Outside my window, the stars started to slowly paint the sky in brilliant swirls of color. The air filled with power, and I felt my own power beginning to stir within me as I gazed up at the constellations that began to emerge and frolic in the sky.

Ever since that night in the desert with Tris, the stars would come alive whenever I looked upon them. As I gazed up at the swirls and lines that formed the constellations, I sought out my favorite one. The Phoenix swooped past a flock of doves, its wings trailing tendrils of fire as it flew across the night sky.

Behind me, the table was set up for dinner - two place settings surrounded by an array of delicious food kept warm by enchanted dinnerware. I had dressed for the occasion, and wore a purple dress with gold detailing- my patron's signature colors. My hair was also carefully braided and adorned with gold beads that sparkled as I moved.

Though I despised having to dress up, I had learned from a young age how important it was for someone of my status. I was always watched, observed, and judged by the eyes of my peers. It was expected that I be an example for others to follow- intelligent, composed, and graceful. Failing to meet those expectations was unthinkable. But recently, my behavior and attitude had been rather questionable.

I sighed, pressing my forehead against the chilled glass of the window. These moments of mental clarity were becoming fewer and further between.

I was often overwhelmed by my emotions and thoughts, unable to control them or keep them in check. It was a struggle that had become more difficult since coming to this place, the things that made me feel so alive were the very things that dragged me down. It was a strange and dangerous cycle; one I couldn't seem to break free from.

I was afraid of what would come next. My control was slowly slipping away from me, and I knew that soon enough I may reach a point where it would be gone forever. It was a fear I lived with every day, the thought that one day my mind would be completely out of my control.

What- who would I be then? Would I still be the same person, or would I become someone else entirely? Part of me feared that my near death experience at the hands of Everlife had caused irreparable damage.

A soft knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts as I called for the visitor to enter.

Meissa, the dark elf priestess, stepped into my office. She appeared beautiful and otherworldly- like the astral mage she was.

Her blue skin shimmered in the light and her face was decorated with gold freckles that were arranged in the shape of constellations. Similarly to me, she wore a purple dress but hers was lavishly decorated with gold stars.

“Welcome, Meissa. Thank you for joining me for dinner tonight." Smiling, I gestured for her to take a seat at the table in the center of the room. "I thought it would be nice to have a chance to get to know you better."

I watched as she settled into her chair and took my seat opposite her. I noticed the gleam in her eye as she looked around my office, taking in the books.

“Tell me, how are you finding the temple so far? Have you been able to settle in?” I questioned, pouring out two glasses of mulled wine.

Meissa inclined her head. "Yes, thank you for your hospitality." She paused for a moment before continuing, “It is an honor to have been chosen by Trismegistus to serve as his priestess, and I am grateful for the opportunity.”

"How long have you followed the astral path?" I asked, genuinely curious about her experience.

“I have followed the stars since I was a child, sent to follow their path by my race’s patron, Nyxi.” She glanced up at me, meeting my gaze with a steady one of her own. “It is my honor and privilege to serve her brother, Trismegistus in this way.”

“I am pleased to have you here at the temple,” I paused for a moment before continuing, “I must admit that, despite my position as high priestess, my knowledge of the astral path is limited. The path I started on was that of alchemy and I only recently began to tread upon that of transmutation.”

Meissa smiled knowingly. “You are newly born to this world, are you not?” I nodded, in slight surprise. How had she known? She continued, “Many of us have come from far away places and our paths are varied. We all strive to learn more of the mysteries that Trismegistus reveals.”

"Indeed," I said. "The path I have walked has been a difficult one, but one that I find incredibly rewarding."

Meissa nodded in agreement and we continued our conversation as we ate. It was pleasant to gain insight into the astral path that she had devoted her life to.

After our meal was finished, Meissa motioned toward the door with her head. "High Priestess," she began, "My disciples are practicing their blessing techniques in the astral courtyard; would you care to join me and observe them?"

I smiled at her offer. "I would be delighted," I replied, as I stood to leave my office.

We exited together and I followed Meissa to the courtyard, allowing myself a few moments of reflection as we walked. Contrary to my fears, the other priestess has not looked down upon me for my lack of knowledge. In fact, she had been welcoming and encouraging. I was grateful for her kindness.

As we arrived at the astral courtyard Meissa's disciples had already begun their practice. I watched from the side, captivated by the grace and skill with which they performed their astral blessings. Meissa offered her guidance and support, occasionally demonstrating a technique.

I watched as six figures draped in purple robes whirled their arms around with poise and elegance. Above them, a resplendent golden light shimmered from which a tree gradually materialized.

I can understand why people wouldn't want to become astral mages - the lengthy process of casting spells makes it an unfavorable choice for those seeking combat skills.

"Put more mana into the ninth point, Leila," Meissa called to one of the disciples who was among the few not able to complete the astral blessing. "Janice, you keep missing the sixth point of the life tree. Focus, girls; even a millimeter off point and your blessing will be useless."

The blessing the disciples were performing was a third-tier blessing, known as the Tree of Life, and could imbue those within a ten-meter proximity with an increased vitality for a one-hour period.

In order to perform the blessing, an astral mage needed to keep their body perfectly still, acting as the tree's trunk, while moving their hands in a series of graceful motions to imbue the nineteen star points to form the branches. When all nineteen points were activated, the image of the constellation would be formed in the air for a brief moment before dispersing into the bodies of those in proximity to the mage.

After another ten minutes of practice, Melissa ended the lesson. She then sent the disciples back to the hall of astrology, with instructions to spend the remainder of the night studying the star maps located in the hall's library.

"High Priestess, did you wish to remain here, or move somewhere more private for your own lesson?" Meissa asked once the courtyard was empty.

“It is rather cold out here, even with my inner fire to warm me," I replied, gesturing towards the building towering above us.

"Indeed it is," Meissa agreed, looking around the darkened courtyard. "Maybe it would be wise to install some braziers in the courtyards until spring."

We then made our way inside the large building and, passing through the Hall of Origin, I saw two of Victoria's brothers talking to Meissa's disciples. Noticing their similar appearance, I recalled that the twins were on the first shift of guard duty for the temple. When the disciples saw our approach, they quickly ended their conversation, rushing away down the passageway that led to the Hall of astrology.

“Jayden, Kayden,” I greeted the pair of orcs whose eyes lit up with a look I had grown familiar with after having spent so many weeks with Pia. “Not causing trouble, I hope?”

They cried in unison, each pressing a hand to their armored chest. “Us? Never!”

"I have a feeling Victoria wouldn't agree," I retorted, barely suppressing my smirk as I ascended the stairs that stretched up to the second floor.

Before long, Meissa and I arrived at my private observatory at the top of the tower, where I could look out over the entirety of the mountain range.

Meissa ushered me to the eastern-facing window and declared, “Let us commence with one of the most basic constellations; here you can see the dove. It is my go-to blessing for all beginners.”

As we gazed at the star-strewn sky, Meissa pointed her finger along the windowpane and pointed out the bird in the stars.

"The dove is a tier-one blessing of harmony and peace, am I correct?" I said, looking over at the dark elven priestess who nodded with a smile.

Meissa raised her arms, crossed her wrists, and compressed the tips of her thumbs together as she spoke. "Yes indeed, this blessing will enshroud the caster with a peaceful aura. It is potent enough to calm low-level beasts."

That’s... is she playing a joke on me? Shifting my gaze from the woman's hands to her face, I saw that her expression was completely serious, with no hint of amusement or teasing.

Golden light shone from the dark elf's hands, and I watched, wide-eyed, as an ethereal bird began to fly around Meissa's head. A weak, tingling feeling of comfort pushed at my senses, but I easily shoved the feeling away.

Are you really telling me she made this bird by making a shadow puppet with her hands? Even my moron of a half-brother can do this! He used to do it all the time when we were kids! Frowning, I repeated the dark elf's actions, crossing my wrists with my hands held out flat and pressing my thumbs together to form the shadow of a bird on the stone wall.

"Now, beginning with your pinky fingers, imbue each pair of fingers on both sides, until you reach your thumbs," Meissa coached.

Following the woman's instructions, I pushed mana into each of my fingers, and as I reached my thumbs, a golden light encompassed my hands. Just as it had for the priestess, an ethereal dove took shape in the light and proceeded to fly around me in circles.

"Blessed be she," Meissa said softly, her eyes focused on the bird. "It takes hours for my disciples to correctly direct their mana into the formation."

"Transmutation, and even manipulating my inner flame, requires me to be able to direct my mana through my body," I explained, getting a nod in response from the elf.

"Those whom I have taught have been unfamiliar with the process of directing mana," she said, a thoughtful look on her face. "Shall we proceed to the next blessing?"

I nodded, feeling confident that I could easily recreate the simple hand formation of the shadow puppets that Tris was passing off as blessings.

The blessing of the dove had been deceptively easy, as I discovered while trying to imbue the second blessing, which was that of the bear. After half a dozen attempts, I was finally able to bring forth the ethereal image of a bear, which ran towards my chest before disappearing and filling me with feelings of strength and vigor.

Next was the blessing of the rabbit, which left me with the sensation of having downed an entire jug of "hype juice," and sent my tails into overdrive as they wagged frantically behind me.

Meissa gestured with her hands and said, “Now for the butterfly, a symbol of minor healing. The formation looks like that of the dove except you bring the backs of your palms together and spread out your thumbs." She demonstrated before continuing. “This blessing will heal minor wounds and protect against the taint of corruption.”

I followed her instructions, and the golden light I had become so familiar with encircled my hands before dissipating and revealing a delicate butterfly fluttering around me. I felt an unmistakable warmth enveloping my body.

My fingers ached from having been twisted into different shapes repeatedly over the last few hours, and I was growing bored. These low-tier blessings were of little use to me, but I knew I needed to learn them, even if I would never use them.

"Lastly, we have the wolf, which is the strongest of the tier one blessings. This formation will bring forth a corporeal wolf to fight at the behest of the caster for a period of five minutes."

Now, we're getting somewhere! I cheered internally as I watched the dark elf make yet another shadow puppet with her hands. I really needed to have a talk with Tris about how lame this shadow puppetry thing was. With an internal sigh, I once again twisted my fingers together as directed by Meissa, forming what I supposed was meant to pass for the head of a wolf.

Imbuing my fingers with mana, I watched as golden light covered my hands. But, I became distracted from my task, as the shadows behind Meissa shifted into the form of a man.

Seeing Noctus step out of the shadows, I was filled with the urge to throw a fireball in his direction and barely managed to restrain the impulse.

"Noctus," I said, crossing my arms with a scowl, "I'd appreciate it if you didn't barge into my room without knocking. What if I had been in the middle of changing?"

"Then I'd be in for a delightful show," the vampire drawled, his voice dropping to a low, sultry tone.

"You'd also be in for a slow and painful death," I threatened.

"High Priestess," Meissa said, interrupting the staring match I was having with the vampire, "is this the vampire you spoke of?"

"Yes," I sighed, uncrossing my arms and waving a hand at Noctus. "Meissa, this is Noctus, the co-leader of the Eternia guild. Noctus, this is Meissa; Priestess of Astrology."

I watched as Noctus took Meissa's hand, bowing his head to press a kiss to her knuckles. As the priestess's cheeks flushed a dark shade of blue, I cleared my throat loudly, causing the woman to quickly yank her hand back from the vampire's grasp.

“Do you need something, Noctus?” I asked as he straightened with a low chuckle.

“We have things to discuss- alone,” he replied, his voice full of insinuation as he spoke the last word.

"Oh, of course." Meissa flushed again, her eyes briefly darting to me before she began making her way towards the door. "I shall return to my disciples; blessed be you this night."

Before I could say anything, the dark elf had gone, and I was left alone with the vampire who looked entirely too pleased with himself.

"I'm not feeding you," I snapped, "so if that's what you're here for, you can fuck off." I got a low chuckle from him in response.

“And here I thought you would want to hear about the fallout from your actions in Airus,” he purred. I felt my ears perk up despite my attempt to keep them from giving away my interest. “I was able to gain some intel after a little jaunt into Bovia.”

With excitement in my voice, I queried. “Did they banish Dreadmere?" Vivid images of Ge Hong being chucked out the gates as snow fell in a flurry around him, freezing him solid flooded my imagination and caused my tails to wag happily.

"Sadly, Dreadmere remains in the city; however, it is known that they caused the forsaking and are the reason why no potions or tinctures work in the city."

“Then it's only a matter of time,” I mused, a light smile curling over my lips as I looked in the direction of the mountain city. “A representative from the guild and the city will no doubt come to make reparations.”

Noctus nodded. "Will you accept?"

I considered this for a moment. It was true that I felt no small amount of rancor towards the guild. "I'm not sure,” I replied. “I'd like to hear what they have to say first."

The vampire nodded in understanding. "Understandable, I think it would be wise to remain open to the possibility of compromise. Negotiations are often more fruitful than revenge, Kadia. You've got them in a tight spot, so to speak- a lot of benefits can come from leverage like that."

I forced myself to nod and take his words seriously. I knew he was right; all the same, it didn't make revenge any less tempting. "We shall see," I said at last, my voice firm with finality.

"Will you allow Darius and I to assist in your discussions? ” Noctus asked, an expectant twinkle in his eyes.

I shook my head. “Noctus, I appreciate your willingness to help but this is something I must do on my own. Eternia played no part in the forsaking of Airus."

He nodded slowly. "As you wish; however, should you need additional help, we are at your disposal."

I knew I wouldn't ask help from Noctus or Darius, but it was still nice to know that they had my back. "Thank you," I replied warmly.

"Any help at all," the vampire added, his voice dripping with meaning.

"Pervert," I said.

"Always," he replied with a chuckle.

"Don't you get bored of it?" I asked, an eyebrow raised.

He shrugged and gave me a wry smile. "Sometimes, but it's all part of the game. You know that- more so than some others I dare say." He said, his face becoming serious. "Markion too."

"Yes," I muttered solemnly, averting my gaze. Although we each originated from the same mold of life, each had painted our outer shells in different hues. Marcus played the dumb fool, Noctus the playboy, and I... I pretended I wasn't shattered inside.

Noctus took a step closer, his voice gentle. “We all have our masks, Kadia; it's human nature." He paused for a moment and met my gaze before continuing, "It's not the mask that makes us, but the person behind it."

"What if the person is broken?" I asked, the words spilling out before I could stop them.

"Aren't we all a little broken?" He replied softly.

We both stood in silence for a moment, until I finally broke the quiet with a deep sigh. "I'm more broken than some Noctus," I said sadly, my eyes glistening with unshed tears. "And I'm still breaking."

He didn't say anything for a moment, simply watching me with empathy before finally speaking. "It's alright to be broken, Kadia," he said quietly. "We can still pick up the pieces and make something beautiful."

"You'll pick him up, won't you?" I asked, not looking at him as I stared out the window. "If I can't- If I don't..."

Noctus nodded. "We all will," he said firmly.

I gave a little nod of understanding, my eyes stinging as I blinked away tears. "I'm glad he has Eternia," I said softly. They were the family he never had, that we never had.

"You have us too," Noctus replied, his voice gentle.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I was grateful, beyond words, for the friendship and support they offered- but at the same time, I knew that it wasn't enough. They couldn't heal what was wrong with me.