The moon hung high over Astraven, its silvery light washing the city’s cobbled streets and marble spires in an otherworldly glow. But tonight, the ancient city was far from tranquil. A distant bell tolled frantically, a warning to the guards stationed across the high walls, and a dark plume of smoke spiraled into the night sky. Somewhere in the chaos, a cloaked figure darted through the labyrinth of alleyways, clutching a leather-bound book tight to her chest.
Eryndra Duskbane, the exiled heir to the noble House of Althros, kept her movements deliberate, her breathing shallow. Her every step was a silent prayer, her every glance over her shoulder a reflex born of desperation. She couldn’t fail—not when the stakes were the survival of the world itself.
Behind her, faint but growing louder, came the echo of boots on stone. She had seen them earlier: the Shadowsworn, a dozen of them clad in blackened steel and wielding weapons that glimmered with cursed magic. They didn’t stop. They never stopped.
The Codex Astralis throbbed faintly in her grip, a pulse of celestial energy she could feel deep in her bones. The book was no mere artifact—it was alive, an anchor of divine power bound by the gods themselves. It contained the Starforged Oath, a fragile contract that kept the Void—the consuming darkness of the universe—at bay.
And now, that contract was on the brink of shattering.
Eryndra slid into the shadows of a side street and leaned against the cold stone wall, straining to hear over the pounding of her heart. The whispers came first, a low murmur like the rustling of dead leaves. Then came the chilling hum of voidsteel blades slicing through the air. The Shadowsworn were close—too close.
She reached into her cloak and pulled out a small vial filled with a swirling blue liquid. Starfire. A fragment of the celestial energy that coursed through her blood, left to her by her mother—her only weapon against the forces of the Void. Eryndra hesitated for a brief moment before smashing the vial on the ground.
The starfire flared, casting the alley in an ethereal light, and Eryndra sprinted forward. Behind her, the Shadowsworn faltered, their curses echoing as the flames forced them back.
The Luminal Archive. It was the only place she could go, the only sanctuary where the Codex could be deciphered. If she failed to reach it, the Oath would crumble, and the Shadowsworn’s master, the Voidlord Neztherak, would rise to consume the stars.
The entrance to the Luminal Archive was unmarked, hidden deep within the slums of the Merchant’s Quarter. By the time Eryndra reached it, her lungs burned, and her legs trembled with exhaustion. She pressed a glowing hand against the weathered stone wall, whispering the incantation her mother had taught her years ago.
The stones shifted, grinding against each other to reveal a narrow doorway. Without hesitation, she slipped inside, the wall sealing itself behind her.
The air within the Archive was thick with the scent of ancient parchment and the faint hum of magic. Glowing crystals embedded in the walls cast a soft, steady light, illuminating rows of towering bookshelves that seemed to stretch infinitely into the dark. At the heart of the chamber stood a pedestal, and upon it rested a massive astrolabe, its golden gears turning in intricate, rhythmic patterns.
As Eryndra approached, a voice echoed through the chamber.
“You are late, Eryndra Duskbane.”
Startled, she spun around, her dagger drawn. From the shadows emerged an elderly figure clad in flowing robes embroidered with shimmering constellations. His silver beard seemed to glimmer like starlight, and his piercing eyes—one blue, the other a burning gold—studied her with an intensity that made her spine stiffen.
“Kaelith Starseer,” she breathed, lowering her blade. “The keeper of the Archive.”
The old man inclined his head. “You carry the Codex Astralis,” he said. “And the burden of your bloodline.”
Eryndra hesitated, clutching the book tighter. “You know what’s at stake. The Shadowsworn are coming. Neztherak—”
“—seeks the end of light,” Kaelith finished, his voice heavy. “Yes, I know. The Voidlord has waited centuries for this moment. If he gains the Codex, the Starforged Oath will be no more.”
Eryndra stepped forward and placed the Codex on the pedestal. “Then help me. Tell me what I need to do to stop him.”
Kaelith studied her for a long moment before nodding. He placed his hands on the astrolabe, and the air around them seemed to vibrate. The Codex opened, its pages flipping on their own, each one covered in glowing runes that shimmered with divine power.
“This is no ordinary ritual,” Kaelith warned. “The Oath was forged by the gods, and only one of their bloodline can restore it. But the Void’s corruption runs deep. To reforge the bond, you must give yourself to the light completely. No hesitation, no fear.”
Eryndra felt the weight of his words settle over her. She thought of her family, of the noble house that had been destroyed by the Shadowsworn. She thought of her younger brother, taken from her in the night, and of the countless lives that would be lost if Neztherak succeeded.
“I’ll do whatever it takes,” she said.
Kaelith nodded solemnly. He began chanting, his voice rising and falling in an ancient melody that resonated with the Codex. The runes lifted from the pages, swirling around Eryndra like a constellation brought to life.
But before the ritual could reach its peak, a deafening crash echoed through the Archive.
The Shadowsworn had breached the sanctuary. The air grew cold as the first of them entered, their voidsteel blades gleaming with malevolent energy. At their head was a figure that made Eryndra’s blood run cold—a towering knight clad in jagged black armor, his face obscured by a horned helm.
“Hand over the Codex, girl,” he growled, his voice reverberating like a storm. “Or I will tear it from your corpse.”
Eryndra didn’t flinch. The starfire within her surged, responding to her defiance. “You’ll have to try.”
The Shadowsworn advanced, but Kaelith raised his hands, summoning a barrier of shimmering light that held them at bay. “Eryndra, you must complete the ritual!” he shouted. “The Oath depends on you!”
Her hands trembled as she turned back to the Codex, the swirling runes now forming a pattern above it. She reached out, feeling their energy seep into her skin, filling her with both warmth and pain. The words of the Oath formed in her mind, ancient and incomprehensible yet as familiar as her own name.
“With the stars as my witness,” she began, her voice steady despite the chaos around her, “I bind the heavens to the earth, light to shadow, life to death. Let the balance be restored.”
The runes flared brighter, and the Codex trembled. The Shadowsworn leader roared in fury, raising his blade to strike the barrier. Kaelith staggered, his strength waning.
“Eryndra!” he cried. “It must be your light alone! Your soul!”
Eryndra hesitated for a fraction of a second, fear clawing at her. But then she thought of the stars—of their beauty, their guidance, their promise of hope. She closed her eyes and let go.
The starfire within her erupted, flooding the chamber with radiant light. The Codex dissolved into pure energy, and the Oath took form—a swirling vortex of light and shadow that expanded outward, forcing the Shadowsworn to retreat. The leader howled as the light consumed him, his armor cracking and shattering.
When the brilliance faded, the chamber was silent. The astrolabe was gone, its power spent, and the Codex was no more. Eryndra collapsed to her knees, her strength utterly drained.
Kaelith knelt beside her, his expression one of sorrow and pride. “You have done what no other could,” he said softly. “The Oath is renewed. The stars are safe.”
But Eryndra’s gaze was distant. She could feel the weight of the Oath within her, its power now a part of her very being. She knew this was not the end.
“The Void still stirs,” she whispered. “And it won’t stop until the light is gone.”
Kaelith nodded gravely. “Then we will stand against it. Together.”
As dawn broke over Astraven, the stars still shone faintly in the sky, their light a promise of hope in a world forever balanced between light and shadow.
The Starforged Oath would be her burden to carry—but she would not carry it alone.