The Stars Between Us

Prologue

The only feeling that consumed Y/N was fear. They had a plan, a simple plan that should have been easy to follow if not for this fear. All they had to do was run. After weeks of planning and pretending to be on their best behavior, their plan has reached its final stages, if only they would run. Their legs won't move forward, but they tremble tauntingly.

They could go back to their room, wake up in their somewhat comfortable bed, and pretend that this night didn't happen, but if they did that then all of their hard work and sacrifice would be for nothing. All those weeks of sucking up to the person that dragged them here in the first place would continue.

In the end, it's their worry that helps them overcome their fear. All those people who helped them get to this point would be for nothing. So, steadily, they walked forward, then jogged, then ran to that door, opening it with great difficulty and running out of the stale palace that contained them for every year of their adulthood. As they breathed in that fresh spring air, a new worry possessed them.

Just what would they do when the willpower that let the run finally dwindled? What would they do if they were found? That worry was pushed aside as they stepped over the threshold and out into the welcoming chill of night for the first time in years.

— — —

For those who have never encountered the O'Khasis wall, or in Y/N's case, were unconscious while entering, it was a very intimidating sight. Long, sturdy stone walls encased the large village that stretched on for miles. Fixing their cloak, Y/N crossed the distance between the palace and the wall and touched the wall, looking up. It would be a long and dangerous climb, and even if they made it up without being seen, it would be a hassle to get down.

Luckily, they had a map. It was hard to read under the moonlight but with some squinting, they started walking in the right direction while counting their steps. After counting to a hundred, they placed their hand on the fourth stone up from the ground and pushed hard until it caved in like some sort of pressure plate. A gasp left them as the wall shimmered magically before simply seizing to exist, leaving a large opening just big enough for them to slip through. Looking back, they smiled before running through that gap.

After that point, Y/N didn't look back any longer. They were free. Free of O'Khasis, free of the high priest, free! They ran until their legs were numb and they toppled over themselves in an open field of flowers and grass. While it hurt, it felt good. The smell of dirt, the feel of grass beneath their hands, and the cool air relieving how they were warm from the motion, it was ethereal.

Laughing, they looked up at the stars, wishing that this feeling would last forever as they fell asleep.

— — —

As the young fugitive slept, a person not quite human came upon them. Gently, they lifted Y/N up and kissed their forehead, watching as their body shimmered and they were transported to a place much farther from O'Khasis, a place where they could be safe,

"Be safe, little one. We'll meet again in the future."

— — —

"By the seven, I'm beginning to think we have an issue of finding people unconscious in our woodland," a deep voice uttered, slowly waking up Y/N.

Yawning, they began to sit up, rubbing their face to clear the tiredness from their body. Opening their gentle e/c eyes, they looked up to be greeted by a metal helmet with lake-blue eyes peering at her from behind.

Being startled was a great way to wake a person up, as proven in the young fugitive's case as they jolted back, scrambling to get back up on their feet. They grasped the map in their hand tightly and glared at the guard before them. They wore an old rendition of the O'Khasis knight uniform, strange but still dangerous. Anyone aligned with O'Khasis was a threat.