CHAPTER ONE

“Asha! Asha! Ashaaaaa…” The gut-wrenching screams and cries were fading as was the sound of her name. She was fading. The darkness of the universe swallowed her, enveloping her from all sides, and sucking all light out of her shattered, seventeen-year-old heart. With incredible speed, Asha was falling toward Adama. There were no thoughts racing through her head. There were no images of her life flashing before her eyes. A chilling realization that she was inevitably speeding toward her own death dominated the entirety of Asha’s mind.

Despite the horror that paralyzed her whole being, Asha’s senses registered the fast-approaching lights below, and curiosity compelled her to stare at them with wide-open eyes. As the ground grew closer, Asha instinctively bent her legs and arms and turned onto her side in a desperate attempt to alleviate the shock from landing. Her effort at saving herself was both futile and foolish.

The impact occurred swiftly and mercilessly, knocking all the air out of Asha’s lungs. The last things her conscious mind registered were a gentle breeze and an impossibly sweet aroma of fresh grass. And then oblivion swallowed her up.

⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓

“Remember, Stars. You are protectors, the bearers of light. It will be your responsibility to ensure that the lights are bright and shining forever. The universe is counting on you.”

It was the beginning of the first day of school as the strong voice of Teacher Dara filled the large classroom, leaving no space for even a whisper from two hundred seven-year-old students. The teacher, a tall Star with silver eyes that were set too close to her narrow nose, stood straight and rock solid in front of the class. She looked around the auditorium, her assessing gaze pausing for a few seconds on each student. A long, thin silver stick held tightly in the teacher’s right hand served as a constant reminder that nothing but total obedience would be tolerated in Teacher Dara’s classroom, and in school in general.

That day, the Stars had seven periods, each dedicated to a different subject. Even though all the courses were labelled Introduction, they did not offer any sympathy to the new, inexperienced students who had just left home. The first glimpse into the rigorous school program revealed strict discipline requirements, long work hours, and zero tolerance of sluggishness. As Asha’s discreet gaze curiously swept over the Stars sitting in front of her, she noticed her classmates’ slumped shoulders and bowed heads. The pressure of required perfection weighed heavily on the young Stars.

At the end of the last period, Teacher Dara announced to the silent class, “You are dismissed for today. Your lifelong education has started, Stars. Make our home, the Valley of Stars, proud.”

As if synchronized with Teacher Dara’s cutting voice, the ear-splitting music of the Valley of Stars anthem made the star-rock walls vibrate as soon as the teacher finished her speech.

“The Valley of Stars is a stronghold of light,

Keeping the darkness at bay.

Stars’ duty’s to shine, to protect, and to fight,

Making the enemy pay.”

Asha inhaled deeply, returning her breathing, which had been shallow during class, to normal. Her posture relaxed, and she rolled her tense shoulders as if she was pushing the weight of the whole universe off her. Soft whispers from the students around her hesitantly broke the imposing silence that hung in the air for a few minutes after Teacher Dara’s departure.

“Which House are you in?”

Asha turned to her right to see a girl who was slightly tugging on her arm, and realized the girl was talking to her. “First House. You?”

“Seventh. Aren’t you excited to finally start the classes?” The girl’s dark-silver eyes shone with way too much enthusiasm for Asha’s liking.

Asha creased her brows. She should be excited, shouldn’t she? They all were regardless of the hard work ahead. School was mandatory for every Star starting from the age of seven. The young Stars were required to leave their families behind and reside on the school compound. During that time, they had to adhere to very strict educational protocols up until they turned nineteen. Then, when they reached the twelfth level of proficiency and completed all school tests and practice missions, each Star would be assigned to one of the twelve clusters in the sky.

Other than the start of classes, the beginning of school usually meant one was finally rid of one’s parents, free of their constant scolding, spending all the time with newly minted students. Asha’s heart, however, had broken when she was torn away from her family. She had always preferred discussing the matters of the universe with her mother and father rather than playing in stardust with children her age. Her curious nature made her thirsty for all the knowledge her parents possessed. Silly games with friends from her neighbourhood instantly made her lose her interest.

Asha shrugged slightly at the girl, who was probably just trying to make a new friend, but Asha found her excitement superficial and boring. Asha’s eyes skipped to the girl’s name tag stitched on her silver overall uniform: Lina.

“I’m Lina,” the girl said, and Asha had to put in a lot of effort to avoid rolling her eyes.

Duh! The name’s on your uniform.

“Hope we’ll become friends!” The girl stuffed her scrolls and pens into her shiny silver backpack and filed out of the classroom, following closely behind the rest of the students.

I doubt us becoming friends is ever possible, especially since I have barely spoken, Asha thought, her mood grumpy, as she packed her scrolls as well.

She observed the quiet, empty auditorium. The light silver of the walls made the space appear larger now that it was not filled with students. Silver desks, silver board, silver floors. Pristine silver everywhere. Asha opened the inside pocket of her backpack and, looking around and making sure no one would see what she was doing even though she was the only one in the room, took out a green rock. Despite its small size, the precious object felt heavy in her hand. Its shining surface cooled Asha’s palm as she squeezed her fingers around it. The rock’s intense green looked completely out of place in this world of impeccable silver, but as Asha’s mother had told her, everything special and unique always appeared amiss.

I miss you, Mama. Asha’s eyes filled with tears, and she sniffled, bringing the fist with the rock right next to her heart. She sat still for a while, allowing the sadness to revive the last images of her parents. Their arms had been wrapped around each other as they had stood by the threshold of their house. Asha’s father had had his jaws tightly set, while Asha’s mother had tried to stifle her sobs but failed.

Forbidding herself from dwelling too long on memories of her parents, Asha frowned, replacing her sadness with determination. She would not be thinking about them now. Her memories would just make her weak, and she could not afford any flaws. She was a maturing Star, a new student, and a responsible citizen of the Valley of Stars. Her grown-up life had begun, and she had the entire world of Adama below to keep bright, illuminated, and secure.

CHAPTER TWO

“I can’t believe I got myself into this. Stupid, stupid, stupid me!” an unfamiliar, angry voice muttered somewhere to Asha’s left. Some rustling followed.

Asha tried to turn her head to look in the direction of the sound, but she could not muster the strength to do so. She then tried to move her arms and legs but to no avail. Even lifting a finger seemed like an impossible task. Her stellar glow had vanished too. She could not see anything in the pitch-black darkness no matter how much she strained her eyes, and it seemed that the only thing she was able to manage was breathing lightly. At least I can do that, Asha thought. At least I am not in pain and I can think. That’s a relief. The thoughts, however, took time and all her energy to form, as if they had to move through a very thick and dense substance. They made Asha’s already foggy brain heavy from her effort to cling to them. Asha closed her eyes, as they were of no help to her at the moment, and ordered her brain to concentrate. She had crashed onto Adama. And it was not because she had just flown and fallen. No. She had literally been thrown out of the Valley of Stars. The hurt from being discarded out of her home gripped Asha’s heart and spread throughout her chest. Somehow, amazingly, she was still alive, an unprecedented event for a fallen Star. She could not tell the extent of the damage to her body. She did not know how long ago she had crashed, but now it did not really matter that much. She could not figure out where she was or who she was with. Frustration rose as Asha found herself unable to obtain any information in her current state. Losing the battle against her weary brain, Asha summoned all her remaining energy to produce a sound, hoping to catch the attention of the person whose voice she had heard earlier. All that came out of her mouth, though, was a low-sounding groan, which earned her a panicked, “Shhhhh.”

Unable to grasp even the thinnest thread of consciousness, Asha abandoned her efforts to understand what was going on and gave in to the darkness that enveloped her.

⁓⁓⁓⁓⁓

“Do you want to do homework together?” Lina asked Asha after their last class of the day had ended. “We can go to the library…or to your House hall?”

Lina had been asking the same question every day since the start of the school year, but she had never received a positive answer from Asha. Too upset to have been separated from her parents, refusing to let go of the deep sadness that had become her constant companion, Asha had made the conscious decision not to enjoy her new life. However, by the end of the first month of school, and after many attempts to become friends, Lina finally broke through Asha’s walls. Why Lina was so persistent, Asha had no idea. But after a month of loneliness, and everyone else staying away from the prickly student, Asha gave in to the girl’s tireless attempts at befriending her and concluded she could use a friend.

“I prefer the library, if you don’t mind,” Asha replied as Lina was about to turn away and pack her scrolls, not expecting Asha to agree or even respond by now.

Lina’s excited jumping up and down made Asha crease her brow. “Come on, silly! Before Teacher Dara punishes you,” Asha said through her teeth, pulling Lina along by her sleeve.

They took off, and for the first time since leaving her parents, Asha allowed a slight smile to appear on her face.

The library, a monumental edifice that was the epitome of the Valley of Stars architecture, stood silent and important in the middle of the school grounds. The structure was built of shining star rocks like most of the structures in the Valley of Stars; however, none of them appeared quite as daunting as the library. A long row of tall, thick columns, impeccably polished, effortlessly supported a massive flat roof. On that roof, as if extending the columns, stood statues—a total of twelve. Each of them represented a citizen of the Valley of Stars who had made a notable impact on the life of the Stars. Some were ministers, some were teachers, some—warriors. Even in their rock form, they emanated strength and pride, serving as a visual reminder of what it meant to be a true Star. Thin openings along the library walls served as windows, stretching up high toward the infinite skies. Asha always felt so small at the bottom of the seemingly endless staircase that led to the heavy dark-silver doors. The weight, not only of the building, but also of all the knowledge that this massive structure contained, seemed to bear down on every visitor. Asha was not sure what was heavier—the physical weight or the boundless wisdom within those walls. The library’s extensive collection held materials for studying and research, accumulated over millions of years. The library was an indispensable location for students as well as for every knowledge seeker in the Valley of Stars.

Lina was out of breath as they climbed the wide stairs. The girl did not stop talking, and Asha debated within herself whether the decision she had made to study together was the right one. She enjoyed studying without any disturbance, which was the main reason she’d chosen the library instead of her House hall, which was usually filled with noisy and rowdy students. But as soon as the two crossed the library’s threshold, Lina’s endless chit-chat immediately stopped. The threat of punishment for breaking the silence in the house of knowledge was too severe to ignore. They found an unoccupied table—silver, polished, and sparkling clean like everything else around them—and took out their scrolls from their backpacks.

No one spoke, and aside from the sounds of rolling pages and pens scribbling, it was marvellously quiet. After reading a few chapters for her Stars history class tomorrow, Asha looked around the vast hall. Divided into numerous sections, tall stacks on each floor were packed with old and new scrolls. The school’s first-level subjects were limited to four: history, which taught about the millions of years of the Stars’ existence; essence, which focused on the numbers and their interactions; structure, which included the rules and laws of the Valley of Stars; and reading, which was Asha’s favourite subject along with history. Her other academic favourite, the study of Adama, would not start until level three.

Asha looked longingly at the section dedicated to the world lying below the Valley of Stars. That part of the library always had the most students waiting to take out scrolls required for their lessons. The study of Adama comprised one of the largest modules in the school curriculum from level three and beyond. After all, bringing light to Adama was the Stars’ main purpose in life. Everyone knew that the Adamians lived in misery, not having the same mental capacity or physical abilities as the Stars. With the Stars shining upon them, the Adamians’ gloomy lives were considerably improved.

Asha’s parents, who were passionate about everything related to Adama, had shared a great deal of their knowledge with their daughter while she was still living at home. Simple citizens of the Valley of Stars, Haham and Adiva had to hide their extreme captivation by the foreign land from the authorities. Asha’s parents had repeatedly told their curious child that only the members of the Star Council had complete access to the entirety of the studies of the land below, and anyone outside the council required special permission to study Adama in depth. Some overly curious Stars had even ended up in confinement for obtaining banned information without the permission of those in power.

“Did those Stars really steal the scrolls from the Star Council?” Asha could not believe that someone would go to such extreme lengths to procure information and risk their own freedom to learn something. “But they teach the study of Adama in school; why would it be forbidden to want to know more? Don’t the Stars need to know everything about Adama to be able to better protect it?” Asha had asked Haham and Adiva.

“The council determines the amount and the type of knowledge that the Stars need to possess in order to protect Adama. And, as one can only assume, if they have restrictions in place to obtain some of the scrolls, it means they don’t want the Stars to know certain facts about Adama,” her father had responded.

“Facts like what? Why would the council be hiding things?” she had asked, but her parents had only shrugged in response while exchanging glances with each other.

Asha understood, even then, that her parents knew more about the politics of the Valley of Stars than they were letting on. Her questions about the source of their information about Adama were never asked aloud, but they did not have to be. It was clear to Asha that her parents had not learned everything they knew just from their school days.

Asha could not share with anyone how many fascinating details she already knew about the land that was under the protection of the Stars. At least not until level three, and even then, she would have to pretend she had gained her knowledge from the library scrolls and the extra time she spent studying. She realized that if she even hinted to anyone that she possessed knowledge beyond what was being taught in school, she would put her parents in certain danger.

Asha reached into her bag and touched the green rock. The most precious of her possessions, it was wrapped in a silver cloth and hidden between the folds of her backpack. “You can’t show it to anyone, but I want this rock to be a reminder of what we taught you—that the world is much more diverse than just our silver colour. Don’t let the conformity destroy your pursuit of knowledge,” her mother had said right before Asha was taken from their home. Every time Asha thought about her parents, her heart ached. Touching the rock soothed the nagging pain and served as an invisible thread of love extending to her from her parents.

Asha sighed discreetly, pulling her thoughts away from her past. There was no point in lingering there. She had to create her own future. And right now, she had to get back to her school assignments.

A few hours later, with all their homework completed, the two friends—as Lina started to call them—headed to the school’s dining hall. As soon as they left the library, Asha’s new friend’s chatter resumed, but now Asha did not mind listening to all that blabber. Lina did not seem to expect any response or even a reaction from her. The fact that Asha was listening to Lina jump from one topic to another was apparently good enough. It was dinner time, and a throng of students filled the passage leading to the hall. Lina’s voice was instantly drowned out by the multitude of talking Stars, the older ones taking all the space and forcing the smaller Stars to squeeze through. Lina held on tightly to Asha’s arm, not wanting to be separated from her in the crowd.

The bell announcing dinner rang loudly above the students’ heads, and the dining hall doors swung open. The noisy masses were let into a spacious room with a high, domed ceiling made of star crystals. Long silver tables, positioned in perfect alignment with one another, came into view. Tubes filled to the brim with star juice, a sparkling silver liquid, had already been placed on the tables by the hall monitors. The juice, which was the Stars’ only nourishment, tasted fresh and sweet, but Asha preferred star nectar. The drink was sweeter and thicker than juice, but unfortunately, it was served to them only on holidays.

Asha’s gaze shifted to the centre of the hall, where a magnificent crystal tree stood tall. The tree was a symbol of the alliance between the Valley of Stars and Adama: a show of the promise of protection bestowed upon the Adamians by the Stars. This tree was a replica of a bigger one, the original that was kept at the headquarters of the Star Council. It took many years for the gifted artisans to elaborately create the original tree in intricate detail. From birth, every Star knew that image, as it was engraved on every important document, on scrolls, on uniforms worn by students and workers. The image of the tree appeared almost everywhere. It seemed the ubiquitous presence of the tree had even imprinted itself in the minds of the Stars. They were able to reproduce every little detail of the tree with absolute precision from memory.

The booming voice of the dining hall supervisor, Supervisor Kolram, sharply silenced all the chitter-chatter and made the delicate crystal leaves of the tree clink. “Take your places, Stars! Don’t forget to clean up after yourselves when you’re finished.”

Seating was assigned based on the levels they were in, and Asha and Lina were placed in the same group. Lina quickly squeezed herself between Asha and some boy, forcing the entire row of Stars to scoot over. While the students sipped their star juice, Supervisor Kolram walked among the tables, tapping with his long stick on the backs of any Stars who did not maintain good posture or rested their elbows on the table.

“Rigorous discipline is the first step on the way of becoming a valuable Star. You are the future protectors. Your life is all about discipline, and discipline begins with good posture. So far, most of you are failing.” Supervisor Kolram’s voice echoed through the dining hall, occasionally interrupted by the tap-tap-tap of his stick on the students’ backs. “Imagine facing the enemy. A Star who failed to learn discipline would not only be a liability to the entire group of warriors but would undoubtedly put their own life at risk. One might think that discipline is only for school. They are wrong. Discipline is our way of life.”

Asha always tried her best to keep her back as straight as possible but failed more times than she wished, earning herself at least three taps during each week.

With dinner over, everyone formed a line at the front of the dining hall to hand their empty tubes to the hall monitors for cleaning. As soon as the Stars disappeared from Supervisor Kolram’s all-seeing eyes, the chit-chat and laughter returned.

Before they went off to their separate Houses, Lina gave Asha a big hug. A loving, “Good night, my friend,” concluded Lina’s chatter for the day, and Asha’s heart warmed at the simple yet meaningful sound of these words.

Every night, before the sun spilled its light on the Valley of Stars, the students gathered in their designated House halls. Before going to bed, they all sat silently in a communal area around a large table and listened to Mother Star’s daily address. It was transmitted to every single residence in the Valley of Stars, to every single organization, and of course, to every student hall. Mother Star’s calm and unwavering voice flowed from the crystal speaker, reaching the heart of every Star. Today, she spoke about the Stars being successful at repelling darkness, about their absolute dedication to the mission of keeping the world lit, about the greatness of their purpose, and about the necessity to keep the lights bright. Her words made Asha proud to be a part of the eternal fight against obscurity.

“I transfer my duty to the sun,” Mother Star finished her speech.

“I transfer my duty to the sun,” repeated every Star in the Valley of Stars.

That night, Asha fell asleep feeling happy. For the first time since the beginning of the school year, she did not dream about her parents. Instead, her sleep was filled with images of her and Lina fighting against the dark shadows in a grand manner.