A magical circle formed around his hand, and his eyes glowed a brilliant blue-white, signifying his acceptance as the new Keeper of the Star by Cerulean’s will.

Back in ancient Greece and the Mediterranean, Cerulean Arlentis’s (Topher’s) lifeless body shifted forward in time, returning to the present day. Cielo, the paladin’s white-winged pony, galloped urgently alongside Princess Ruana (Roanne), the sea maiden. As they reached a high cliff, Cielo halted in disbelief at the sight. Princess Ruana cautiously approached Cerulean, bracing herself for the emotional impact. She knelt gently beside him, her eyes shimmering with emotion.

Tenderly, she closed Cerulean’s eyes and broke down in quiet tears. She then lowered herself, embracing him tightly as she silently grieved. Cielo whimpered, letting out a long, sorrowful neigh. The winged pony sat on the ground, folding his wings close to his body, sharing in the moment of sorrow.

Across the globe, in Austin, Texas, a clear, starless night stretched overhead. Selena stood alone on the balcony, wrapping herself in a cardigan against the cold air. Suddenly, a warm breeze enveloped her in soft white shimmers, as if offering a comforting embrace. With her eyes closed, Selena listened intently, hearing words carried by the wind that only she could understand.

I was born to wonderful parents. I swam with Mom and Dad, performed the cello at the opera house while they watched proudly. Mom shared stories of her homeland’s cuisine, and Dad and I stargazed on this very balcony. Mom even confided in me about her first love but assured me her heart always belonged to Dad.

Selena pressed her hand against her heart as the weight of her emotions grew overwhelming.

Carlisle, our loyal butler, always found me when I wandered off. And Dad—you believed in me, shaping me to be brave, just, wise, and adventurous. Mom, your love and care kept our family strong. I am the luckiest child to have had you both.

From inside, Bill noticed his wife standing on the balcony. He chose to remain behind her, giving her space.

Selena suddenly clutched her abdomen, as if experiencing a deep, maternal pain. She stumbled slightly but managed to stay upright. The shimmering winds gradually dissipated, leaving her alone once more. Opening her eyes, she swayed momentarily, prompting Bill to rush to her side.

“Are you alright, dear?” Bill asked, steadying her.

Selena turned to face him, her expression distant and pained. “Topher is not here,” she murmured.

“What are you saying?” Bill asked, confused.

At that moment, Carlisle, the family butler, arrived in the den with ‘Topher,’ dressed in pajamas. Selena gazed at the boy with a mix of recognition and disbelief.

“He is not our son,” she said quietly to Bill.

“I don’t understand,” Bill replied, glancing back at ‘Topher.’ “He’s right there, with Carlisle, with us.” He looked back at Selena, searching for answers.

“I let him out of my sight again,” Selena whispered, tears welling up. “Just like when we lost him in that cave three years ago. I failed to protect him, then and now.”

“Dear, look at me. We can work through this. You just need to rest,” Bill said gently, caressing her cheeks.

“Our son is dead,” Selena said softly, her voice breaking. “He’s gone; he told me his last words.” She began to sob openly.

Bill, seeing his son just steps away, felt torn. His logical mind as a doctor told him it was impossible, but somewhere deep inside, he sensed the painful truth. His eyes began to glisten with tears.

“Please, Selena, stop,” he pleaded. “Don’t do this to yourself. To me, to us.”

Selena, tears streaming down her face, lifted her arms toward the sky, finally breaking down.

“Aaaahhh!” she screamed. “Aaaahhh!” she cried again and again.

Bill struggled to hold her as he quietly wept alongside her. Selena’s grief overwhelmed her, and she collapsed in his arms. Kneeling, he cradled her gently as she lay unconscious from sorrow.

Carlisle watched somberly, his hands still resting on ‘Topher’s’ shoulders. The boy in pajamas stood silently, gazing at his parents, just a few steps away.

In a room aboard the spaceship, Cerulean Arlentis (Topher) lay motionless on a hard surface. By his side was Princess Ruana (Roanne), the sea princess. With a damp towel in hand, she gently wiped the face of the young paladin. A basin of water rested atop a counter beside the bed. Ruana adjusted the slightly ill-fitting gauntlet on Cerulean’s arm, then bowed her head, unable to hold back her tears. Alone in the silent room, she quietly wept.

As the sun set, its warm hues touched the horizon, painting the sky in orange and indigo, with faded clouds drifting above. Cerulean now rested within a coverless casket, his body appearing peaceful as if merely asleep. His Uncle Ronald stood somberly beside him, his gaze fixed on his nephew’s still face. With a tender gesture, he gently stroked Cerulean’s hair before leaning down to kiss his forehead one final time. Ruana, her eyes glistening with tears, watched with silent grief, while Captain McKinley (Benjamin) stood nearby, mourning quietly.

ROBO3000, CleanBot, and Cielo were among those present as the amber light of sunset bathed the surroundings. Cerulean lay clad in his silver and gold armor beneath a white cape, his holy sword held close to his chest, arms crossed over it. The casket, set atop a stand, was encased by three sleek panels, forming a futuristic tomb.

Stricken with grief, his eyes hollow, Uncle Ronald returned to his duties as the Peregrine’s mechanic. Clad in his jumpsuit and carrying a heavy toolbox, he walked the spaceship’s high-tech corridors. Entering the reactor room, he approached a large contraption—a vital part of the ship’s maintenance.

A transparent, pointed glass tube stood in the center, encircled by a rotating gear. Ronald noticed the gear’s irregular motion and moved closer to inspect it. Suddenly, sparks flew from the contraption, prompting him to step back. The gear, which had been rotating in stops, abruptly spun at full speed. The glass tube began glowing intensely, with cyan energy writhing within like wings of light. The entire room flickered and flashed as Ronald shielded his eyes with his arm, though he couldn’t resist peeking through his fingers.

A powerful shockwave burst from the reactor, enveloping Ronald in cyan radiance, his body glowing from head to toe. His two balisongs, gripped tightly in his hands, were also struck by the energy. Cracks formed beneath his feet, emitting cyan rays that rose upward. The floor gave way, sending Uncle Ronald and his balisongs plummeting below. An explosion rocked the reactor, and a burst of cyan light erupted from a rear compartment, visible through the spaceship’s glass walls.

Echidna, She who bore Four.

She sees through them and commands thee.

— The Seven Days Prophecy

In a tower room, the night was evident through the window’s view. Princess Ruana stood with her teacher, the Mother Superior of the merfolk’s faith—a headmistress who guided young princesses and noble maidens, traditionally educated in seclusion. This was the real Ruana’s bedchamber, as described in the character profile from the magical board game.

The Mother Superior was an elderly Caucasian woman with long white hair cascading beneath a flowing veil. Her blue-gray dress was equally fluid, mirroring the sea.

Mother Celeste gazed at the full moon outside. “Look, Ruana, the moon is full tonight.”

Ruana responded softly, “The full moon is the most beautiful sight.”

“Is that so? And why do you think that?” Mother Celeste asked with curiosity.

“Because it shines white like a gleaming pearl,” Ruana replied shyly. “I’m grateful that this tower is on a remote island, hidden by fog and mist, rather than beneath the sea.”

“The moon belongs to the night and commands the tides of the sea,” Mother Celeste remarked solemnly. “But it is best appreciated from afar, untouched.”

“Why is that, Sea Mother? I’d love to appear before the moon,” Ruana wondered aloud.

Mother Celeste explained, “The moon’s beauty, as you see it, comes from its moonlight. Yet, the light and power of the moon are not its own; they are borrowed from the Sun.”

“You could move tides, even waves, with such power,” she continued. “But as the moon takes from the sun, it would also take from you.”

Taking Ruana’s hand gently, Mother Celeste urged, “Promise me one thing, Ruana: never wield the moon’s power, no matter the cost. To do so would be to forfeit your own life.”

Ruana was startled by the stern warning from her dear Mother Celeste.

Roanne awoke abruptly, drenched in sweat, a deep sense of dread overcoming her—one she couldn’t fully comprehend.

Stepping outside onto the spaceship’s deck, Ruana leaned against the railing, her eyes fixed on the full moon above. Its silvery glow bathed her in ethereal light. She reached for it, her arm raised, the long balloon sleeve swaying gently. In that moment, her eyes turned silver.

The full moon’s power was at its peak, rare and complete, only once a month. Mother Celeste’s words echoed in Ruana’s mind, resonating with the tides below.

The full moon hung bright in the night sky, casting an eerie glow over the cave.

“A-a-ah,” a voice sang, faint and ethereal. “A-a-a-a-a-a-a-ah,” it echoed again.

Echidna, the snake-woman, stirred at the sound. Her raspy voice hissed, “Ruana?”

With a woman’s head, arms, and torso connected to a long serpentine tail, Echidna rose and slithered away from the Oracle of Delphi, leaving the elderly woman ensnared by dark, thorny vines that ended in venomous tendrils. The chamber was a tangled mass of vines, moss-covered ground, and puddles of stagnant water. At its center, a deep pit cracked open the rocky floor.

Echidna navigated the dim, winding pathways of her cavernous domain.

“A-a-ah,” the singing persisted. “A-a-a-a-a-a-a-ah.”

The sound waves reverberated through the caverns, rippling in hues of seafoam green and lavender.

“Ruana, where are you?! Show yourself!” Echidna demanded, her patience fraying.

Driven by anger, she slithered through tunnels and chambers, seeking the elusive source of the song.

“A-a-ah,” came the haunting voice once more.

“This isn’t funny! Stop playing games!” Echidna roared. “Face me, coward!”

Frustrated by the game of cat and mouse, Echidna smashed a column of rock with a single, powerful swipe, her sharp nails leaving deep gouges in the stone.

Suddenly, the singing grew louder, clearer.

“You’re dead, Ruana,” Echidna hissed, her slit pupils narrowing, tongue flickering rapidly.

She entered a cavern that opened into a pit beneath a large hole in the ceiling. The full moon shone brightly overhead, bathing the cavern in pale light.

Princess Ruana stood in the center, holding a lunar scepter. Her red hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her seafoam green and lavender dress fluttered gently in the night breeze.

“I always knew you had a poetic side, Ruana,” Echidna said, trying to make small talk. “And you chose the most scenic spot in my cave. Even I am surprised such beauty exists here.”

“Meeting me here alone is a death sentence,” Echidna continued coldly. “Are you ready to die, Ruana?”

“I’m not afraid,” Ruana replied, her voice steady.

“What are you planning?” Echidna asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Typhon’s spirit killed Cerulean… a twelve-year-old boy,” Ruana stated firmly.

Echidna’s expression remained indifferent. “I see. But what interests me more is how you managed to get here.”

“I took an earthen shell from the transformed Goat-headed Chimera,” Ruana revealed. “It contained memories, including your hideout.”

“I must admit, you’re shrewd and resourceful,” Echidna conceded.

“All of this—for Typhon, for your monstrous children—cost the life of an innocent boy,” Ruana pressed.

Echidna’s eyes flashed with resolve. “I did it all for family. For Typhon, the love of my life, and for our wondrously terrifying offspring.”

“That’s not love,” Ruana retorted. “You claim to love Typhon, but you’re in love with his power. You want to be a queen beside a king who rules over a kingdom built on the ruins of mankind.”

Echidna shook her head. “Love is multifaceted, Ruana. It doesn’t conform to your narrow definition.”

Ruana continued, undeterred. “You claim to do it for your children, but they’re mere tools for your own ends. It’s all about you.”

“I birthed them. Without me, they are nothing. They owe me their lives,” Echidna insisted. “They belong to me. We are one.”

“That’s a twisted perception of family,” Ruana countered. “My family lives a humble life by the coast, in a small home. My mother loves us without expecting anything in return. She married my father for love, not power. What matters to her is that we’re together.”

Echidna’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “How touching, Ruana. But it’s futile.”

The moon’s light illuminated Echidna’s scales, casting her in a sinister glow. She raised her arm toward the night sky.

“This is the end for you, Ruana. You shall die by my hands,” Echidna declared, towering over the sea princess.

Laughing maniacally, she lunged forward. “Hahahahaha!”

Ruana held her lunar scepter with both hands, summoning a large, pearly white magic circle beneath Echidna. With a decisive tap of the scepter, the moon shone at its brightest, unleashing a vertical beam of lunar energy that engulfed Echidna. Her laughter twisted into a scream of agony.

“Aaaaahh!!!”

Echidna disintegrated into shards of darkness, obliterated by the celestial power of the moon.