Night fell gently across the plains.The stars, once forgotten, now burned softly like candles lit after a long silence.The wind carried the smell of wildflowers, and somewhere far off, water whispered through the earth.
Kael sat by the campfire, staring into the flames.Lira was already asleep beside her blanket, her hair glowing in the firelight.Seren leaned against a rock, snoring quietly — one hand still gripping his sword, as always.
It was peaceful. But Kael's heart would not rest.Something in the air was calling to him — soft, distant, almost like a lullaby.
He rose quietly and followed the sound.
The song grew clearer as he walked through the tall grass.It wasn't human. It wasn't bird or wind either.It was the sound of a river… singing.
When Kael reached the riverbank, the water shimmered like liquid moonlight.And the song — it wasn't just music. It was words.Faint, but unmistakable.
"Kael… Kael… Do you remember the name you had before?"
He froze.
The river was speaking his name.
Kael knelt beside the water. "Who's there?" he whispered.
The ripples brightened, and for a moment, he saw faces forming in the flow — hundreds of them.Some were laughing, others crying, some young, some old.They were all looking at him.
"You once walked where we flow," the voices said together."You gave us names and purpose. Then you vanished into your own flame."
Kael shook his head. "I don't remember any of that."
The river replied softly, "You will. But memory is not always mercy."
He dipped his hand into the water.Instantly, visions flooded his mind — cities of light, towers built from clouds, and a great hall where stars hung like lanterns.He saw himself standing among them, dressed in white and silver, holding a sphere of burning light.
Then came the pain.He watched himself fall — falling from the sky into darkness, light shattering around him.And a voice — soft and kind — whispered:
"You wanted to understand humanity. So you were born as one."
The vision vanished. The river quieted.
Kael fell back, breath shaking.He looked at his reflection — and for the first time, the reflection didn't move with him.
It spoke."I was you once. The light that wanted to feel sorrow."
Kael stared, heart pounding. "If that's true… if I was something else before — why can't I remember it all?"
The reflection smiled faintly. "Because you chose not to. You gave up eternity to learn kindness. But each act of compassion, each tear, brings the light back to you."
Kael touched the water again. "Then what am I supposed to do now?"
The reflection's voice softened."Finish what you started. Heal what you broke. And when the stars call again… decide whether to return or remain."
Behind him, he heard footsteps.
Lira's voice came softly. "I knew you'd wander off again."
Kael smiled weakly. "Couldn't sleep."
She stood beside him, looking at the glowing river."It's beautiful," she whispered. "But… are you crying?"
Kael hadn't realized until then. His cheeks were wet.He wiped them quickly. "Just water. The river told me a story."
Lira tilted her head. "And what was it about?"
Kael looked at the shimmering current."About a fool who wanted to understand pain so much… he forgot what peace felt like."
Lira smiled sadly. "Then maybe it's time he remembered again."
They sat together by the river for a long while.The song had grown softer now — like a mother humming to a child.
Lira said, "You always look like you're carrying a storm inside. But sometimes you speak like someone who's seen the stars up close."
Kael chuckled. "Maybe I just miss them."
She nudged him gently. "Then promise me one thing."
"What?"
"When this is all over, and the stars finally return, don't go chasing them again. Stay where you belong."
Kael looked at her — really looked at her. The warmth in her eyes, the calm steadiness of her voice.He wanted to say something, but the words caught in his throat.So instead, he simply nodded.
As the night deepened, something began to rise from the river — a soft mist shaped like wings.It hovered over the water, glowing gently.
Seren appeared behind them, rubbing his eyes. "I leave you two alone for one hour and you summon ghosts?"
Lira laughed. "No ghosts. Just memories."
The mist drifted closer to Kael, circling him once before fading into the sky.A faint warmth lingered in his chest — not burning this time, but peaceful.
Seren frowned. "What was that?"
Kael whispered, "A goodbye. Or maybe… a promise."
When they returned to camp, the fire had almost gone out.Kael lay down beside it, staring at the now-quiet river in the distance.He closed his eyes, hearing one last echo in his mind — a gentle, familiar voice:
"Even rivers that forget their source still find their way to the sea."
He smiled faintly.
Perhaps he didn't need to remember everything right away.Perhaps it was enough just to be.
And for the first time in a long while, Kael slept — not as a warrior, or a fallen star, but simply as a man who had finally allowed himself to rest.