The Lament of Night

Startled, Nyris cupped her palms around the flame protectively, fearing that it too would extinguish just as Akaon had vanished into stardust.

Longingly, her starry eyes gazed into the flame, in search of any sign of Akaon within - but he was gone. Tears escaped her gaze then, and they were the most beautiful thing in all of creation.

A silky voice broke from her mouth, carrying the unimaginable echo of her longing, and the voice intensified and echoed across the emptiness that surrounded her, as a lament, filled in equal part with love and sorrow, but infinitely beautiful.

"Come back to me!" she whispered. "Come back to me!" she called. But only silence answered. And the echo of her voice.

Stars woke in the aftermath of her lament, and some even tore themselves apart into bright novae, even as her song ensued, echoing across the cosmos, waking it into existence.

When the song was over, the flame that became Yrion was surrounded by a myriad of woken stars and this became the Unfolding Dream.

From the Flame Eternal that still burned in the embrace of Nyris, sprung forth the Ashar. Winged gods of pure fire ascended the birthing universe, exploring its wondrous expanse.

From the tears of Nyris the Vaenu were born – noble gods of glowing ether, they explored the mystical cosmic currents, bent on unlocking their secrets.

As for Nyris, she had faded back into the emptiness from which she'd sprung. Somewhere far beyond, perhaps she and Akaon finally met once more, or maybe neither of them had ever existed. Who would know? Only the stars recall the echo of her song.