Starborn silence

Sunny stood still.

The cold wind of Kanah brushed past him like ghostly fingers, whispering in a language only fear could understand.

His boots crunched softly over ash-covered stones as he stepped deeper into the village.

No sign of life. No voices.

Just the creak of wood.

The silence wasn't natural—it was enforced. The kind that made thoughts loud enough to hurt.

> "Your truth is the key…"

The words from the wind haunted him still.

---

He passed the remains of a fountain—dry, cracked.

A symbol was carved at its center. A spiral eye, half-closed.

When he touched it, his heartbeat slowed.

A vision flashed—

> A figure with white hair, no older than a child, sitting calmly as people screamed around him.

German Sparow. Watching. Waiting. Smiling without warmth.

Sunny recoiled.

> "That wasn't just a memory... it was a message."

He wasn't alone here.

Someone had left this place for him.

A test? A warning?

Or worse—an invitation.

---

He entered the nearest building—a shattered inn.

Inside, dust floated like suspended time. Tables were upturned. Plates sat on counters, untouched by decay.

And in the center of the room…

A child stood.

Face shadowed. Voice soft.

> "You shouldn't be here."

"Why?" Sunny asked, instinctively stepping back.

"Because you still lie to yourself."

Sunny froze.

The child turned, revealing empty eye sockets.

> "He sees you, you know. The one with the star-eyes. He's been waiting ever since you turned your back on the fire."

Then the child disappeared—like a candle snuffed out.

---

Sunny stumbled outside, pulse racing.

He wasn't hallucinating.

This place was alive—not with people, but memories, illusions, traps built for the mind.

He touched the spiral symbol again.

It pulsed, faintly.

Like it recognized him.

A soft hum began in the air.

A strange voice—soft and ancient—spoke from within the village.

> "One passed through, years ago. Searching for a cure…

He turned away.

But you… you are not him."

Sunny whispered, "Ren…"

So Ren had come here before—perhaps seeking something.

But he'd never made it in.

Then why was Sunny here? Why could he pass?

The answer lingered like a shadow behind the mind.

He didn't know it yet… but Kanah knew him.

And so did German.

---

Far away, in a hidden chamber deep beneath Kanah...

German Sparow stood in silence, hands clasped behind his back, eyes closed.

He smiled faintly.

> "The boy has entered the board."

"Let's see how well he plays."