Kaosu clenched his fists, his eyes burning with frustration. The silence among the group weighed heavy. Supira broke it first, his tone quiet but grim.
"He's gone… Kori sacrificed himself so we could escape."
Kaiyo's head hung low, but then he exhaled sharply. "No… not Kori. He's tougher than that. He'll be back. He always comes back."
Kaosu closed his eyes, torn between grief and determination, then finally nodded. "Then we keep moving. For now, we trust he's alive."
The scene shifted.
Far from the Kingdom of Light, Kori stirred. His eyes opened slowly, his body aching. He blinked in confusion—not on land, not in the battlefield, but upon floating ruins suspended just below the heavens themselves. Pillars of stone, shattered walls, and celestial carvings surrounded him, glowing faintly with starlight.
He dragged himself upright and studied the runes etched into a fractured wall. The words shimmered, as if alive:
"From the heavens did a star fall, bestowed upon a mortal of lightning and speed. In their hands burns the fire of gods, a gift to protect the worlds."
Kori's chest tightened. "Are they… talking about my family? About me?"
As he walked deeper into the ruins, he heard a faint growl. From behind a collapsed column, a small creature emerged—a baby dragon, silver-scaled but bloodied, one wing bent and torn. Its eyes glowed faintly like twin stars.
Kori froze. "Easy… I'm not here to hurt you."
But the dragon hissed and spat a sudden burst of fiery energy at him, the explosion throwing dust into the air. Kori staggered, barely dodging. Instead of retaliating, he stood firm, brushing soot from his face with a grin.
"That all you got? You'll have to do better than that."
Step by step, he approached, then crouched low. His hand reached out, gentle, steady. The dragon trembled, confused by the lack of fear. Finally, it allowed him to touch its scales. Kori tore a strip from his own shirt and carefully tied its wounded wing.
"There… you're safe now."
As he stood, his eyes caught a pedestal glowing faintly in the center of the ruins. Upon it were two hollow slots shaped like stars. Curious, Kori placed fragments of starlight he found nearby into the grooves. Instantly, the pedestal blazed with celestial radiance. A berry-like fruit, glowing with cosmic energy, materialized, along with a parchment.
Kori picked it up and read aloud:
"When the Child of Stars and the God of Speed consume this gift, the Nexus shall awaken into its true form."
His hand trembled as he stared at the fruit. The God of Speed… That's me. This… this is what I've been searching for.
Just as he prepared to eat it, rustling came from the nearby bushes. Kori turned sharply, only to see the baby dragon limping toward him. Its eyes met his, full of determination.
"You again? Heh… you're stubborn." He smirked, then crouched. "You want to come with me?"
The dragon wagged its tail, its star-like eyes glimmering. Kori chuckled and nodded.
"Alright then… from now on, your name is Kumo."
The dragon chirped happily, pressing its head into his hand.
With resolve hardening in his chest, Kori lifted the celestial berry and bit into it. Instantly, his body erupted with searing light. Stars spiraled around him, rotating in vast rings that shook both heaven and earth. His aura roared like a storm.
from the heavens above, Kaosu, Supira, Kaiyo, and even the villagers froze as the kingdom blazed with starlight. Supira shielded his eyes. "What… what is this power?!"
Even the Shadowed Master, watching from his dark domain, widened his eyes for the first time in centuries. "Impossible… he has awakened." Then his voice lowered, steady but filled with dread. "The Child of the Stars… has risen."
Kori's scream echoed across the realms as the last of the power surged through him. His Star Nexus had evolved, and for the first time, he stood as its true wielder.
The heavens trembled. The earth quaked. And destiny shifted forever