Star

The Man With The Purple Eyes

Darkness.

That was all Astara could see after she jumped into the portal. Time seemed to be frozen. She felt as if she were floating through a black hole. She felt calm. More relaxed than she ever remembered being.

Fog seemed to cloud her mind. Why was she here again? Who took her here? Where was here anyway? A wave of calm passed through her body and she smiled. She didn't need to worry about all those silly questions. She didn't need to worry about anything ever again.

Astara closed her eyes as she floated through the black oblivion. Everything was silent until a soft snap echoed throughout the vast space. She opened her eyes to see a thousand stars lighting up the darkened place.

"Wow!" Astara exclaimed. Or at least she thought she did, it was hard to tell with her mind so clouded.

She reached out to touch one of the stars but quickly pulled away. The star was white hot and had left a small burn on her hand, disrupting her peace. She was blowing on her palm when she heard a faint voice calling out to her.

"Astara..." The voice called out. Astara looked around her and squinted into the distance. Her dark blue eyes weren't quite adjusted to the darkness, even with all the stars. But she could make out a large dark figure floating towards her.

"Come here Astara, I need your help." The figure crept closer and panic clawed at Astara's chest. She desperately tried to run away but it was almost as if she were running in place! Her breathing became quicker and her panic rose. The peace she had first felt when she arrived here disappeared. Astara clutched her heart, she didn't know how she had gotten here but she wanted out!

The mysterious figure came into view and Astara was surprised to find that it looked somewhat familiar. The figure was a man. He had long, dark hair and wore an indigo cloak. But the most striking thing about him was his violent, purple eyes.

The man held out his hand to her. "You are the brightest star of them all Astara. Let me help you. We could do many things together! I can teach you marvelous things if you come with me. Come here, take my hand. Come home with me!" He extended his hand even further.

She was so, so tempted to take his hand and leave the once peaceful place. She was frightened and confused and this man seemed to know all the answers, like how to get out of this never ending darkness.

Astara reached out to take his hand. The man smiled, clearly pleased, and stretched his arm out even further. His purple eyes gleamed with triumph and...wait, purple eyes? She'd seen someone with purple eyes before, but where?

"It's okay dear child, you have no reason to be frightened." His smile grew so much wider it was almost sickening. The tip of her fingernail touched his thumb and she gasped.

Bright, blurry images flashed in front of her: A murder of a king, a queen falling to the ground, a crying baby in her arms. The man with the purple eyes was racing towards a portal that was slowly closing. He was close, too close: the portal closed right in front of him with a bright flash of light and a loud explosion.

The man was thrown back. A long scar had been created right above his left eye. A loud, shrill, terrifying sound came out of his mouth and everything around him crumbled to ashes. But when he looked around at all the destruction and death he had caused, he didn't mourn, he smiled.

A whimper escaped Astara's mouth as she frantically tried to back away. She finally knew where she had seen him before: he was guy calling out to her in her strange dreams! And here he was, in person, calling out to her again.

The man laughed. "Poor, poor Astara, she doesn't even know, does she." The man seemed to be speaking to himself. But then he directed his gaze to her. "You are confused my little star, that I can tell. Come with me and I shall give you all the answers."