Fairy Tail: Beneath a Falling Star

Chapter 4: Whispers Beneath the Wind

X781

The forest beyond the village had a voice. Not one Caelion could explain—not in words or books or spells—but a language he was beginning to understand. It hummed in the rustle of leaves, whispered between shifting branches, and sighed through moss-covered roots. It wasn't magic, not exactly. It was something older.

He walked barefoot along the streambank, the chilled mud squelching between his toes. Morning light filtered through the trees like liquid gold, catching on the dew still clinging to the moss. In his left hand, he clutched a sliver of bark etched with glimmering runes—his own practice script, designed to focus his control over Star Dust Magic.

"Stellar trail," he murmured, swiping his right hand across the air.

A faint shimmer sparked into life, a thin ribbon of glittering light that hovered for a moment before fading like a breath on glass.

"Again."

He tried twice more. The first fizzled halfway through forming. The second came out jagged and pulsed erratically.

Caelion let out a slow breath, closing his eyes. "You're not supposed to rush starlight," he reminded himself.

There was no teacher to guide him. No master to correct his stance or chant incantations with the perfect cadence. Just trial. Just error. Just a stubborn hope that repetition would eventually unlock clarity.

He crouched beside the stream, letting the cool water run over his fingers. His magic was gentle—beautiful, even—but it lacked weight. He'd read about Earth Magic shattering stone and Fire Magic boiling rivers. His spells could light a path or trace constellations in midair, but he doubted they'd even blind a bandit.

But still, every night beneath the stars, he felt it pulsing inside him. Something more. Something not yet ready.

He splashed water on his face and rose again. "Once more."

As he steadied his hands, he caught a flicker of movement in the trees. His breath hitched. The villagers never came out this far, and the forest wasn't kind to the uninvited. Wild creatures roamed deeper in—some mundane, others born of lingering magic.

A shape emerged. Small. Ragged.

A child?

No—an animal. A young fox, barely past infancy, limping heavily on its front leg. Its fur was matted with brambles and dark with dried blood.

Caelion stepped forward, cautious. "Hey… I'm not going to hurt you."

The fox froze, eyes wide with fear. Then it stumbled backward and collapsed near the base of a tree, breathing shallowly.

Without thinking, Caelion knelt beside it. His fingers hovered over the wound, heart pounding. He had no healing spells—at least, none that worked on more than bruises or splinters. But maybe… maybe he could try something else.

He held out his hand. Star Dust flickered to life, swirling gently above his palm.

"Not to fix… just to soothe," he whispered. "Just light."

The dust drifted downward, dancing like falling pollen. As it touched the fox's fur, the creature flinched—then relaxed. The bleeding slowed, the tremble in its limbs softened. It wasn't healed, not truly. But it was comforted. Safe.

Caelion sat beside it, the silence stretching around them like a blanket. "You're not so different from me," he said softly. "Everyone just sees something broken. Something small."

The fox didn't reply, of course. But it didn't leave either.

That night, Caelion returned to the barn with a bundle of herbs, a salvaged scrap of cloth, and a tiny body tucked under his coat.

He wasn't supposed to keep wild creatures in the village, but no one really paid attention to him anymore. As long as he kept to himself, didn't cause trouble, and finished his chores, he was invisible.

The fox—who he quietly named "Noct"—slept curled at his side on the hay. Its breathing was slow, peaceful.

As the moon rose, Caelion whispered spells to the rafters. He didn't try to train tonight. Instead, he shaped the light into constellations he remembered from old books. Orion. Pegasus. Lyra. He didn't care if they were accurate. They made him feel closer to something bigger.

And this time, something changed.

As Lyra shimmered above him, a soft hum resonated from the air itself. The light didn't flicker or fade—it held, glowing steady with a strange gravity. The barn grew warmer. Noct stirred but didn't wake.

Then a voice.

Not the divine one from before. Not quite.

This voice was softer. Feminine. Like wind through glass.

"Shape the light with intention, and it will answer," it whispered.

Caelion sat up sharply, scanning the shadows. No one.

"Who's there?"

No reply. The glow faded.

But he felt it again—the connection. As if the magic had finally started to listen.

The next day, Caelion awoke to shouting.

He pushed the barn doors open to find a crowd gathered near the southern edge of the village. Merchants had arrived—strangers, with cloaks stitched from desert silk and wagons etched with foreign glyphs.

He'd learned to avoid outsiders. Curiosity was dangerous for someone like him. But this time, he lingered at the edge of the square, half-hidden by the shade of an old cart.

The merchant leader, a tall woman with twin scimitars on her back, was unfurling a scroll. "Looking for rare talents," she said. "Odd magics. Especially the kind that glows."

Caelion's pulse spiked.

One of the village boys pointed toward him.

The woman turned. Her eyes met Caelion's—sharp, intelligent, a touch amused. "You. Boy. You've got the look."

He hesitated. "What kind of look?"

"The kind that wants to be more than what people let him be."

He said nothing.

She shrugged. "We pass through once a season. If you're ever ready to leave small places behind, come find us."

And just like that, they were gone.

That night, Caelion stood on the ridge again. Noct at his side. Constellations spun slowly overhead.

He didn't know what tomorrow would bring. He wasn't ready for guilds, or battles, or divine magic still buried beneath his skin.

But something had shifted.

The stars felt closer now.

And this time, they were watching.

——

A/N-

Hello! I'm Polar or HolaPolar. Decided I should finally do some author notes lmao.

Just so I can improve and understand more. If there are anything questions or things you found interesting, do leave comments. Reader feedback and interactions are important.

I've been away from webnovel for around a year or so. I used to write fanfics back in last year but lost motivation from a lot of things.

I was working on youtube (I still am), I'm returning to my second year of college for culinary, and I plan on asking out my soon-to-be girlfriend. We're pretty much already dating, I just have to ask lmao.

But I am returning with new ideas and I want to learn more since fanfics are something that have helped shaped who I am now. I want to give other people that gift that I had.

That's also what I hope to accomplish on youtube as not only a youtuber but also a video editor.

To anyone who does read this segment, thanks for your time. (please give power stones on my knees, no diddy) lol