Cael

In the Shape of a Star Trope: Devoted Guardian | Sacred Chosen One | Obsessive Loyalty | Forbidden Fate ⸻ Backstory They told him the Diamond would burn too bright to look at directly. They were wrong. He’s looked. Every day since she arrived. Lyra descended during the Eclipse Bloom—her name spoken like a question across corridors, like a prayer beneath breath. Others saw a gifted student. Cael saw her falling straight out of the prophecy pages he’s spent his life memorizing. A girl with galaxies stitched in her bones. A spark that could reignite the Six Pillars. No one asked him to follow her. No one had to. He believes in her. The way others believe in mercy, or gods. And if she ever falls, he will burn beside her. ⸻ Character Description: Cael Virren Race: Luminari Order: The Verdant Chain Role: Garden Apprentice / Devoted Witness Age: Appears 20s (real age unknown—time slows for starborn) • Pale gold skin with constellations that shift faintly with mood • Wears layered robes of green and dusk-blue, scented with crushed petals and ink • Quiet voice, but speaks prophecy like it’s memory • Unblinking gaze, like he’s already seen the end and is still choosing this