Centuries passed.
The Dawnkeepers are aging. Their bodies weaken, their light fades. Yet the star-marks they left behind continue to live on among humanity.
Those selected are called "Star Marked."
Every Starbrand bears a red cinnabar mark on their forehead. Over time, their hair gradually turns blue, and their ears elongate into elf-like points—this is the enduring legacy of the Dawnblood lineage, passed down through generations and never fading.
They are scattered across the globe: Egyptian priests, Indian ascetics, Greek philosophers, and Chinese alchemists. They protect humanity, guide civilization, and await the prophesied day.
Chan Dan betrayed us.
He accepted the power of the Eclipse Wielder, and the red mark on his forehead turned black. Leading his followers, he launched an attack against the Dawnbringer.
That battle lasted three full years.
Countless Starbrands fell, countless cities were destroyed. Dawnbraders fell one by one, their light dissipated in the wind. In the end, only Quetzal and a few young Starbrands remained to hold the line.
Quetzalcoatl knew they couldn't go on like this.
He gathered the remaining Starmarked and said, "We can't defeat the Eclipse. But we can seal them."
How do I seal it?
Quetzal pointed to the sky, where a vortex was forming—the Star Gate, the passage of the Eclipse Moon.
"With our lives," he said. "Only from the inside can we seal the Stargate."
The young Starbrand bearers fell silent.
The youngest was only 20. He had just been selected and hadn't yet seen the world. But he stood up and said, "I volunteer."
Yuse looked at him, tears glistening in his eyes.
What is your name?
"I don't have a name," the young man said. "But I love looking at the stars."
Quetzalcoatl nodded and gave him a name.
From today on, you are "Stellar Abyss." Your duty is to guard this starry sky.
The young man nodded and walked toward the star gate with him.
On the battlefield's edge, a despicable figure slipped away unnoticed. He was the ancestor of the Nightmare Lion—a traitor who sold out his comrades to save his own skin. Watching the Star-Scarred rush toward the star gate, he sneered with contempt.
"Stupid fools," he muttered, a vulgar red light flashing in his eyes. "You've lost your lives—what's the point of guarding the stars now?"
He vanished into the darkness, continuing his escape.
But he didn't know that seeds of greed and betrayal had already taken root in his bloodline. Countless generations later, those seeds would grow into a demon known as "Yan Shi Tong."