Chapter Three: Heart of Esther

When Astra and Astin found one another in a forest far away from the City of Night, Astra happily introduced Dima and her children to Astin, completely unaware of Astin's darker thoughts.

From there on out, they continued on their journey together. Astra shared the stories of her experiences from her travels throughout the World to Astin.

"I want to protect this World." Astra brimmed with confidence as she told Astin her resolution.

As Astra merrily skipped on ahead, she failed to notice Astin's frown. 'And I want to destroy this World. This place doesn't deserve your kindness and protection, Astra.'

Although Astra never noticed the change in Astin, Dima saw through the facade he put up around them. Though she knew something was wrong, she decided that she would not act because even though he was quiet and possibly dangerous, he was still part of the Last Star with the task of saving this World. It would be wise not to offend him.

The forest grew thicker as they neared their destination. With every step, Astra and Astin felt the magic of the Heart of Esther grow stronger and stronger.

"We're close. I can feel it!" Astra enthusiastically jumped around Astin. He gave a smile smile in return. "Me too." His eyes left hers to stare at the ground instead.

"Are you okay?" Astin whipped his head up when he heard Astra's concern. 'Tch! I messed up.'

Astin forced a smile and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah I'm fine."

Astra raised a brow but decided not to say anything. With one last look, she went over to Arden and Ardis to play with them.

Astin sighed in relief. Everything would have been over if he was caught. The Heart of Esther will be his, no matter what it takes.

"Whatever you're thinking, just don't hurt Astra." Astin turned around to face a stern faced Dima. He stared coldly back at her.

"Why would I ever hurt her."

Dima shook her head. "I can tell, child. Whatever you think you're doing will not end well." With that, Dima left him to his own thoughts.

They continued on their trek in the forest. The trees grew denser together and the colors greatly varied between different shades and tints of green the deeper in they traveled. Every now and then, they would see animals bounding into shrubs and birds flying from tree to tree. It was obvious the Heart's magic was affecting its surroundings.

Astra brushed away a tree branch that was blocking her path which revealed a lonesome cave entrance covered by moss. She placed a hand on the exterior of cave entrance. "The Heart's in here. I can feel it." Without warning, she ducked her head to enter the cave with her wand as a light source. Arden and Ardis hurriedly trailed behind her excitedly.

"Ah! Wait! All of you come back here this second! We don't know what could be in there!" Dima shouted into the entrance worriedly. "Ah forget it. Children will be children." Dima proceeded to follow the three children.

Inside the cave was unlike anything Astra had ever seen her entire time on this World. The room inside the cave was dramatically huge with pillars supporting the structure. The walls were lined with symbols and drawings she didn't recognize and she stared in wondrous awe at everything. At the end of the room stood a beautiful altar covered with paintings and symbols similar to the designs on the walls. Glowing ever so faintly on top of the altar was the Heart of Esther.

Entranced by the magical force of the Heart, she stretched her fingers out to touch it. She was only able to touch it with her index finger which was enough to create a reaction before she heard Arden and Ardis cry out for their mother.

Astra abruptly turned towards the children. "What's wrong?"

She gasped out in surprise and concern when the children dropped unconscious beside their mother. Astin stood before them holding the Sword of Seren.

"Sorry Astra, but the Heart is mine." Before Astra had any time to react, she was knocked unconscious.

             "-tra. Astra. Astra!"

Bright light pierced the darkness in her eyes as Astra shot up from where she laid. Her faintly glowing Wand was raised right next to her face, and she made to grab it. 

Astra, are you alright?" Dima asked her in concern.

Astra shook her head as she clutched her wand tightly. "No... Astin."

Dima let out a puff of angry air. "Astin betrayed us, Astra. He betrayed you. He took the Heart, and now you have to get it back."

Tears began to pool in Astra's eyes. "B-but how? I can't go against Astin. I just can't." She looked up to Dima, but the woman only gave her a hard look before standing up.

Dima walked over to her unconscious children. "Then our mission has failed." She picked up and carried her two children in her arms and walked out of the cave.

"Wait!" Astra ran after them, her previous determination pooling back into her. Her hands clenched into fists. She won't let anything else fall deeper into despair. She won't just stand there anymore, guilty for not noticing as Astin fell with the World.

When she caught up, she ran in front of the retreating Dima.

"I'll do it! I'll get the Heart back. It's my responsibility to not only save the World, but to protect it as well. The people here has only treated me with kindness, and I'll repay them by protecting them. I can sense that Astin has strayed off that path, and I will stop him no matter what!" Astra ranted as she flung her arms up and down to block Dima from leaving.

             A warm smile spread across Dima's face as she looked at the determined girl. "Go for it, child. I know you'll be able to do it."

             Astra looked at Dima appreciatively. "Just you wait! The World will shine anew!"

             She grasped her Wand in front of her. She wished with all her heart to find her beloved, Astin. With a surge of magical power, a swirling portal appeared out of thin air. Before stepping into it, she turned to Dima.

             "Thank you for everything! Tell the children that I had fun playing with them and that I'll never forget them!" She decided to wave her hand goodbye to them, but didn't expect Dima to hug her instead before she was lightly pushed backwards into the portal.

             Astra stumbled backwards out of the portal only to step on cracked rubble. When she turned around, all she saw around her were floating buildings and people littered everywhere in the sky.

             "Wh-what?" Everything seemed calm. The floating buildings like islands in the sky moved slowly towards one direction. It was quiet. There were no screaming or birds chirping. Everything was just there.

             It all seemed to be moving in one direction. When Astra searched the sky towards that direction, her hands shook when she noticed the dark black hole. The Heart of Esther with, its surface slowly darkening, powered the black hole in the center. And floating before the hole was Astin with his calm expression gazing at her.

             "Astra, look! I'm saving the World!" He laughed happily while he floated towards her.

             Astra raised the Wand of Nova with a pained expression. "Why are you doing this?" With a calm smile, Astin raised the Sword of Seren in return. "This World has done nothing to deserve your protection. All it can do is destroy and kill, and this is exactly what I'm doing to save this World." His eyes gleamed. "You must understand. This is what you wanted, my love"

             "You're crazy." She gripped her hands tighter around the Wand. "I want to protect this World, not destroy it!" Tears spilled down her cheeks. "You don't understand. I want to save this World to protect everyone. Do you hate me for that? Is that why you're doing this?"

             Astin grimaced. "No! That's not it at all!"

             "Then why?!"

             "This is all for you because I love you!"

             "Then come back to me." Astra pleaded.

             "I can't. It's too late." Astin's eyes glimmered with pain. The Heart of Esther was now entirely blackened. It acted as the power source for the black hole.

              Astra's heart clenched painfully. This was it, the final decision to save the World. Deep inside her heart, she found the kindness and the care the people she met in this World had given her. She thought of Dima, and her two children Arden and Ardis. And last of all, she thought of Astin. His way of showing affection towards her was wrong, but she knew he still loved her, and that was all she needed to raise her courage to accomplish what she needed to do.

             In the moment of truth, she powered her Wand to send a force strong enough to propel her towards the gravitational pull of the black hole. If should could reach the Heart of Esther, she could neutralize its overflowing darkness.

             Astin would never be able to stop her in time. "ASTRA!" He screamed when he saw her get sucked into the black hole.

             Without a struggle, she was able to reach out and take the Heart into her hands. It glowed a bright light as the darkness that had consumed it receded until half the Heart was encased in darkness and the other half light.

             The World around her slowly reversed its direction to fall back down to the ground as the black hole started to recede, but it was too late for Astra. She closed her eyes. 'Goodbye.'

             Suddenly, she felt a warm pair of arms embrace her entire being. She looked up to see Astin smiling down at her. "I'll always be with you."

The black hole closed with Astra and Astin trapped within forever. The Heart of Esther was returned to the StarPath, and its power of both light and dark was able to reconnect the StarPath back to the World.

In the night sky, the stars twinkle brighter than ever, and up in the north, where the snow falls and winter reigns, the brightest star of all made up of two halves of a whole shines bright to guide the World to the StarPath.