Uriah gazed at the red corona of the huge star, its heat barely registering in his mind. He felt his heart quiver, moved by the grand beauty this lone star shone with. It was born in this desolate corner of the universe, far from its kind, far from the centre of power. It had too little to nourish it and too little that it could nourish with its presence. And yet, it still stood unwaveringly. In this vast universe, few stars like this could truly manage to hold out for so long even this late into its life span.
A red giant waiting to die, but only something bigger than it could kill it. For countless eons many have tried, but always they needed something bigger. They scramble to be the first to take its ichor—to taste the bleeding heart of a glorious celestial being, not knowing that its death was due. Not even Dreams can keep it away from the natural cycle of life. Dreams have no hold over a child of the Flame.
As Uriah stepped forward, the red corona seemed to part for him. A carpet of solar flares guided him into the stellar fiery flesh as a foliage of red brushed gently against his skin. The starfire welcomed him with both longing and jubilee, its emotions easily apparent in the way the flames danced around him. It was a celebration for a miracle it never even dared to dream. But as Uriah stood before its softly beating core, the star's hundreds of billions of years' worth of endurance seemed to waver.
The flames grew noticeably weaker as though the star itself was sighing in contentment, letting go of its tight hold on life. It had accomplished what all stars in existence would never dare wish for. It was an achievement beyond compare, an honour beyond what its fleeting flames could rightfully hold. For before it now stood the one whose flame brought it life. The light that it cast upon the universe was a blessing from the flame that none but the stars ever knew.
The red giant was not afraid of death. It had long accepted its fate, the natural course of all that is. Its only regret was no longer being able to share the glory of this borrowed light, to show the universe the true nurturer of life. It was never the stars. They had no such power for even they were only born of this light, of this flame.
"This need not be the final end, child. With acceptance of an end, may yet come a new beginning. Would you let me... nurture you once more?"
Uriah spoke gently as he caressed the feeble core whose flames were steadily dimming. This star was very much a child to him no matter how much older it may have lived than him. He could feel it in the depths of his being. He could feel it from the very starfire that clung to him in joyful embrace. It was happy to finally find its way home, happy to have fulfilled its purpose and gained acknowledgement. And now, it was ecstatic at the prospect of being able to continue casting light upon the bleak universe.
Uriah could feel its excitement. There was no trace of doubt, hesitation or wariness from it. Such a pure and innocent being, this star was. Uriah was coming to adore it more and more. Such precious innocence should not be left alone in this treacherous universe. If he was to nurture it, he would do it properly. And so, he brought the star's core toward his chest. His invisible flames burning a void within his very being to accommodate it.
The core began leaking a strange flame that was somewhat colourless but tinged with a slight cherry pink. This was the source flame of the star, the true core within the core. One could compare it to the soul of other living beings as this source flame is what grants a star both life and identity. As a star progresses through its cycle of life, it would exhaust its source flame until there is none left. At that point, the star dies. This red giant still had a trace amount of source flame left allowing it to endure a few million more years. But even that is but a fleeting moment.
And as the source flame trickled into Uriah's chest, it settled within the void carved out inside him. It turned into a brilliant cherry pink star with a soft and gentle glow that carried an innate elegance and grandeur. The invisible flame, ever-present, began baptising and nourishing the feeble source flame, letting it grow more and more. As the source flame grew bigger and brighter, so too did its core outside. The core, however, did not take on the same cherry pink colour of its source flame. Instead, it glowed white hot.
The starfire all around Uriah's body began dancing once more before bursting out like fireworks. The dark corner of the universe that knew only of despair suddenly saw the birth of a beautiful planetary nebula. It came so abruptly that scientists felt their understanding of stars had gone back to square one. Unbeknownst to them all, this phenomenon was all due to a single man. And it was also because of him that the planetary nebula did not expand too much or it would have easily devoured both Rima Prime Station and Rima itself, much less the star relay nearby.
The planetary nebula was shaped like a beautiful butterfly with cherry pink wings having just emerged from its cocoon. The white dwarf at the centre shone brightly, illuminating more of the universe than before. But unlike other white dwarfs that would gradually cool down until it meets its destined end, this particular white dwarf would never die.
"I shall give you a new home within me. You won't have to be alone anymore. And for as long as I exist, you too shall exist."
Within him, Uriah could feel the vibrant source flame surging with happiness and excitement. But there was also a hint of hesitation, not about its current predicament nor about Uriah, but about a little wish it had. As Uriah sensed its intent, he smiled in amusement. This little star's innocent wish was for Uriah to grant it a name, a true name that belonged to it alone. And while the star's wish was natural, Uriah knew something more important than that.
Names have power. And True Names were the very representation of one's entire existence. Such a thing is not to be taken lightly. After all, even Uriah and Yulaiah do not have True Names. Often times, one seeks out the very essence of their existence and only then obtains a True Name for themselves. But in the little star's case, the invisible flames that created it belonged to Uriah thus making him its creator. Him giving it a True Name was something that would be accepted, not just by the universe, but by existence itself.
"Very well, I shall give you a name. From this moment on, you shall be... Astella, Princess of Stars."
And as though a grand ritual had been completed, the invisible flames rushed into the void, filling it entirely while also baptising Astella's source flame with even greater power. The authority of Reverie was also dragged into the maelstrom as everything seemed to brand both Uriah and Astella with something new. The void was seemingly compressed by immense pressure while being heated up by the invisible flames. It had become something more than just a metaphysical construct as it had also gained a true physicality.
On Uriah's chest, there now existed a black hole that seemed like some sort of socket. At its very heart was an immense glow from a flame that could not be seen. Revolving around that flame was a cherry pink ember that shone brightly like a lone star in the darkness of space. With each revolution of the orbiting source flame, the invisible flame grew stronger and stronger before soon bursting out of Uriah's chest like a divine stake. The pain was excruciating, but Uriah seemed numb to it. In fact, his senses could not even focus on it as his eyes glazed over as they glowed with mystical lights. He was seeing something that he could barely understand, but the words flowed out of his mouth nonetheless.
"Grand hall of nine thrones, each alight with the essence of One.
One name alone that echoes, its Flames bathe the verses to none."
As his mind fell deeper and deeper into the vision, Uriah fell unconscious. The Eyes of Reverie had shown him too much this time, things that his current power could not yet enable him to bear. Truths and knowledge often came with a great amount of burden, especially one that involved the truths about the universes.
And so, Uriah fell unconscious next to the white dwarf at the heart of the new planetary nebula. And from the socket from his chest, came a cherry pink glow as a young girl who looked to be around fifteen years old by human standards manifested. With a glint in her adorable red eyes, the girl embraced Uriah, drawing him into a comfort that alleviated some of the pain.
"Hehe, this is my chance! I'll have Daddy all to myself!"