To Wish Upon a Fallen Star

Chapter 3: Just Like Snow

It was night when Tala reached the forest leading to their family's manor. While her cousin next to her looked like she was tired and would want nothing more than to collapse on her bed, Tala felt more at ease. She took a deep breath, inhaling the cold night breeze, before exhaling. Her chest didn't feel as tight, letting her breathe easier. Her magic seemed to be moving better in her body, flowing as naturally as the blood in her veins. Her grip on her bag loosened, and she let go of it as she stared at the sky above.

The sky was clear, letting her see the stars looking down on them. Even the void between the stars felt as if it was also staring at her. Maybe it was just because of the way the stars twinkled, but it looked like the night sky was winking at her. Other than that, seeing other stars instead of just the sun also soothed her more. It was as if the entire space above them was acknowledging her as one of them. The more she kept her gaze up, the more she felt the energy she lost the entire day slowly returning.

She smiled at the stars above. Even when she was a little girl, they always felt like companions she could rely on.

She was just like them, after all.

Maybe in those distant lands, there were more Starblessed like her. Maybe there existed a world far away from theirs where those like her were the common people and other types of magic were the rare ones. And maybe someday, when she would be older and more powerful, she would be able to do what the first fallen stars did and return to the heavens.

The more they twinkled, the more she felt confident in herself. It was like they could read her thoughts and approve of them.

"Night really clear when Starfell's coming close, huh?" Laura said, making Tala turn to her. "Every time it's near, it always makes me feel like I could climb up the magic hierarchy and do my own star magic."

Tala chuckled, lightly nudging her cousin. "If that ever happens, let me know. I'd be happy to take you as a student. I'll make you the first third-tier person to climb up the hierarchy. Let's start with lesson number one: what is a star? I'll dump our thousands of years of history onto you before you can even learn your first spell!"

It was Laura's turn to laugh and nudge at her. "I think by the time we're halfway through, I'd be wrinkling already."

"Lucky for you, stars last for hundreds of thousands of years. You're stuck with me for a bit, then."

Laura raised a brow. "Hundreds of thousands of years? How many of those would be full of you struggling to teach me Moon magic?"

Tala paused. She scoffed and crossed her arms, turning away from her cousin. "Wow. Someone's offering to be your teacher and you decide to stoop so low? You insult me, Laura."

The two of them shared a laugh that echoed through the forest. After it died down, the gates to the Brillantes Manor appeared in their view. The hum of magic surrounding the place tickled her skin, and she could hear it buzzing in her ears. As always, stepping between the barriers felt ticklish, as if she was being zapped by small bits of electricity.

After a long tiring day of school, she could finally lock herself in her room and rest before studying again.

Once she got up the steps and opened the door, she took off her shoes and placed them on the rack. "Mother," she called out, "Father, we're home!"

"In the living room, girls."

The sound of her mother's voice made her smile and sigh. She grabbed her bag from behind her and unzipped it, taking her midterms papers out. Behind her, Laura simply crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. She yawned and brushed her silver-grey hair back, but she didn't say anything else.