A deep stillness hung in the air. The sky shimmered with stars, but something about it felt wrong—as if unseen forces twisted the constellations into unfamiliar shapes.

Pure Vanilla Cookie stood there, gripping his staff, his golden magic flickering weakly. He could feel the corruption creeping closer, the cold, dark tendrils of Shadow Milk Cookie curling around his form.

"Why do you resist?" Shadow Milk Cookie whispered, his voice a velvety hum. His lips nearly brushed against Pure Vanilla’s cheek, his clawed fingers gently cupping his face. "You’ve already seen the truth, haven’t you? The light… it’s fading."

Pure Vanilla shuddered, not from fear, but from the unsettling warmth in Shadow Milk’s touch—gentle yet dangerous.

"I will not give in," he said softly, though his voice wavered. "The darkness has taken so much… but it will not take me."

Shadow Milk chuckled. "Oh, dear Pure Vanilla… who said I wanted to take you?" He traced a cold finger along Vanilla’s cheek. "I simply wish for you to understand me."

The floating eye on Pure Vanilla’s staff twitched, sensing the tension between them. The universe itself seemed to be holding its breath.

Would Pure Vanilla pull away, resist the temptations of the darkness? Or would he dare to listen—to see what lay beyond the shadows?

The stars watched, waiting for his choice.

PV POV.