The night sky stretched across the horizon, speckled with countless constellations over a vast field of matured wheat stalks swaying in the evening breeze.

Between the neatly plowed rows, the farmer sprawled on the dirt ground still hadn't stirred. And within his closed hand, the bruised immortal core he clutched was slowly losing its primary cultivation.

Lumen.

Soon, the core began to dissipate. The farmer's eyes snapped open with a loud gasp as he gripped the core tightly. His hand glowed, and resumed its cultivation transfer. Lumen seeped into the core as he gauged its flow.

Slowly, he rose, wincing as he clutched his chest. His gaze fell to his robe, and dread filled his eyes at the blood stains on the fabric.

He prayed it was his own.

Suddenly, a lumen pulse blasted the skies, sending a powerful gust of wind rushing through the wheat and whipping his robe around his legs. He jerked his head upward. The force of the wind made him squint, his eyes straining as he tried to focus on the sky.

Before he could blink, the stars began to fall, one after another, showering the skies with streaks of light, descending behind the mountains. Soon, the constellations cleared, and the skies were left empty.

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The farmer watched the cleared skies with growing anticipation, his heart pounding as he tightened his grip on the core.

Another lumen pulse struck the sky, and this time he caught sight of its nucleus, sending a force of concentric wind rippling through the field. Like arrows, three stars shot into view in quick succession, aligning in a straight line.

"One. Two. Three..." he counted under his breath.

As soon as they aligned, purple lumen dust began to amass across the sky, swirling like a storm gathering strength. The farmer tensed, his heart pounding like thunder.

"One more..." he breathed. "There are four greats in the realms. One more!"

But the fourth star did not appear. Instead, the third star in alignment began to falter, flickering weakly as it slowly dimmed.

"No," the farmer gasped, his gaze fixed on the dimming star. The purple lumen dust thickened, its clouds slowly covering the night sky. Soon, he could see neither the sky nor the three stars. And the lumen clouds flashed with bright lightning.

But as quickly as they had gathered, the dust began to dissipate, and revealed a sky full of stars. His breath hitched as he gazed upward, an undeniable emptiness gaping in his heart.

Of the three stars that had aligned, only two remained, their light strong against the star-filled sky.

He stared at his robe, tracing the bloodstains splattered across. Clutching the core tightly in his hand, a somber realization settled over him. It was not his blood.