The celebration was already beginning.
Thousands had gathered beneath the banners of the Crestfold Kingdom, waiting for Prince Star Crestfold to receive his beastly Vial and awaken the Golden Phoenix.
For generations, the Crestfolds had carried the most powerful beastly Vials. Their power had kept Nethros Kingdom at the head of the Seven Kingdoms.
And tonight, that power was about to awaken in twelve-year-old Star.
The youngest royal ever deemed ready.
Yet the prince was nowhere to be found.
"Where is Star?" Queen Aurelia’s voice cut through the celebration.
The maids before her trembled. "W-we don’t know, my lady."
Aurelia’s eyes narrowed. "What do you mean you don’t know?"
"The last time we saw him was about an hour ago." The poor girls replied.
"An hour?" The queen’s expression darkened. "Then why am I only hearing about this now?"
The maids lowered their heads, too terrified to answer.
Aurelia closed her eyes and took a slow breath.
"Search every room. The gardens. The training grounds. I want every servant looking for him."
"Yes, my lady!" The maids scattered.
Aurelia remained where she stood. Tonight was supposed to be the beginning of Star’s destiny.
Instead, the boy had disappeared before it had even begun.
...
Far above the celebration, atop the flat roof of the citadel, sat a young silver-haired boy with his legs dangling over the edge.
Three crimson moons hung above him, perfectly aligned in a triangle.
Star stared at them, his azure eyes distant, as though searching the sky for an answer he couldn’t put into words.
"What if I can’t do it?"
The words barely escaped his lips.
"What if I’m not ready?"
As he sat there lost in thought, something stirred in the darkness behind him.
A figure crept closer, careful not to make a sound.
When it was barely a foot away, it suddenly lunged.
But Star was faster.
His eyes snapped open and his body reacted before his mind could.
He rolled backward, slipping out of the man’s grasp. In one swift motion, he grabbed the man’s garment and yanked him to the floor.
Star rolled on top of him and pinned him down, one hand wrapped around his neck.
A translucent yellow dagger materialized in his other hand, its radiant glow cutting through the darkness.
He tightened his grip on the dagger.
Then...
"Dad?" he asked his brows furrowing. "What the hell are you doing?" He let go of his throat "You scared me."
King Ikaris rubbed his neck. "Scared you?" he coughed. "You’re the one holding a bloody dagger."
"That’s still because you scared me." Star sighed as he stood, the dagger dissolving into tiny embers.
"Well I have warned you not to sit at the citadel tower’s edge" his father said as he stood up. "And you sure know the deadly punishment that awaits you for disobeying your king."
Stars head dropped, "you... you" he stuttered, "you will tell mum I kissed Kessarah again, wouldn’t you?"
The king smiled evilly "Exactly." He walked past him and sat at the edge. "We both know how well that went the first time."
"Fine. I’m sorry for—" Star stopped and frowned. "Wait. I can’t sit at the edge, but you can?"
"Yes, of course. I’m all-powerful. I can do whatever I want." King Ikaris replied nonchalantly before tapping beside him in a calm invitation.
Star sighed before he went and sat beside his father, like every other day this same man had managed to annoy him, but yet, the stupid him... was still so so super fund of him.
"You know everyone is looking for you, right?" Ikaris asked, his gaze fixed on the crimson moons.
Star lowered his head. "I know."
Ikaris turned towards him. The worry and fear on his son’s face were impossible to miss.
"Come on, son." His voice softened. "What’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything."
Star glanced at him.
"Your secrets are safe with me."
Star stared at his father for a moment before lowering his eyes to his entwined fingers.
It was difficult to say.
His father was painfully overprotective, but he was also the one person Star could confide in.
Although, technically, his secrets were never safe with him.
This was the same man Star had trusted with the story of his first kiss. Five minutes later, his mother had marched into his room with the royal lecture of the century.
"Star, you’re too young, and you’re royalty," she had said. "You can’t just go around kissing random girls!"
His father had laughed in the hallway the entire time.
Fortunately, that wasn’t what was bothering him now.
"It’s just... it’s too much, Dad." He took a deep breath. "Uniting with my Vial... becoming the Golden Phoenix... everyone will expect so much from me."
He looked away from his father.
"They’ll expect me to protect them. To fight for them. To be this strong... All powerful... phoenix beast ruler or-or something "
He swallowed.
"But what if I fail?" His voice grew quieter. "I don’t know, Dad. I’m just scared."
He looked away from his father, shame written across his features.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to disappoint you with my worries. It’s just—"
"Hey, hey, hey," his father interrupted, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "I’m not disappointed in you, son."
Star’s eyes widened. "You... you aren’t?"
King Ikaris chuckled lightly. "Of course not... What am I, a judge? Your worst critic?"
"Maybe?" Star chirped.
Ikaris’s smile vanished. "Huh?"
Star simply shrugged. " Well, I’ve seen how you yell at your subordinates for being pathetic. It’s honestly horrifying sometimes."
Ikaris groaned. "That’s because I’m their king. Sometimes, I have to enforce law and order."
He sighed. "Right now, I’m not acting as a king." He looked at Star, his voice warmer.
"I’m acting as your father."
Star exhaled subtly. He understood him very well. However, the worry in his eyes was still very much vivid.
Ikaris squeezed his shoulder warmly.
"Look, son. It’s okay to be afraid and worried."
Star raised a skeptical brow. "It is?"
"Yes," Ikaris replied.
"But... you’re never afraid, Dad. I’ve seen you fight demons with the I.Vs. I’ve seen the things you face. But I’ve never once seen fear in your eyes."
King Ikaris smiled. "Son, if you summoned your weapon right now, could it hurt you?"
Star frowned slightly, in as mush as he found that question very insulting, he didn’t understand where he was going with it.
"No" he finally answered anyways.
"Exactly." Ikaris looked back at the sky. "Those demons and beasts are no different to me. I’ve fought them for years. Now they aren’t so much of a threat."
Star stared at him utterly astonished.
"I know you’re the strongest among your rank at the I.V Noble Academy," Ikaris continued. "But you can’t compare your experience to mine."
He smiled. "Nine hundred and ninety-nine of you could join together, multiply that by three, and I still wouldn’t need to raise a finger."
Star nodded sarcastically. "Wow, Dad. I totally feel so much better now. Thanks."
Ikaris laughed lightly. "You see? That’s because I’ve had hundreds of years to master my beastly Vial. Once you receive yours and learn to control your beast, facing me will be... say a little bit fair."
"A little bit fair?" Star asked, raising a brow.
"Littler than a little bit, actually," King Ikaris replied.
Star rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t help laughing. Ikaris laughed along with him.
When their laughter finally died down, Ikaris slipped an arm around his son’s shoulders.
"Can I let you in on a little secret?"
"Mm-hm," Star replied curiously.
The smile on Ikaris’s face widened as he leaned towards him and whispered into his ear.
"I was as scared as fuck."
"What?" Star burst into laughter. That was the last thing he expected to hear.
King Ikaris laughed too. "Don’t look so surprised. The day I received my own beastly Vial, I was more afraid than excited."
Star was all smiles as he listened.
"And do you know the worst part?" King Ikaris continued.
Star shook his head inquisitively.
"Your grandfather said he was afraid during his own time too."
Star’s eyes widened. "What? Grandpa was afraid too?"
He laughed even harder, remembering how old, grumpy, and stubborn his grandfather had been. He could hardly believe the man had ever been afraid.
He missed him so much.
When the laughter finally died down, King Ikaris looked at his son.
"Listen, son. Being afraid or worried doesn’t automatically make us pathetic. It’s how we decide to face those fears that determines the result. Otherwise, those things are simply human attributes."
He paused.
"And do you know what we are?"
"Humans?" Star replied.
"Exactly son. We are humans." Ikaris smiled. "But you... you are an exceptional human."
A genuine smile lit Star’s face, and he nearly blushed. "You believe that, Dad?"
"Of course I do. I mean, you said it yourself before. You’re ranked number one among your ranks." His eyes lit up. "And besides... do you know how old I was when I was deemed ready to receive my own Vial?"
Star shook his head.
King Ikaris let out a light snort. "I was sixteen."
Star’s eyes widened. "Sixteen? That’s four years older than I am, Dad."
His father smiled. "Exactly. You are the very first Crestfold, and the first royal, to receive his Vial at such a young age." He nodded. "And do you know what that means?"
Star looked at him but couldn’t find a suitable answer.
His father chuckled. "It means you’re ready, son. You are ready." He smiled proudly. "And I couldn’t be more proud of you."
Star smiled. For the first time that night, he felt the weight on his shoulders begin to lift.
"Thanks, Dad."
Ikaris smiled in return. His eyes slowly drifted towards the sky.
The crimson moons hung above them, perfectly aligned in a triangle.
"Beautiful, aren’t they?" Ikaris asked.
Star nodded. "They are."
"You know what I like about them?" His father asked.
Star simply shrugged. "yeah dad, when humanity was on the brink of extinction, blah blah blah, the Crimson Mandate gave them something they desperately needed.... Power and hope,"
"Power and hope." Ikaris nodded, a warm smile perched on his face.
Star remained silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the crimson moons.
"But, Dad...?"
Ikaris slowly turned towards him.
"Is the story about the demons really true?... The story about how they were scattered across the world and brought chaos with them?"
The smile disappeared from Ikaris’s face.
For a moment, he said nothing.
The question had been innocent, but something in his father’s expression made Star regret asking it.
"I’m afraid so," Ikaris finally said. He looked back at the moons. "The Crimson Mandate gave humanity the power to fight back. But even that wasn’t enough. The strongest failed to there feet, many were even turned to demons." His voice grew quieter. "Many lives was lost."
He exhaled. "That was when the crimson mandate appeared... and blessed us these divine Vials."
Star’s eyes widened slightly, as he paid attention.
"For what better weapon could we have against a beast," Ikaris continued, "than a beast of our own?"
Star winced. "But why only royalty?"
Ikaris glanced at him. "Back then, royalty were regarded as the purest among men. They carried themselves with dignity, honor, and pride." He nodded as he went on. "The power within those Vials was too great to be placed in just anyone’s hands. It needed a bloodline that could carry its honor."
Star nodded slowly.
"That’s why the Vials remained within the royal families for generations."
Ikaris placed a hand on his son’s shoulder once more.
"And tonight, you’re becoming part of that powerful legacy."