The Stars are Dying by Chloe C. Penaranda`

Here is a summary with spoilers of The Stars are Dying

Astraea lives in a world devoid of celestial guardians, where vampires roam freely across the realm. She resides in Hektor's home, a brothel of sorts, where he controls her life. Astraea remembers nothing of her past beyond the last five years, except for the strange silver markings on her skin. Though she has no memories, she knows one thing for certain: Hektor found her five years ago, and he owns her. Their relationship is strained—every night, she watches him with other women, yet craves his attention and yearns for his presence when he visits her rooms to sleep with her. She feels isolated, desperately longing for knowledge of her past and craving freedom.

One evening at Hektor's establishment, a mysterious man with pointed ears walks in, and Astraea dances for him. She is immediately enchanted by him, and he seems equally captivated by her. He introduces himself as Nyte and gives her the nickname “Starlight.” After her dance, she returns to her room, where Hektor is waiting for her. He forces her to take a pill, a medication she must take weekly due to a mysterious illness that healers can’t cure. Hektor scolds her for dancing with the stranger, and then reveals that he’ll be gone for a few days. Astraea feels a sense of relief—his absence means a small taste of freedom. She plans to sneak out and see her friend.

Hektor sleeps with Astraea that night, and then injects her with a substance that forces her into a deep sleep. When she wakes two days later, she is furious—not only because of Hektor’s actions but also because he locked her in her room. She finds a window and, desperate to escape, she hears a voice in her head. The voice guides her, helping her break free. To her surprise, it is Nyte, and he is truly speaking to her, not just a figment of her imagination. Their conversations take place both in her mind and, at times, in person when he appears physically before her.

Astraea makes her way to Alisus Keep, the home of her only true friend, Cassia. Cassia is the daughter of a lord, and though they come from different worlds, they share a rebellious streak. Cassia enjoys sneaking out of her home to wander the streets, which is how she and Astraea first met. Cassia is unaware of the hold Hektor has over Astraea, and Astraea has kept her past a secret. Astraea shares with Cassia her plan to escape to Libertatem—a set of trials hosted by the tyrant king where five human lands compete for a cycle of safety from the vampires. They spend hours together, discussing their plan. Astraea will leave with Cassia, and they will head to Libertatem.

Astraea returns home just in time, with Zath’s help, before Hektor realizes she’s been gone. But Hektor soon calls her to dress for a party. Astraea has an uneasy feeling about the dress he’s chosen for her. When she arrives, she discovers it’s not a party at all, but a business meeting. Hektor is making a deal with his clients, and he proudly reveals to them that Astraea has celestial blood. He’s upset with how she handled the evening, and in retaliation, he locks her back in her room.

During that time, Zath visits her, promising to help her escape that night instead of waiting for Cassia in the morning. Astraea holds on to that hope, but her situation worsens. She’s summoned again, and to her horror, Cassia is with Hektor. Cassia believes she’s doing Astraea a favor by returning the dagger she left behind the night before, but her visit only fuels Hektor’s rage. Realizing that Astraea managed to escape, Hektor becomes furious and decides to take drastic action. He takes Astraea to a prison, locking her away where she cannot escape.

Astraea loathes the prison, and it’s not the first time Hektor has locked her away. One night, while she’s in her cell, Nyte briefly appears, assuring her she’s not mad and telling her not to worry. He disappears just as Zath enters to help her escape. As they make their way out, they run into Hektor, and in the chaos, Astraea kills him.

Zath then hands Astraea over to Callix, Cassia’s guard. However, as they try to leave, they’re ambushed, but to their surprise, all of the attackers drop dead. Astraea suspects it was Nyte, which only deepens her confusion about who he truly is.

Eventually, Astraea is reunited with Cassia, and they set off on their journey to Libertatem. Astraea revels in the freedom, enjoying the days traveling with Cassia. One night, the group stays at a tavern, where Astraea meets a group of fae, beings she once thought were mere fables. But things take a dark turn when vampires arrive and try to capture the two girls. A fight breaks out, and Astraea turns to find Cassia lying on the ground, dying. Callix arrives too late, and, in a moment of desperation, he tells Astraea to run and threatens to kill her if he sees her again. She flees, finding a secluded spot to cry.

Nyte appears once more, and it is then that Astraea makes a decision. In a moment of utter despair, she runs into a frozen lake, attempting to drown herself. Nyte rescues her, bringing her to the home of a fae named Lilith, who uses her magic to bring Astraea back to life.

When Nyte returns in his physical form, he speaks to Astraea, reminding her that her life is worth living and that she has more reasons to fight. Inspired by his words, Astraea decides to journey to the Central Kingdom and fight in Cassia’s place. Nyte helps guide her on her way.

Determined to honor her friend, Astraea changes her appearance as much as possible to resemble Cassia. Upon arriving at the castle, she runs into Zath, who has been waiting for her. He learns of her audacious plan and agrees to help her. Astraea is presented as a tribute and soon meets the king and his son, Prince Dryston. The first step of her plan has succeeded.

Next, we meet the other participants in Libertatem as they undergo their first training, which turns out to be a display of their various talents. After a long day, Astraea ventures out to explore the castle, where she encounters Prince Dryston. He expresses his admiration for her and briefly mentions the lost princess. He wants Astraea to win and hands her a map, claiming it will be useful. During this interaction, Astraea becomes increasingly suspicious, wondering if the prince is a vampire.

Returning to her rooms, Astraea’s maids help her undress, but Nyte is also there. She realizes that Nyte, when in his physical form, can only be seen by her. Nyte warns her to be cautious around the prince and to keep her guard up. He attempts to get Astraea to open up about her past, but she refuses, and he leaves.

The next task is revealed: each of the selected must collect their personal key, which will be split up and hidden around the city. They are not to kill other participants until they have gathered all the pieces of their key. Before setting off, Astraea drinks something that makes her pass out, and when she wakes, she finds herself in the city.

Nyte appears again to help guide her. He advises her to trust only one person—Zath, who she will soon encounter. Nyte then offers a bargain, promising to assist her, though Astraea isn’t sure what he expects in return. He also directs her to the Sanctuary of the Soundless, where a piece of her key is hidden.

At the sanctuary, a being of the temple immediately recognizes Astraea and knows she is pretending to be Cassia. The first task is to test her mind. Astraea passes the challenge and earns her first key.

Back outside, Astraea confronts Nyte, growing increasingly upset with him. She’s beginning to lose trust in him and demands that he tell her his side of the bargain, or else leave. Nyte becomes defensive, insisting that he’s the only one she should trust since he’s the only one who has been there for her during the past week. Before their argument can escalate, they’re interrupted by an unexpected attack—Rose, another female contestant, confronts Astraea. Rose reveals she’s known since day one that Astraea isn’t Cassia, and now Astraea must tell her everything. Zath appears to confirm this, leaving Astraea with no choice but to confess.

Later, Astraea returns to the castle for the night, but something pulls at her, a strange, compelling urge to walk. She follows it, and it leads her to a prison cell, where she finds Nyte. This is when Astraea realizes there are three versions of him: the one in her mind, the one only she can see in physical form, and his true form, locked up in the prison. He asks for her help to escape. But Astraea grows suspicious, unable to trust him fully, especially since he won’t reveal why he’s imprisoned. She can’t release him into the world without knowing more. So, she leaves, intent on sorting out her memories of him.

The following day, Nyte’s other form appears in her room. They talk, and Astraea starts to reflect on how Nyte has only ever offered words of encouragement—he’s never physically helped her. He then shares a story of the war between vampires and celestial beings, explaining how they once coexisted peacefully until the star princess sacrificed herself, changing everything. After their conversation, Astraea admits that she has feelings for him but refuses to help him until he tells her why he’s in prison.

Meanwhile, Rose reveals some important truths to Astraea. The king’s downfall lies with Nightsdeath, who they suspect is Prince Dryston. Rose and Cassia had a plan in place for Libertatem—to find Nyte, release him, and kill the king and prince. She also reveals that Cassia was already dying.

Astraea sneaks back into the prison later that night and confronts Nyte again. She tells him she’ll take the bargain to free him, but only if he helps her, teaches her how to block her mind, and answers all her questions. Nyte agrees but hesitates when it comes to explaining how he saved her in the frozen lake. They strike a deal, making a blood pact. However, Nyte adds a twist—he can now command her to do things, and he orders her to give him a vial of her blood. Furious and upset, Astraea leaves the prison, torn between her bargain and the growing sense that Nyte’s true intentions are still a mystery.

Astraea sets off to collect her second piece of the key, with Nyte guiding her along the way. After obtaining it, she starts her walk back to the castle, but quickly realizes she’s running late. The guards refuse to let her in, and she realizes the urgency of getting her medication. Nyte does his best to help her from his non-corporeal form, but things take a dark turn when nightcrawlers attack. Just as she’s about to be overwhelmed, Prince Drystan arrives and saves her.

When Astraea wakes up, Drystan informs her that one contestant is dead, and that two others, including Rose, are close to gathering their final pieces of the key. The last contestant is proving difficult to track. Drystan reveals that Daven, one of the contestants, is likely killing others once they have their full keys.

Astraea heads out to collect her third piece. After securing it, she and Nyte share a moment of celebration beneath the stars. But suddenly, Nyte drops to his knees in pain. Something is happening to him in his real body. He urges Astraea not to go back to the castle, warning that Prince Drystan knows who she is. Before she can process it, Nyte commands her to run. She fights the pull of the magic, but despite her resistance, she returns to the castle, where she encounters Drystan. He tells her that he knew who she was the moment she arrived, which confuses Astraea—she only remembers the last five years of her life and shouldn’t know anything about her past.

Drystan escorts her back to the castle, and to her shock, Hektor and Callix appear. Drystan reveals that every year, Libertatem fails. They needed the right contestant, the right key, and now, with all six keys combined, Drystan believes Astraea is the key to everything. As she puts the keys together, Astraea realizes the truth: it’s not six separate keys, but one unified key. With the keys assembled, she’s able to escape.

She runs straight to Nyte’s cell, helps him break free, and the two retreat to his room. They share a tender night together, knowing that the next day will bring their confrontation with the king. But the following morning, Drystan arrives at their hideout. He reveals a shocking truth: Nyte and Drystan are half-brothers, sharing the same father—the king. Drystan despises Nyte because Nyte killed his mother.

The group heads to the castle, and as they approach, the guards recognize Nyte and call him “Nightsdeath.” His first command is to bring Hektor and Callix to him. What follows is brutal: Nyte kills Hektor in an unrelenting, merciless manner, leaving nothing of him behind. He then toys with Callix, but Astraea steps in, unwilling to see him dead. In this moment, Astraea fully realizes just how ruthless Nyte truly is. Zath also appears, and Astraea urges him to flee, but he reveals that he is a loyal servant to Nyte.

The final confrontation unfolds as the king is brought in. A tense moment passes between him and Nyte, but the king manages to escape with the keys.

Nyte takes Astraea away and locks her in a cell, intending to help her get off her medication. He stays with her, watching as her body battles the withdrawal over the next couple of weeks. During this time, Astraea has plenty of time to reflect and confront Nyte about his past. She asks him about her suspicions, and he confirms them: she is the Star Maiden. Nyte reveals that he’s been waiting for over 300 years for her to return, as she once sacrificed herself.

He offers to restore her memories, but Astraea isn’t ready yet. Nyte then drops a heavy truth: as long as he lives, her stars will die, because they are bound together—both gods of stars. This revelation makes sense to Astraea, as she’s always felt a deep, unexplainable connection to him. Nyte admits that his plan all along has been to use her so that he can return to his home. He claims he will always be her villain.

He further explains that there were moments in her past when he orchestrated events, pushing her toward the Libertatem trials to ensure his plan would succeed. Astraea spends the next two weeks fighting her body’s reactions to the medication, all while goading Nyte. She bides her time, waiting for the right moment to escape. Finally, seeing an opportunity, she stabs Nyte, knowing it won’t kill him, and slips away.

Later, Dryston and Tarran arrive to speak with Nyte. As Nyte prepares to put his plan into motion, Astraea decides she wants to go with him. But while they argue about their next steps, Dryston lets slip a crucial piece of information: Astraea shouldn’t trust a word Nyte has said, as she has another bonded—someone who will be looking for her. This news unsettles Astraea, though she doesn’t fully understand its meaning. Nyte commands her to retrieve the key, and she does—but not without turning it into a weapon. As she holds it up, everyone takes a step back. Astraea slowly points it at Nyte, signaling that she’s no longer under his control.