Bound By Stars.

Astrid's Sacrifice.

~ Third person POV ~

The morning after the gods' decree, Astrid woke with a heavy heart, her eyes swollen from the tears that had stained her face the night before. The forest around her was as quiet as the stillness in her chest, the birds that usually sang their morning songs now muffled in the weight of her sorrow. The sun, bright but distant, filtered through the leaves in gentle beams, but to Astrid, the light felt cold. The warmth she had once felt in Kirin's presence seemed so far away now, like a fleeting memory that was slipping through her fingers.

She couldn't stop thinking about what the gods had said—their punishment, their threats. If Kirin continued to defy them, if he continued to love her, she would be the one to suffer. The very thought of him enduring punishment because of her was unbearable. The love they shared, something so pure and beautiful, was now poisoned by divine wrath.

But Astrid knew what she had to do.

With a resolve she hadn't known she possessed, she rose from her bed and dressed in the simplest garments—nothing too extravagant, nothing that could remind her of the love she had lost. She stepped outside, her bare feet silent against the cool earth, the world around her too quiet, too still. She didn't look back as she walked toward the forest, toward the shrine. The shrine that held the remnants of everything she had ever wanted.

When she arrived, the stone pillars seemed colder than usual, the flowers that once bloomed so vibrantly now drooping as if they, too, mourned. She knelt before the shrine, her hands trembling as she pressed them into the earth, grounding herself before the place where Kirin had once spoken to her. She could almost feel him there, could almost hear his voice whispering her name in the wind, but she knew she could no longer afford the luxury of hope.

With a deep breath, she closed her eyes, feeling the weight of the gods' decree press against her chest. This is for him. This is for his safety. This is the only way.

"Great Kirin," she whispered, her voice quivering, "I... I know you're listening. I can feel you here, but I need you to listen to me."

She paused, her throat tight with the words she had to say. She knew she couldn't ask for a miracle. She knew there was no way to undo what had been done, but this was the only thing she could do to protect him, to keep him safe from the wrath that loomed over them both.

"I will never forget you. What we shared... will live in my heart forever. But I cannot let you suffer for me. I cannot bear the thought of you being punished, of you losing everything because of something I've done." Her voice cracked, the pain too much to hold back. "I... I am asking you to forget me, Kirin. Please. For your own good, for your safety, forget that I ever existed."

The words tasted like ash in her mouth, each syllable tearing at the fabric of her soul. She had to say it. She had to let him go, even if it shattered her beyond repair. Even if it meant severing the last thread that connected her to him.

"I don't want to lose you, but if this is the only way to keep you safe, then I will do this. I will let you go. Forget me. Forget everything."

A cold gust of wind swept through the forest, sending a shiver down her spine. She stayed there for a long while, kneeling in silence, feeling the weight of the gods' judgment upon her, knowing she had done what was necessary. Slowly, reluctantly, she rose from the ground, her heart sinking as she took one last look at the shrine—one last look at the place where Kirin's love had touched her, and where her heart had been forever changed.

"I love you, Kirin," she whispered to the wind, hoping, praying that somehow, her words would reach him. But deep down, she knew that it was futile. He would never hear her, not again. And maybe, that was for the best.

______________________________________________________

Meanwhile, high above in the divine realm, Kirin stood in the shadowed halls of his realm, his chest tight, his heart racing. He could feel Astrid's presence, her pain, her sorrow—he could feel her desperation, but he could not answer her.

Ares and Athena had been relentless in their punishment. They had made it clear: any attempt to speak to Astrid again, any connection with her, and she would suffer a fate worse than death. The gods had made their decision, and Kirin, despite his love, was powerless against it.

He stood alone in the empty chamber, the weight of his silence crushing him. The fire in his chest that had once burned for Astrid was now a cold ember, its warmth snuffed out by the gods' decree.

And then, like a soft whisper on the wind, he heard her voice. It was faint, like a memory, and it broke him.

Her words, laced with love and heartbreak, reached him in a way he had never thought possible. "Forget me... please..."

Kirin's heart wrenched, his hand gripping the stone beside him as he fought the tears that threatened to fall. He wanted to call out to her, to tell her that he couldn't forget her, that he couldn't lose her, not like this. But the voice of the gods echoed in his mind, reminding him of the cost. If he defied them, if he broke the rules, Astrid would suffer.

He had no choice.

With trembling hands, Kirin sank to his knees, his heart breaking as he whispered to the void, "I will forget you, Astrid. I will do as they ask... but I will never, ever stop loving you."

The silence that followed was deafening. Kirin knew it was over. He would never see her again, never hear her voice or feel her touch. And the pain of that knowledge cut deeper than any punishment the gods could inflict on him.