CHAPTER 36: THE LEGEND OF THE STAR

Carla listened attentively to the chatter of the two elderly women. She had managed to catch up with the thread of their conversation, which had already covered half the road to Invictus. Now in the final stretch of their walk, they could talk without running out of breath. Thérèse took a moment to think, trying to decide where best to begin her story.

She took a deep breath. The scent of the trees tickled her nose. A woodland melody floated through the air. Then she spoke, addressing Carla:

"A tale as old as time, my dear girl... It all began on a starless night. The moon barely lit up the shadows when, suddenly, a shooting star appeared in the sky. It looked like it had torn through the fabric of night. It was so bright that those who saw it thought the sun had risen. And then it fell, right there, onto this land, leaving behind a crater several kilometers wide.

Every time such a thing happened, people would set out to find it. They said whoever discovered the star would have a wish granted... and their life would change forever, because the star brought luck to its bearer.

So, when word spread about what had happened that night, many left their homes to venture into the crater in hopes of finding the star. Along with the adventurers came tourists, many of whom grew fond of the place and settled down. Several decades later, what was once a forgotten village in the middle of nowhere became a city. It was named Astoria, the City of the Star."

Carla, intrigued, asked:

"So where is this famous crater where the star fell? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such a story, or such a hole."

Thérèse and Marguerite exchanged an amused glance at the question.

"Where are we going?" Marguerite asked her.

Carla replied without hesitation:

"The fortress."

To which she responded with an amused smile.

"The fortress was built on the very spot where the star crashed," Thérèse explained.

"But... what’s the connection between a military fortress and a legendary star?" Carla pressed.

"Well, you see, my dear, humans have a tendency to fight over nothing. So imagine when it’s about something that can grant wishes..."

"But it’s just a legend," she added.

She sighed before continuing:

"Maybe it’s all just a legend. But decades ago, long before the founding of the Empire, several nations fought for control of this region. The battles took the form of diplomatic arm wrestling, economic duels, and at times escalated into open warfare. The ones who suffered most were the ordinary people, who had no say in the matter and found themselves caught in the crossfire.

One day, a rumor spread that a young prince from a small nation had been seen near the crater, searching for the star. This news caught the attention of other nations, and what began as simple tourism turned into a massive war between states, each one trying to seize the star’s power before the others.

As the war escalated, the legend reached the ears of a people... a people of Calamities. They, too, began to take interest in the site. That’s when the war reached new heights. Humans, once divided, had to unite against this new threat, forgetting the reasons for their original conflict. That’s how the fortress came to be, to counter the relentless attacks of the Calamities. And with each victory, it was nicknamed Invictus. They say the fortress owed its success to the star."

"And... were you there?" asked Carla, now curious about the true age of these sweet old ladies.

Marguerite smiled and answered:

"We were young at the time. But our husband... he was a real adventurer. Even though he stopped chasing women after marrying us and remained faithful, he never could stop chasing danger. When he heard of a star that could grant wishes, he made it his mission to find it and bring us the moon.

When the countries joined the hunt and it turned into a war, he enlisted with one of the involved states. He built a reputation for himself through cunning and intelligence, stringing together victory after victory. Until one day, his strength gave out. Left on the brink of death, he was saved by a soldier from the country he had pledged himself to.

Thanks to that man, he made it back home in time to witness the birth of his children. And he swore he would one day repay the debt.

Years later, when the Calamities joined the conflict, turning it into something monstrous, it was our husband—along with the man who had saved his life—who succeeded in uniting the warring factions into a coalition. The two of them led the alliance together. That man took the lead, for he was the strongest, and our husband served as his right hand, with his experience and wisdom. Together, they pushed back the Calamities and built a fortress to defend the land from their raids.

By the end of the war, they were as close as brothers born of the same mother and father.

Later, the coalition dissolved when the threat of the Calamities faded. They never again fought over the star. Instead, they simply found new excuses to fight, like changing socks.

It broke our husband’s heart, and that man’s too. They had seen men of different nations fight side by side, only to slaughter each other again. So they decided to put an end to this endless and pointless conflict. There was only one solution: unification. They would conquer each state and merge them into one—greater, stronger, and more prosperous.

With that conviction, they launched a second great war. This time, as its instigators. With stubborn nations, they used force. With the hesitant, diplomacy. It took them ten years, but they succeeded in building, on the ruins of war, a country where life was worth living."

"So... what happened to that country? Is it gone?" asked Carla, hoping not to hear that such a nation had vanished and been forgotten by history.

Marguerite couldn’t help herself and burst out laughing. This time, she gave her most mischievous smile.

"The man who saved our husband was the very prince whose rumored presence had started the war. That prince later became emperor, and thanks to our husband, the Empire of Aurora is now one of the greatest nations in the world."

Carla’s eyes widened, almost popping out of their sockets. Seeing her stunned expression, Marguerite laughed even harder. Even Thérèse couldn’t resist boasting.

"Hahaha! We told you—our husband was strong enough to make us bury the hatchet."

Both laughed wholeheartedly.

"Wait, wait... I don’t get it. If your husband was so extraordinary, why are you still in Astoria?" Carla asked.

"When the Empire was officially founded, we moved to the imperial capital and spent most of our lives there. It was only after our husband’s death that we wanted to see our hometown again and relive our first meeting. So we brought our grandchildren and planned to spend our final days peacefully in the same house where we once lived," Thérèse replied, though it sounded like she wasn’t telling the whole story.

"So where are those grandchildren now?" asked Carla.

"They were too young to undergo the Awakening. They must be with little Iris," said Thérèse, before adding:

"I miss her, even though I barely know her. I wish I could have seen her face. I wonder if she would’ve done better than you," she teased Carla.

"I doubt it. She’s hard to impress," Carla replied.

The three of them burst into laughter.

The rest of the journey continued in a light and peaceful atmosphere. They went on chatting and laughing over various stories.

Night fell, but no rest was ordered, and no one asked for it—or complained.

It was with empty stomachs, parched throats, and legs worn out from the march that those at the front of the column finally caught sight of the fortress, around eleven o’clock.

The moment they saw it, they stopped. The movement rippled backward, reaching even the rearmost ranks, where some, unable to see what had caused the halt, began to wonder.

But had they seen it, they wouldn’t have asked a single question.

The fortress was ablaze. The sounds of battle were already echoing. Smoke rose high into the sky.

Then the message spread, passed from mouth to mouth. Those who couldn’t see were informed. Their feet trembled—so did their hands. It wasn’t the fatigue of the journey. It was guilt.

They felt responsible for being too slow, for not having marched fast enough.

That feeling, every one of them shared it—everyone under the parasite’s influence. Since their awakening, the parasite had been nurturing one thing within them: duty. The duty to protect the homeland.

And now, right before their eyes, what they were meant to protect was burning.

That was when Grégoire’s voice rose, loud enough for all to hear.

He commanded:

"Charge."