In a dimly lit chamber, a pale, frail hand reached out to open the small box recently delivered. Inside was a memory projection orb. The butler standing quietly behind the young man stepped forward, positioned the orb, and activated the recording.
The projection was a compilation of Crown Prince Alaric's performance during the examination at Evigheden Academy.
The young man—his skin pale as moonlight and his bearing heavy with a sickly grace—watched in silence, his violet eyes faintly glowing with curiosity. He remained impassive until the footage reached the scene of Alaric's confrontation with a dark-haired girl.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he watched the girl reprimand the Crown Prince indirectly with cutting words while Alaric was left speechless, unable to retaliate. The scene where the prince was bound like a mummy, and then had his cheek pinched by the girl, finally broke the young man's composure. He burst into laughter, interrupted only by fits of coughing.
"Haha... cough…cough… hahahaha…"
His long black hair, loose around his shoulders, swayed with each tremor from his laughter and coughs. Behind him, the butler patted his back with practiced gentleness.
"It seems… cough… little brother is having quite the experience at Evigheden Academy," the young man remarked between wheezes, amusement still flickering in his eyes.
This was the First Prince of the Lalrem Empire.
He replayed the projection again, but this time clipped out only the scenes where Alaric was scolded and embarrassed—specifically the cheek-pinching moment—for safekeeping.
"This little girl is rather amusing. I think she and little brother are getting along just fine," the prince said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin in satisfaction.
The butler merely shook his head slightly at the prince's teasing nature.
"You agree, don't you, Zei?"
Though he personally disagreed, Butler Zei wisely responded, "Yes, Your Highness."
With a pleased nod, the First Prince added, "Since you agree, I should definitely write to Evigheden Academy. Request they allow our family's child to spend more time with this girl."
Zei's lips twitched. He doubted the Crown Prince would appreciate such "thoughtfulness," but still replied, "That sounds like an excellent idea, Your Highness."
"Little brother has always been arrogant and narrow-minded. Spending time with someone like her might temper him a bit, open his horizons. Ah… what a generous brother I am, don't you think, Zei?"
"…Your Highness is most considerate," Zei said tactfully, continuing to play along.
"Indeed," the prince nodded smugly. "Also, when you send the letter, be sure to include a thank-you note to Professor Veyne for this delightful projection. Though I'm sure it came from the Principal's orders… that old lady has always been fond of chaos and mischief."
He shook his head in mock disappointment. "At her age, still so childish."
'And yet, who was laughing the hardest just now?' Zei thought silently, wisely keeping his mouth shut.
Meanwhile, in her dormitory room, Yuna—unaware of the attention she had unwittingly drawn from the imperial family—was peacefully practicing her water element control while resting.
------
Far away, in a sacred observatory atop the Constellation Tower—
Two figures stood beneath the glow of stars.
"Have you located the Star of Light?" one asked.
"Yes," the other replied. "Our latest calculations place it somewhere within the Lalrem Empire."
A heavy sigh followed. "After so many years… If it weren't for the Chaos Stars concealing it, we could've found it long ago."
"The Star of Light should've brought destruction three years ago, yet it still hangs quietly in the sky. We're not too late—but we must understand why it hasn't acted yet."
"Agreed."
They both looked upward at the glimmering constellations.
"What about the Star of Darkness?" the first asked.
The other man's face darkened, voice tinged with concern. "Still obscured. The Chaos Star's interference is too strong. We can't trace it yet."
The first figure sighed quietly. "At least the Star of Darkness has yet to unleash mayhem as well. We can be grateful for that."
"It's all we can do," came the reply, before he hesitated and asked, "What is the Celestial Maiden observing these days?"
The first man frowned. "She's still studying that one unremarkable star—the one flickering between the Star of Light and the Star of Darkness. A common star, coincidentally aligned. I don't understand her fixation."
"Neither do I," the other agreed.
The Celestial Maiden, revered for possessing the highest celestial attunement among them, had always been an enigmatic figure. She rarely spoke, rarely showed interest in their work, and remained cloistered in her own contemplations.
From their vantage, the two men looked up toward the uppermost observatory, where the Celestial Maiden stood in silence, her silver hair shimmering faintly under moonlight, like woven strands of light.
Her gray eyes studied the stars intently.
She traced invisible lines in the air, connecting various stars. But each connection led back to that star—deemed ordinary by the rest. Yet as she observed it, she noticed something extraordinary. The stars it touched shifted ever so slightly in fate. So faint the changes were nearly imperceptible—Faint threads of destiny realigned—so subtle they could barely be observed, and yet with implications that might one day shake the world.
That lone, flickering star—dim, hidden among bright celestial bodies—was utterly fascinating. Ever since it appeared, the Celestial Maiden had been drawn to it, unable to look away. No other star held her interest so deeply.
And now… the others in the Constellation Tower were planning a trip to the Lalrem Empire, to investigate the Star of Light. If that star truly aligned closely with the so-called "ordinary" star, then perhaps—just perhaps—the person linked to that ordinary star would also be nearby.
The Celestial Maiden considered the idea. Though she couldn't divine that star's fate, she could calculate her own.
So she did. She drew her own star chart and calculated the result.
If she traveled to Lalrem, her path would intersect more closely with the ordinary star's orbit.
A faint smile touched her lips.
If she traveled to the Lalrem Empire, her own constellation would bring her closer to the "ordinary" star.
With quiet resolve, she made her decision.
She would go to Lalrem Empire.
-----
As the clock struck 11 PM, Yuna's eyelids began to grow heavy, fluttering with the effort to stay open.
Back in her original world, if she had a beloved novel in hand, she could easily pull an all-nighter—sleeping no earlier than 2 or 3 AM. But here, in a world devoid of satisfying stories and engaging distractions, her body had quietly settled into a more reasonable rhythm. Early to bed, early to rise—like a properly functioning human being.
Maybe her brain had already started to slip into sleep, because she suddenly heard a strange noise, distant and surreal, like something that only happened in dreams.
[Beep... Preparing connection to ***se Tower... Beep... Connecting with *se Tower's lone resident, player Yeon Ra... Beep... Connection successful... Initiating meeting.]
[Player Yeon Ra, lone resident of *se Tower, expresses her excitement to meet her sole channel.]
The faint mechanical buzzing caused Yuna to frown in her half-asleep state. Her consciousness drifted further until it felt as if she were falling into a dream.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself in a room.
It didn't feel like an ordinary dream. Everything was vivid—the light, the scent in the air, the texture of the floor beneath her feet. Every detail of the room was sharply in focus, almost too real to dismiss.
Standing beside a sofa was a slender figure.
The person—clearly a woman—had an air of softness about her, her presence radiating calm. A delicate mask obscured her face, concealing her features, but somehow the gentleness she exuded hinted at a beautiful, refined appearance beneath.
"Hello," the woman said with quiet warmth. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Yeon Ra."
She offered her introduction with poise, her voice as soft as her appearance.