool pulsed with light. Images flooded Aki's mind—visions not his own. Battles among gods. The first Star Maiden descending. The original chosen one… a boy who bore Aki's face, but lived a thousand years ago.
Aki stumbled back, gasping.
"That boy," he said, "He… he looked like me."
Hoshikiri's gaze darkened. "You're not the first, Aki. But you may be the last."
He looked at her sharply. "What do you mean?"
Before she could answer, the air shimmered—and from the edge of the grove, a figure emerged. Robed in gray, face hidden beneath a hood. They walked slowly, the mist parting before their steps.
"You've seen the echoes," the figure said. "Now you must decide whether to carry them forward… or break the cycle."
Aki stood tall, his hands still trembling. "Who are you?"
The figure pulled back their hood.
Aki's breath caught.
It was him.
Older. Wiser. Scarred.
His future self.
Hoshikiri stepped between them. "This is the Trial of the Veil. A shadow of what may come."
Aki stared at the man he might become.
"…Then let me ask you something," Aki said quietly. "Did we win?"
The older Aki didn't answer. He only said one thing, with a voice filled with sorrow:
"You will lose something. But if you're strong enough… you might gain everything."
Then he faded like mist in the morning sun.
Aki stood in silence.
Hoshikiri placed a hand on his shoulder. "We should go."
And above, the stars began to stir once more.
—To be continued—