Eclipse Of The Heart

Far across the stars, on the dark crystalline world of Tsukinara, Prince Tsukio and Princess Tsukina stood before a towering obsidian console. Between them hovered a massive, glowing orb — a radiant sphere that displayed Akarihoshi in stunning detail, each city, garden, and glimmer of light captured in its luminous surface. The orb pulsed faintly, as though alive, reflecting the storm of magic and intent swirling around them.

Tsukina’s eyes narrowed with cold calculation as she studied the planet. “They are too strong, brother. Aiko and Akihiko… their bond makes them powerful. If we leave them united, they will become unstoppable.”

Tsukio’s lips curved into a faint, predatory smile as his gaze rested on the glowing orb. “That’s why we will not leave them united.”

Tsukina tilted her head, her voice like velvet over steel. “Once they are apart, it will be so much easier. Aiko’s fire will fade without him. Akihiko’s calm will crumble without her. And then…” She smiled darkly. “…we will be free to take what we want.”

Tsukio’s gaze hardened, reflecting the storm’s glow in the orb. “Yes. And in their hearts, we will plant whispers — truths twisted into daggers. She will question his love. He will be lost without her. They will both begin to doubt themselves. Step by step, word by word, we’ll unravel their bond.”

“They are impressive,” Tsukina murmured, her eyes glinting against the pulsating light of the orb. “But no bond, no matter how strong, can survive careful manipulation.”

Tsukio raised his hand over the glowing sphere, feeling the pulse of his power stirring. “Then it begins now. Let the storm rise over Akarihoshi. Let chaos be our curtain. And while they are distracted, we will strike.”

The orb flared with black light, and the storm outside Tsukinara deepened, echoing their intent. The glow of Akarihoshi shivered, petals of light twisting under the invisible hands of Tsukio and Tsukina’s scheme.

The Akarihoshi Gardens glowed under the soft, ethereal light of distant stars. Blossoms released their gentle fragrance, petals glistening like morning dew despite the darkness. Aiko bent over a crimson orchid, a tender smile on her lips.

"I always feel… as if the stars themselves are breathing with us," she whispered.

Akihiko watched her quietly, hand resting near his sword even though no danger approached. How could she be so delicate… and yet so unyielding?

Naoru walked a few steps behind, teasing lightly, "If we keep moving this slowly, dawn will catch us here."

Mika nodded, smiling at Aiko, her eyes radiating warmth, but a playful glint in her gaze hinted at mischief as her shoulder brushed Naoru’s.

Then… the sky shifted.

It was as if someone had drawn a black cloak across the heavens. Clouds rolled over the gardens in an instant, and the wind howled through the trees. Flowers closed as if seeking protection.

"What is happening?" Mika cried, clutching Naoru’s arm tightly.

Akihiko’s gaze snapped upward. "This… is not natural." His hand slid to his sword. His heart began to race.

Aiko felt the tension in the air like a living thing. Her body shivered as premonition gripped her. "This… power…"

Then lightning split the sky.

It struck directly toward Aiko.

"AIKO!" Akihiko’s voice shattered like a broken blade. He sprinted forward, arms outstretched—but it was too late.

Aiko fell to her knees. Her star pendant glowed brilliantly, then shattered into two halves. Her hair flared like burning flames for a fleeting moment before darkness swallowed it. A thick black mist wrapped around her, obscuring her from every eye.

But the moment she vanished from sight, Tsukio’s hand, unseen, reached through the storm and seized her essence. Her aura shimmered helplessly as the black mist became a conduit, pulling her across the void of space toward Tsukio’s planet.

"Now…", he whispered, his eyes gleaming with controlled malice.

In that instant, Aiko’s entire being was drawn through the storm. She shimmered like a drifting light as the black mist transported her to Tsukio’s grand palace. She collapsed gently onto the polished marble floor, unconscious, her aura faintly glowing under his control.

Tsukina stood by his side, calm and composed, yet her eyes glinted with cruel delight. "She is ours now… unconscious and vulnerable," she murmured, a sharp smile playing on her lips.

Back in the Akarihoshi Gardens, Akihiko dropped to his knees. The storm still raged above, wind tearing through branches, petals whipping like living confetti. Pain, rage, and determination fused in his heart.

His eyes fell to the sodden ground at his feet. Half-buried among the scattered petals lay three small, unmistakable things: Aiko’s engagement ring, StarCom and the delicate chain of her necklace — all washed and bruised by the storm but unmistakably hers. For a breathless second, the world narrowed to those three items, proof of a life ripped from him in an instant. He clutched the broken pendant.

"If I’ve lost you… No, it can’t be real. You can’t just vanish from my life like this. I must find you…"

Raindrops mingled with tears as his sword’s aura flickered faintly, sensing the promise of its master. In that moment, Akihiko’s despair crystallized into unwavering resolve.

The storm whispered around him, carrying his vow into the night: a promise, unbroken.

Meanwhile, on Tsukinara, Aiko lay sprawled on the polished marble floor of Tsukio’s palace, completely unconscious, her body limp and her aura subdued. The violent energy of the transfer had pulled her essence across the stars, leaving her mind shrouded in a deep, dreamless void.

Her heart, once brimming with warmth and certainty, now felt hollow. There were no threads to Akihiko, no anchor of familiarity—only the cold, calculated presence of the storm and the palace around her. Her bond with Akihiko, once vibrant and guiding, had faded into nothingness.

Tsukio approached, his shadow stretching across the floor, the crackling storm outside reflecting in the crystal windows. He knelt beside her, studying the faint tremors in her aura—subtle pulses of living energy under his command.

"Perfect," he murmured, low and deliberate. "She cannot sense him. She cannot fight… not yet. Her spirit is completely under my influence. Soon, she will awaken in our world, disoriented and vulnerable."

Tsukina watched quietly from nearby, her gaze sharp and analytical. "Even unconscious, she resists slightly… but only minimally. Her bond with him is broken for now. Step by step, you bend her fate as you please, brother."

Outside, lightning lanced across the sky, thunder booming like a declaration of power. The storm mirrored the tense, controlled chaos within the palace—an atmosphere thick with anticipation, as if the very air waited for the moment when Aiko and Akihiko would be crushed under the weight of their separation and the schemes of Tsukio and Tsukina.

Aiko’s eyes fluttered open, heavy and disoriented. The world around her was unfamiliar—rich tapestries, towering pillars, and the soft hum of a palace far from Akihiko, far from everything she knew. Her limbs felt like lead, and a strange fog clouded her thoughts.

She tried to reach for something familiar, anything, and found… nothing. The connection she always felt to Akihiko—her anchor, her guiding light—was gone. A hollow ache filled her chest. Panic flickered, but before it could grow, a calm, smooth voice cut through the haze.

"Ah… awake at last."

Tsukio stepped closer, his presence commanding yet strangely soothing, piercing eyes locking on hers. "Do not be afraid, Princess Aiko. You are safe… here, with me."

Aiko’s brows furrowed. You? Safe? Where am I? She tried to speak, but her throat felt dry, her voice barely a whisper.

"Shhh… rest," he murmured, kneeling beside her. "You are tired. The journey has been… difficult."

He leaned closer, his words weaving around her mind, gentle but insidious. "Akihiko… he cannot protect you now. He is far away, and you… you are vulnerable. But that is not your fault. You do not need to fight. Not yet. Let me guide you. Let me help you see the truth… the freedom you deserve."

Aiko shivered, her heart tugged in directions she didn’t understand. Confusion, fear, and an unsettling sense of longing twisted together. She didn’t know why, but Tsukio’s voice felt… powerful, almost magnetic, seeping into the edges of her consciousness.

"Your heart is heavy with love, yes… but also doubt. All those feelings, responsibilities… it can weigh you down. You do not need to carry it anymore. Here, you can be free."

The palace itself seemed to pulse with energy, the storm outside echoing the tension within the room. Tsukina’s presence loomed silently behind Tsukio, watching every microexpression, every subtle reaction, as if cataloging Aiko’s vulnerabilities for later use.

Step by step, word by word, Tsukio began to plant seeds of suggestion, bending Aiko’s disoriented mind to his control. Each phrase was soft, coaxing, yet edged with authority, carving away at her certainty, isolating her from the bond she had with Akihiko.

Aiko’s hands trembled, curling inward, the fog in her mind thickening. She wanted to call out, to reach for Akihiko—but she couldn’t. He was gone. And in that absence, Tsukio’s influence grew stronger.

She tried to release her energy, attempting to create a small rebound, like a spark that could resist Tsukio’s dominance. Her hands trembled slightly, and for a moment, she felt a faint force in her flame, as if a tiny flicker wanted to rise.

Tsukio watched, his eyes gleaming with cold satisfaction. Slowly, he stepped closer, his voice smooth yet filled with authority:

“Hmm… I like that you do not surrender so easily,” he said, a faint smile playing on his lips as his gaze rested on her trembling body. “It shows… spirit, fire. But do not fool yourself. It will not be enough. You cannot fight me.”

Aiko tried; her heart longed to resist, yet her aura barely flickered. Every effort was like a drop in the ocean of power that Tsukio manipulated. Her energy was too weak, her flame almost suffocated under his control.

“Struggle if you must…” Tsukio continued, his voice chillingly softening the space around her. “But your fire… your resistance… it will burn out before it ever reaches me. Step by step, I will shape you. And soon, even your spirit will kneel.”

Tsukina observed from the background, her gaze sharp and impersonal, as if measuring every tiny reaction of Aiko’s body and aura.

Aiko screamed inwardly, but she had no strength to resist. Her will was strong, yet her body and energy were too weak, her light crushed under the weight of Tsukio’s control.

"Good princess," he whispered, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips. "Let yourself rest… let me take care of you. Soon, you will understand… and you will be ready to embrace your true path."