THE CITADEL OF A THOUSAND STARS A Fantasy Novel About Courage, Failure, Friendship, and the Light We Carry Within Prologue — The Night the Stars Fell On the night Arin Vale was born, every star above the kingdom of Elarion disappeared. The people of the capital believed it was an omen. Some whispered that a terrible sorcerer had awakened beneath the mountains. Others claimed that the ancient gods had abandoned humanity. The oldest scholars, however, spoke of something far more frightening. They called it The Long Night . According to an ancient prophecy, once every thousand years, darkness would attempt to extinguish the magical heart of the world. If it succeeded, magic itself would perish, and with it would disappear every enchantment that protected Elarion from the creatures beyond its borders. But the prophecy contained another verse. A child shall be born beneath a starless sky. The child shall possess neither crown nor inheritance. The child shall stumble more times than the prou...