25: Dying Star

Awakened by noises outside, Aurora spots the Starmaker hauling a wheelbarrow toward his greenhouse under a crescent moon. Restless and still reeling from whispering she might love him, she dresses and follows his trail through the snowy gardens, passing Tilly testing her new mirror.

Inside the cramped, rose-filled greenhouse, the Starmaker greets Aurora with sarcasm, masking pain. As Aurora absorbs the years of care in his blooms, she senses grief in his voice and realizes her assumption about his mortality was incomplete: his end may be nearer than she believed. Pressing for answers, she asks how long he had with his mentor; he refuses specifics, insisting he cannot know the Sun’s plans.

Fearing evasions, Aurora promises not to fight and instead asks him to show her how to care for the roses if he is gone. He admits wanting to teach her but won’t meet her gaze, confessing that looking at her makes him want to live unbearably.

Aurora tells him to close his eyes and kisses him. The Starmaker first holds back, then yields with desperate intensity. Their desire escalates—hands, mouths, breathless urgency—until he abruptly stops, saying it isn’t fair to her. Aurora counters that she chooses this, and they surge together again before he finally wrests control and breaks away, conflicted but resolute.

Gathering himself, the Starmaker apologizes for a “moment of weakness.” Aurora prioritizes his peace over pressing further. He then invites her to learn the roses. She accepts, and the scene ends with a truce that binds them closer while acknowledging the shadow of his coming death.