The Starless Night🔊

Once upon a time, in the small yet seemingly boundless town of Aroken, the nights were darker than usual. People had lived there for generations, under the vault of the sky that was filled with innumerable stars. However, one fateful night, the stars vanished.

A breath of cold air swept through the town as the inhabitants stared at the ink-black night, disbelief knotting their brows. Children whispered tales of legends and the adults muttered prayers under their breath. Quickly the town was filled with fear and trembling. Fear of the unknown, of a life without the guiding stars, cast a heavy shadow on everyone's heart.

In the heart of Aroken lived Eli, a young boy with a passion for the universe, and everything it held. His eyes flickered with the same spark as the stars he loved. Unlike his town folk who had fallen into despair, Eli, smiled, looking at the empty sky. For the wise realize that darkness is not the end, but the beginning of a new dawn.

The following day, Eli announced, 'I will bring the stars back,' his voice loud and clear echoing throughout the town square. The townsfolk stared, some laughed, while others had sympathy for what they perceived as an overly ambitious child. Nevertheless, Eli was undeterred. Out of all the things that stars had taught him, perseverance was the most precious.

Equipped with his grandfather's old astronomy book, a lantern, and undying determination, Eli ventured towards the town's old observatory, perched on top of Mystling hill. The building that once buzzed with celestial research was now just a nursery for cobwebs and dust. Eli, however, saw what others failed to see, the scope of discovery.

Days turned into nights, and nights into days, yet the observatory saw a light that it hadn't for years. Eli read, studied, and observed. He knew not the celestial language, but he understood the language of determination and hope. He examined the old star charts, striving to observe their absence and the possible causes.

Weeks flew by, and the people of Aroken in their starless nights could see one beacon of hope, the shining observatory atop Mystling hill. The town was divided; some expressed scorn for the boy's endless pursuit, while others hoped for the impossible.

One cold, starless night, Eli discovered an age-old prophecy in his grandfather's book. 'When the heart of the world sinks into an Abyss, the stars shall hide as an act of mercy. It's then, the beacon of hope must rise, or the world shall sink in despair, forever.'

With newfound knowledge, Eli realized that the disappearance of the stars wasn't just a celestial event but rather a reflection of the deep despair that had engulfed Aroken. He pondered, 'Perhaps, the stars did not need to be brought back, but rather, must be woken up from within ourselves.'

With this insight, Eli returned to the people of Aroken, not with a celestial solution but a simple one, to ignite the light within their hearts. Laughter, kindness, hope, love, and unity gradually start flowing within the lanes of Aroken, blooming in every heart. The people of Aroken learned to shine despite the darkness, sparking joy and hope that had long been forgotten.

Just as the last ember of light was kindled in the heart of the town, Eli watched in awe as the first star shyly flickered in the velvet sky. The starless nights that Aroken had dreaded were no more. As the townsfolk lifted their heads, their eyes met the shimmering ballet of the cosmos. The stars mirrored the light in their hearts, the one they had learned to rekindle. The night, once again, was not a symbol of fear but a canvas of dreams.

And so, the people of Aroken were reminded that no night, no matter how dark, can dim the light that shines from within. Eli, the boy who vowed to bring back the stars, had done it. Only, not by reaching up, but by reaching within.