The radiant starlight that had once surrounded Arora dimmed considerably at this moment, as though her soul had been scorched by stellar fire. Even her glow carried a trace of exhaustion and sorrow.
She struggled to steady herself, her eyes filled with despair and unwillingness.
Like a beast imprisoned in an abyss, knowing escape was hopeless yet still roaring in defiance.
This was only the first star. After all, stars were too large, and Arora was too small. Even though she had grown as large as Earth, before the vast universe, she was still merely a drop in the ocean.
Stars, those beacons of the cosmos, each possessed the power to destroy planets, yet Arora had to face their wrath alone.
She could clearly feel her Life Force draining away as swiftly as sand through an hourglass. Every inch of skin and every bone in her body was gradually collapsing beneath the star's impact.
It was pain that came from within, torment endured by both soul and body.
Just one star had already left Arora near-death and severely injured. A deep sense of helplessness rose within her.
There were still so many stars left—enough to drive her into utter despair, enough to make her feel that death might be her final destination.
Was she... doomed to die?
The thought flashed through Arora's mind, but she quickly cast it aside with astonishing willpower.
She would not allow herself to yield before fear, nor would she allow herself to give up before fighting until the very end.
She clenched her fists with difficulty, her nails digging deeply into her palms and bringing faint stabs of pain.
That pain made her clearer-headed, more resolute.
Death was not frightening. To Arora, it was merely part of life's cycle, the final destination of all things