From the Chronicles of the Sage of Starlight
What rose from the very center of the water was a maiden of breathtaking beauty.
She was a wondrous sight, her silken hair imbued with the crimson glow of twilight, her eyes shining like sapphires that held the depth of the ocean. So pure and noble was her bearing, like morning dew, that even the ripples in the water dared not disturb her.
With eyes brimming with sorrow, the maiden looked upon the sage and pleaded in a faint, wistful voice:
“Mage, please save me. I am trapped within this oasis, unable to go anywhere.”
Setting down his waterskin, the young sage lifted his head and gazed quietly into her eyes. Then, in a calm and measured tone, he asked:
“Very well. But before that, I must ask what happened to you.”
The maiden let out a long sigh, and through her lips spilled the ancient tragedy that bound the oasis.
“I was once the goddess of the stars that shone brilliantly across the night sky.
“Long ago, in this desert, there stood a realm known as the Helium Kingdom. Each night, its people offered their prayers to me, and I illuminated their paths in return. To the travelers crossing the desert, I gave direction; to those lost in the darkness, I would even send down a star to guide them.
“In those days, Helium had a prince named Banadi.
“Though Banadi was the heir to the throne, he was different from the other princes. He held no interest in war or conquest; instead, he loved tending to the lives of his wandering people across the desert sands. Even on nights when the royal palace hosted lavish banquets, he would slip out in secret to share water with the poor, and whenever a sandstorm arose, he was always the first to venture into the desert to search for lost travelers.
“Then came a fateful day.
“While crossing the desert, Banadi was caught in a massive sandstorm. His party was scattered, and Banadi, too, lost his way.
“Taking pity on him, I set my brightest star above his location. Right where he was—at this very oasis.
“Banadi offered me his heartfelt thanks. Expressing his gratitude for saving his life, he said he wished dearly to meet me.
“At first, I did not reveal myself. I believed there were boundaries that gods and mortals must respect.
“Yet from that day forth, Banadi visited the oasis night after night. Looking down upon the starlight reflected in the water, he spoke to me every single evening—of what had happened in the palace that day, of what he had done with his brothers... even the smallest, most trivial things.
“And I... did not dislike those hours spent listening to him. In truth, I became utterly captivated by his stories.
“Thus, several seasons turned.
“Before I knew it, I had begun to wait for him. On the nights Banadi did not come, the starlight over the desert felt unbearably lonely. It was no longer just his stories I longed for, but the sound of his voice itself.
“In the end, on one fateful night, I broke the divine taboo and showed myself before him for the first time. Stepping forth across the surface of the oasis through the gentle starlight, I looked upon him.
“For a long while, Banadi could say nothing. He simply stared at the maiden standing before his eyes. The being he had spoken with every night, the star he had thanked, the light that had saved him when he was lost—when all of them finally became one before the prince's eyes, a radiant smile bloomed across his face like that of a child.
“That night, we talked until dawn. Then, on a sudden impulse, I asked him a question. As a reward for all his tales, I wished to gift him his favorite star.
“Banadi looked up at the countless stars drifting in the sky, shook his head, and turned back to look at me. He said that a single star descended to earth was far more beautiful than all the stars above combined.
“And so, we confirmed each other's hearts. A god and a mortal—two beings who should never have been intertwined—had fallen in love. He bestowed upon me a special name known only to him, and I came to cherish that name more than any divine title in the world.
“Those were truly joyous days.
“Yet the desert kingdom could not remain at peace forever.
“A terrible drought befell Helium. One by one, the oases dried up, and the people began to wander in search of water. In the palace, the situation was no different. The king was growing old, and the rivalry among the princes over the throne grew fiercer by the day. Soon, Banadi stood on the very precipice of kingship.
“Then, one night, Banadi arrived at the oasis with a face far grimmer than usual. He told me that the kingdom to the south was marching forth with a massive army to swallow Helium whole, and that he, too, had to march into battle for the sake of his people.
“Hearing those words, for the first time, he felt like a stranger to me. The Banadi I loved was a man who always thought first of how to save lives. Yet he was a prince. He had to protect his people, and one day, he would have to become king.
“From the next day on, Banadi returned to the royal palace to prepare for war. And every night, I waited for him at the oasis. One day, two days, and countless nights slipped past... yet Banadi did not return.
“Still, I lit the stars every night so that he would never lose his way back.
“At long last, the procession of an army emerged from beyond the desert sands. The moment I saw the crimson banners of Helium, my heart nearly burst with joy. I believed he had returned.
“Yet nowhere in the vanguard was Banadi to be seen.
“Gathering the starlight to illuminate their faces... for a long while, I could understand nothing. I did not want to believe that I would never see him again.
“That night, the King of Helium proclaimed a new monarch. It was not Banadi, but his elder brother. And the people celebrated as if nothing had happened, saying it was because they had won the war.
“Yet I could not believe in that victory.
“Even after that day, I remained at the oasis, continuing to wait for him. Because I feared that the moment I accepted his death, the beautiful time we had shared would truly come to an end.
“How many ages must have passed since then?
“Eventually, the Helium Kingdom faded into the pages of history. The drought worsened, the palace was buried beneath the sands, and even the name of Banadi was entirely forgotten from the memories of men. And the light of my stars lingering in the sky gradually lost their luster.
“Only then did I realize: in loving a mortal so deeply, my very existence had grown weak, resembling a mortal's own.
“And divine retribution fell upon the god who had broken the taboo—the punishment of being eternally imprisoned within this very oasis I could never bring myself to leave.
“Even now, after all this time, I am still waiting for him.
“...So, Mage.
“Please, take me away from here. I am... truly exhausted.”
Just then, the sage noticed something amiss.
The war between the Helium Kingdom and the southern kingdom had indeed ended in Helium's victory. The records left in the ruins of Helium made that clear, and the sage had already visited those ruins.
Yet that victory was not something achieved by mortal hands.
Out in the middle of the harsh desert, the southern kingdom had been struck by a colossal meteor that plummeted without warning from the heavens, wiping them out without a trace. Even now, it was said that an unimaginably deep crater remained, lying desolate upon the earth.
After a moment of contemplation, the sage asked the maiden:
“O beautiful goddess, the sheer depth of your sorrow is something that I, a mere mortal, cannot begin to fathom. However... before I escort you from this place, will you grant me just one more answer?”
“Yes. Anything you wish.”
Holding her noble, pitiful gaze, the sage continued:
“What is... your name?”
Floating upon the water, the maiden looked at the sage, her sapphire eyes trembling faintly.
“...Serena. My name is Serena.”
“I see, Lady Serena. How then should I proceed to free you?”
At the sage’s quiet inquiry, the maiden upon the water offered a tearful smile and spoke in a hushed voice:
“At the deepest floor of this oasis... there is an object that binds me. If you would reach your hand into those deep waters, Mage, and shatter it, I will finally be freed from this eternal shackle.”
Her voice was so sorrowful and pitiable that it would have compelled any passing traveler to plunge into the frigid depths without a second thought.
Yet the sage did not move.
Silently, the sage sank to his knees and peered into the oasis's depths, where thousands of starlights shimmered.
Down below lay a small sword.
It was an old prince's blade, the crest of Helium's royal family distinctly engraved into the pommel. It was the very sword that Banadi had worn at his hip in life.
Looking upon the blade driven deep beneath the water, and sensing the faint warmth that still lingered within it, the sage finally pieced together the full truth of the tragedy.
And the sage decided not to help her.