[Ten Years Ago — Mountain Village Outskirts]
The scent of pine and damp earth filled the air as laughter echoed down the narrow forest trail.
"Wait for me, wait for me!"
Little Astra darted up the rocky incline with effortless speed, her braid bouncing behind her like a banner of victory. Her small hands clutched a half-full basket of dry twigs and herbs, her steps light as wind on moss.
"Hurry up!" she called over her shoulder. "Yelin! Jun! We have to get back before sunset or else Gege will scold me again!"
Down below, two children struggled to keep pace—one panting, the other fuming.
"I told you not to bring her!" Yelin, a sharp-tongued girl with a bright pink ribbon, slapped Jun's arm. "Look at her! she's already halfway up the mountain like some wild monkey!"
Jun winced but held up his own basket proudly.
"She said she wanted to help collect wood, and… and look! We gathered more because of her!" he pointed at the bounty inside. "Mother and Father will be happy, right?"
Yelin scoffed, arms crossed.
"She's a troublemaker. You know what my grandma says if there's one good thing about her, then ten disasters are hiding right behind it."
A distant crack of branches made them freeze for a second but it was just Astra, reaching the top of the ridge, raising her arms triumphantly.
"Come on!" she shouted, voice like bells in the wind. "I found a path with dry pinecones too! We'll be rich!"
Jun grinned. "See? She's not that bad."
Yelin groaned and turned on her heel. "She's a walking curse wrapped in sunshine. Just wait."
Jun's smile faded a little.
"Let's go," Yelin said, already brushing leaves off her sleeves. "We've collected enough. If we stay any longer, we'll get caught in the fog again."
"But what about her?"
Yelin rolled her eyes. "She knows how to come back. She always does."
And without waiting for more argument, she grabbed Jun by the wrist and started dragging him down the winding path.
Their voices faded into the rustling woods
Deeper in the Forest
Astra crouched among the undergrowth, carefully brushing dirt from herbs she had been gathering. The forest was unusually quiet here only the slow creak of branches overhead.
Thud!
Something dropped from above, hitting the forest ground behind her with a dull, hollow sound.
Upon hearing that her hand instinctively reached for the dagger at her belt as she turned slowly, squinting into the shadows. For a heartbeat, the shape on the ground didn't move at all.
"…A branch?" she muttered, taking a cautious step closer.
The shape twitched.
Astra shot to her feet. "Nope. Definitely not a branch."
She hurried over, pushing aside leaves and stopped short.
It was a small boy.
He was sprawled awkwardly on the ground, knees drawn slightly toward his chest as if instinctively protecting himself. He stirred weakly, trying to prop himself up on one elbow, only to hiss in pain and slump again.
Astra knelt beside him immediately. "Hey—hey! Are you alright?" she asked, gently nudging his shoulder.
The boy groaned, lifting his head just enough for her to catch her breath.
A strip of black cloth was tied firmly around his eyes.
A blindfold.
Astra stared at it, disbelief flickering across her face. "Wait—" She glanced upward at the tree above, then back at him. "You climbed a tree… while covering your eyes?! Are you trying to break your bones?!"
The boy didn't answer.
Instead, he winced again, curling in on himself as his hand moved protectively over his side, fingers trembling. Her gaze dropped to his leg, where a sharp twig had pierced the skin near his shin. There were other scratches too mud-caked knees, scraped palms, and a bruise blooming just under his collarbone.
Astra winced. "Ugh… that's gonna hurt tomorrow." Still, she noticed no tears. No sound. No complaint.
"You're not crying?" she asked, confused.
The boy only shook his head.
She leaned in, frowning as she gently wiped the dirt from his cheek with the edge of her sleeve. His skin was cold.
"You don't look like you're from the village." Her voice softened. "Where are your parents?"
He shook his head again.
"…Are you lost?"
Another shake.
She sat back on her heels, frustrated. "Then what are you even doing here? Don't you know there are flesh-eating demons and bone-chewing ghosts in these woods after dark?"
Still, he said nothing.
She crossed her arms. "Are you searching for something?"
This time… he nodded.
Astra tilted her head. "Who?"
The boy raised a trembling hand. And pointed straight at her.
Her mouth fell slightly open, stunned. "Me?"
He gave the faintest nod.
A breeze picked up then, scattering dry leaves around them.
Astra stared at him, a small girl with bark-stained fingers and wild strands of hair catching the wind—uncertain. "…Well," she said finally, standing. "You found me. Now I'm going to help you before those creatures eat both of us." She stretched out her hand, fingers smudged with sap and dirt. The boy didn't take it. So she huffed and grabbed his arm anyway.
With some effort, she propped him up against the wide trunk of the tree. The bark scraped against his back, but he didn't complain. She reached into her basket and pulled out a tiny flask of water.
"Here," she said, holding it to his lips.
He sipped once, twice then stopped. The stillness in him was strange, unnerving even. She expected tears, or flinching, or something. But the boy simply sat there, blindfolded, silent.
Astra clicked her tongue and stood. "You're lucky I'm not scared of blood.Uh…wait for me." She dashed off into the underbrush, vanishing between leaves and shadow. In a few minutes, she was back, arms full of crushed herbs and clean moss.
"Alright, now don't scream," she warned, more out of habit than expectation. She knelt beside him, gently placing her hand on his shin, and with one smooth motion, pulled the twig from his leg.
No scream.
Not even a whimper.
"…What are you, made of stone?" she muttered, eyebrows furrowed.
He didn't answer.
Astra wiped the wound, pressed the herbs, but when she reached into her pouch to find a wrap, there was nothing. Her gaze darted to the black cloth tied across his eyes.
"Well… guess I do need this more than you right now." Before the boy could react, she untied the blindfold in a swift motion. He gasped, instantly covering his eyes with trembling hands.
"Hey!" she frowned. "What's wrong? Did it hurt your eyes?"
No answer.
"Can you even see anything?" Still nothing.
She sighed and wrapped the cloth around his leg with careful hands, knotting it tightly. "Fine. Don't tell me. But if you're really searching for me… shouldn't you look at me?"
When he didn't respond, Astra leaned in. And flicked his forehead.
Hard.
"Ow—!" he winced, eyes still hidden beneath his hands.
"Open your eyes, you weird boy." she said, folding her arms. "You pointed at me. So now I want answers."
Still, he hesitated.
So Astra stepped closer, lowered her voice, and added gently: "Perhaps…Are you blind?"
A long silence passed.
Finally, slowly, his hands dropped away. His eyes opened and Astra froze.
They were silver no, stardust. A pale, celestial grey laced with a shimmer so delicate it looked as though the night sky had been ground into powder and poured behind his lashes. Light seemed to ripple through them like moonlight on rippling water.
And yet… they weren't quite focused. As if he wasn't seeing her, but something beyond her.
Astra forgot to breathe. For the first time since meeting him, words caught in her throat.
"…You're strange," she whispered, almost to herself. "Really strange." And he said nothing—just blinked once, those stardust eyes quiet and unreadable. But for a fleeting moment, something ancient stirred behind them. Something that made her feel as though she'd been found long before she ever knew she was lost.
The boy just kept looking at her. There was something softer now. A flicker of relief, like a weight he hadn't known he was carrying had been lifted the moment he saw her. She squatted down in front of him, hands planted on her knees.
"Okay, I'm going to ask you some things now. If you don't answer, I'll leave you here and let the forest eat you up. Got it?"
A flicker of worry crossed his face.
"Name?"
He said nothing.
She turned, pretending to stand.
"K-Kriya…" The boy's voice was quiet thin, almost fragile, like wind brushing over stone.
"…Kriya." Astra blinked, caught a little off guard by how softly it landed.
He nodded once.
"Is that your name?" she asked, curiosity lighting her tone. "I've never heard one like that before. I thought mine was strange enough compared to everyone around here." She tilted her head, studying him. "Wait… is your family from beyond the empire?"
The boy hesitated. His gaze drifted, as if searching for something that wasn't there.
"I… don't know," he muttered.
Astra didn't press. Instead, she smiled, easy and bright. "Then maybe you're like some of the people I've met… what did he call them?" She tapped her chin, thinking. "Ah—immigrants."
She shrugged lightly, gaze drifting ahead as if picturing distant lands. "They say there's a whole different world beyond the Empire. I haven't traveled very far outside its borders myself, but from what I've seen travelling around before coming here…" Her smile turned thoughtful. "It's completely different. Names change. Faces change. Languages change." Then she added with exaggerated seriousness, "And most importantly… food changes."
Noticing the boy's puzzled expression, Astra waved a hand casually. "Ah, you look confused. Never mind—forget I said all that." She smiled again, warm and sincere. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you. Kriya. I'm Astra." She jabbed a thumb at her chest, grin widening. "Traveller of the world. And she leaned in a little, voice dropping with mock seriousness. "I'm going to be your rescuer today."
Kriya said nothing. But he didn't look away either.
She stood, brushing dust from her knees, and offered her hand again.
"Can you stand? Do you need help?"
He shook his head.
"Are you sure you don't need my help?" Astra asked, brows lifting.
Kriya nodded and pushed himself up with quiet resolve only to stumble on the very next step and crash back down with a dull thud.
Astra sighed, walked over, and sat beside him again. She gently wiped the dust off his leg. "You can't walk," she said simply. "So admit it. Sometimes… accepting help is the only strength the weak are allowed."
Kriya flinched at that, eyes narrowing.
"I'm not weak."
"Oh?" Astra tilted her head. "So you're strong?"
He nodded, without even a blink of doubt.
She chuckled. "How strong?"
Kriya looked up at her—small, bloodied, dirt smeared across his cheeks. And yet, his voice came steady.
"Strong enough to protect you."
"Huh?" Astra blinked surprised. "Protect me?" She leaned forward and flicked his forehead, a teasing grin curving her lips.
"You're flat on the ground with a stick in your leg, and I'm the one bandaging it." Then, softer almost fondly she added, "Looks like I'm the one protecting you, Douzi." She smiled, brushing the dust off her hands. Then, straightening her back with mock pride, she added, "You'll need to become much stronger if you really want to protect me. I'm not that easy to handle, you know."
Kriya looked up at her, a flicker of resolve sharpening his quiet gaze. "…How strong should I become?"
Astra turned, not expecting the seriousness in his voice. The last rays of sunlight brushed her face as she met his question with a half-smile.
"Strong enough to protect myself from you," she said lightly, stepping closer—then chuckled. "I'm kidding. But first, if you want to become strong, you should stop falling from trees and getting hurt while playing tricks blindfolded." She waved a hand toward the path. "Come on, let's go back home. Otherwise, before you ever become strong, you'll get defeated and eaten by some creature out here."
Kriya fell silent.
Then, unexpectedly, he spoke soft, but unwavering.
"…I will surpass you."
Astra paused. Her eyes lingered on him, surprised, not quite sure she'd heard him right. After a moment, she nodded once.
"Okay." She reached down, slung the herb basket over her back, and started walking ahead through the underbrush. "First, let's get out of this forest alive. Then you can surpass me…if you're still alive by then." She laughed, muttering, "You're a strange kid."
Kriya scrambled to his feet, wincing slightly, but determination sharpened his steps.
"Wait!" he called.
She stopped and glanced back. "What?"
He stood there messy-haired, bruised, but chin lifted. "Don't go too far ahead. If you're the one I'm meant to surpass… then you have to wait for me."
Astra exhaled softly, not expecting that either. The sun was sinking fast, and she was already late but after a brief thought, she decided to play along.
"I'll be waiting for you, Douzi," she said over her shoulder. "But don't take too long—sunsets don't wait for anyone."And with that, she turned and disappeared into the trees. He followed. Limping, but never looking back.
"Wait… wait…Wait!"
Akira's whisper drifted into the stillness as his eyes fluttered open.
The dream dissolved like mist in morning light.
He sat up sharply, chest rising with a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. One hand ran through his hair, pushing it back as if steadying himself against the weight of memory.
"You always ran ahead," he muttered under his breath, voice rough with sleep, "and it took me everything just to catch up." He stared out at the horizon where the light began to bloom.
"This time… I'll overtake you. Even if I have to burn the wind beneath my feet."
He exhaled slowly.
The first rays of dawn spilled into the room, golden and soft, glinting in his eyes, the color of stardust stirred in silver ash.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"Took you long enough."