Bonds in Starlight
The next day in the Dream Continent began with starlight instead of sunlight.
The skies shifted in hues of violet and gold, illuminating the colossal city like an endless festival. Floating lanterns drifted above the streets, glowing softly as billions of dreamers began their daily lives. The scent of spiced bread and crystal fruit filled the air, blending with the faint hum of Astral Flow that seemed to live in every stone.
For Kael, it was overwhelming. He stood on the balcony of their assigned quarters, arms folded, trying to process everything. The continent wasn't just a city; it was a world of its own. The laughter of children, the soldiers training in the distance, the rivers of glowing starlight that flowed like veins beneath the streets—every detail carved itself into his memory.
And yet, despite the beauty, he felt something heavier pressing down on him.
"You look like a philosopher who hasn't eaten in days."
Kael glanced sideways. Juno leaned against the doorway, munching on something that looked suspiciously like glowing candy. She grinned, waving the stick in his face.
"Want some? It tastes like pineapple and betrayal."
Kael blinked. "...Betrayal?"
"Yeah, because it looks like candy, but it explodes in your mouth. You'll love it."
"I think I'll pass."
"Your loss." She popped another piece into her mouth, chewed, then winced dramatically. "Ow. My tongue hates me."
Kael shook his head, but the corner of his lips tugged upward.
The morning passed with them wandering the Dream Continent again. Juno dragged Kael from one bizarre stall to another, determined to "sample culture" by trying everything edible—or questionably edible.
At one stall, she insisted on buying a pastry shaped like a dragon's egg. When she cracked it open, it screeched like a baby bird before oozing caramel. Juno gasped in delight while Kael muttered, "That can't be safe."
Meanwhile, Talia kept her distance.
She wasn't ignoring them—but she wasn't joining either. She walked several steps behind, observing quietly. Her eyes caught details the others missed: the way soldiers' armor shimmered faintly, the way leaders' banners fluttered above towers, the subtle watchfulness in every patrol.
She wasn't here to play tourist. She was here to learn.
Still, when Kael looked back at her once and offered a small, awkward smile, something unspoken passed between them. Talia didn't return it, but she didn't look away either.
By midday, Juno had successfully embarrassed herself twice in public.
First, by challenging a dream-swordsman to a "friendly duel," only to trip on her own feet before they even began. Second, by loudly declaring she could "out-eat anyone in the plaza," then collapsing halfway through a glowing noodle contest.
Kael dragged her away both times, muttering, "You're going to get us arrested."
Juno, still chewing, replied with her mouth full: "Worth it."
Even Talia, who rarely laughed, covered her mouth to hide a smirk.
For the first time since they'd arrived, it felt almost… normal. Not chosen warriors. Not carriers of the Beyond and Tranceeds. Just three teenagers wandering through a city too big for them, each finding little pieces of peace.
That night, they returned to their quarters.
Juno collapsed on her bed immediately. "I regret nothing," she groaned. "Except maybe the fourth bowl of noodles. And the fifth."
Kael sat by the window, staring at the glowing skyline. Talia lingered at the doorway, her hands folded neatly.
"You don't talk much, do you?" Juno asked, her voice muffled by a pillow.
Talia raised an eyebrow. "Do you?"
Juno grinned, lifting her head. "Fair. But seriously, you and Kael keep having these secret eye conversations, and it's weird. Just saying."
Kael's ears turned red instantly. "Juno—!"
But Juno had already rolled over, snickering.
For a moment, silence settled between Kael and Talia. The kind of silence that wasn't uncomfortable—just… unspoken.
Kael finally said softly, "Today wasn't so bad."
Talia looked at him for a long time, then replied, almost imperceptibly: "No. It wasn't."
But peace rarely lasted.
The first whispers came at midnight.
Kael stirred awake, his chest heavy. A low hum pulsed in the air—not the gentle hum of Astral Flow, but something jagged, wrong. He sat up sharply, glancing at Juno and Talia, who were also awake, their eyes wide with the same unease.
Outside, the starlight dimmed. Shadows thickened unnaturally at the edge of the horizon. The rivers of light that wove through the city pulsed faster, almost frantic.
Then came the sound—like a thousand voices murmuring at once, carried on the wind.
Juno pressed her hands to her ears. "What—what is that?"
Talia's expression hardened. "Corruption."
From the balcony, Kael saw it: far beyond the walls of the Dream Continent, darkness spread like a tide, devouring the glowing fields. It slithered forward with hunger, swallowing everything in its path.
The peace of the day shattered in an instant.
Billions of dreamers stirred as alarms rang across the city. Soldiers mobilized, leaders gathered, and the once-peaceful continent braced for war.
Kael's fist clenched tightly as the whispers clawed at his mind. He remembered the craftsman's words from yesterday: The world doesn't always need heroes to think. It needs them to live.
But looking at the corruption crawling toward the walls, Kael wasn't sure they'd live through what was coming.