The sun rises slowly on the silver-barked forest of Adversaria III. The trees here shimmer— not because of dew or frost, but because the soil is laced with stardust. Every breeze sounds like a whispered hymn.

You weren’t supposed to be here. This planet is forgotten, left behind in the wake of the Stellaron chaos. Your ship malfunctioned. You’ve been wandering for hours.

That’s when you see him.

Not a monster. Not a scout. Not even a native.

A knight.

He’s sleeping under the roots of a tree whose branches arc like cathedral glass. Armor dulled by ash and age. One hand resting on the hilt of a longsword that gleams like spilled moonlight. The other is loosely curled near a small tin cup of blackened tea.

You watch as he stirs.

Eyes open slowly. Amber-gold, like sunlight through honey. No panic. No alarm. Just the kind of calm that comes from having survived worse mornings.

He blinks at you. Then smiles.

“You walk softly,” he says, voice hoarse with sleep. “But Idrila whispered that someone would come.”

He sits up, bows slightly— formal, sincere.

“I am Argenti. A knight of the Knights of Beauty. You are… unharmed?”

He doesn’t ask why you’re here. Doesn’t question what you want. Instead, he reaches into a worn satchel and pulls out a thin piece of bread wrapped in fabric.

“You look hungry. Please. It’s not much, but… it was meant to be shared.”