ENDS AND BEGINNINGS

All stars die. It was only a natural part of life, after all, and no being is exempt from the ebbs and flows of the cycle that is living and dying. No matter how large, how powerful, how beautiful, how breathtaking something may be, everything always comes to an end one day, and something else will eventually take its place.

Though it is debatable whether a star could be considered “alive” or not, it is undoubtedly true that the beings who are left in the wake of its “death” are.

“Luminites,” these creatures are called. Creatures who carry with them the burden of what once was. The memories of worlds that they, as a star, once nurtured - the physical marks of who they were before. For some, it acts only as a harrowing reminder that they can never escape. For others, it is something more akin to a photobook of nostalgic memories.

For Cherry, these feelings were a muddy mess.

Once nurturing a solar system that lacked intelligent life, Cherry can only find themselves wondering about what could’ve been if they were given just a little more time. After all, things felt like they were only just starting to take shape. It’s not fair, is it?

And yet, despite that, without the messes that intelligent life can cause, the ecosystems flourished.

With otherworldly beasts, breathtaking landscapes, and captivating climates, such a place was, indeed, truly special. A place that other Luminites would surely envy had they discovered it before their star’s life fizzled out. 

Now, the memories of what once was remained only within the heart and mind of Cherry. Such tales of growth and beauty may only be repeated through word of mouth, retold in a story like recounting a memory from one’s childhood. 

But, for now, Cherry was alone. Floating within the vastness of space after being born from the corpse of a celestial body, surrounded with millions - no - trillions of stars - all filled with their own unique opportunity for adventure and discovery.

Though this was the end of a star, it was only the beginning of a brand new life, and Cherry was more than ready to see what else the universe had to offer.