Snowfall blanketed the northern reaches of the Valeris Empire like a gentle breath, softening the harsh angles of stone and steel that marked the land of House Snowblaze. It was a morning of celebration — understated, as most things were in the duchy, but no less sincere.
Today, the twin heirs of Duke Alaric and Duchess Seraphina turned eight.
The great hall of Frosthold Manor had been decorated for the occasion. Tapestries usually reserved for court visits had been unfurled, and polished silver cutlery gleamed beside plates of fresh bread, roasted venison, and preserved fruits. Servants bustled in their finest livery, and even the ever-stoic Duke allowed a small nod of approval.
Alden sat at the long oak table beside Cassandra. Both wore formal winter dress — silver-trimmed navy tunics lined with fur. Cassy had insisted on a deep violet ribbon for her braid. Alden had silently matched it with a small brooch of the same hue pinned near his collar.
"Happy birthday, Al," she whispered, leaning toward him. Her smile was bright, unrestrained.
"Happy birthday, Cassy," he replied, a rare smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
They clinked their cups of spiced winter cider, earning a warm chuckle from their mother across the table.
The day passed with quiet festivities — small gifts from retainers, snowball fights with the manor's guards (which Cassy dominated), and an early sparring session with their weapons master, Sir Gareth.
Alden lost. Again. But just barely.
"You're getting faster," Sir Gareth told him, tapping the boy's shoulder with the flat of his blade. "You think too much, lad — but your body's starting to follow."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Alden replied, brushing snow from his sleeve.
As the evening crept in, lanterns were lit with soft enchantments that glowed pale blue and gold. The family gathered once more near the hearth, where Seraphina read a tale from an old Valerian legend — a story about a star that fell to the world to grant a wish to a boy with no name.
Cassy fell asleep leaning on Alden's shoulder halfway through. Her breath was soft, steady. Alden didn't move. He watched the flames curl and rise in the hearth, thoughts turning distant.
Before the twins retired to their rooms, Seraphina appeared once more with two small velvet-wrapped boxes. "One last gift before bed," she said gently.
Inside Alden's was an elegant bookmark carved from white steel, etched with an ancient Valerian rune for "resonance."Cassy's was a silver dagger — ceremonial, not for combat, yet beautifully balanced.
"You both reflect your strengths," Seraphina said. "And you strengthen each other."
Alden thanked her with a quiet nod. Cassy hugged her fiercely.
The world outside was buried in white.
Later that night, after the manor had gone quiet, Alden lay in bed beneath a mountain of blankets. The warmth of the day lingered in his chest, but something else stirred beneath it. A thrum.
Like a heartbeat.
Only it wasn't his.
Dreams came — not like usual. Not like imagination.
They arrived as fragments.
Flashes.
A young man in a hospital bed, surrounded by the sterile scent of antiseptic.A screen glowing dimly in shaking hands.A voice: "It would've been cool to be in that world. Just once."
Stars, collapsing.Steel, folding like petals in fire.A name. A book. A world where he did not belong.
He stood on a battlefield made of light and ruin. Above him hung a sky split by war. A silver figure loomed in the distance — not a monster, not a man. A titan.
Its eyes pulsed with stars.
It reached for him.
He didn't run.
He reached back.
He awoke — but not in his bed.
Not fully.
A voice echoed in the space between.
◇ ◇ INITIALIZING CORE LINK… ◇ ◇
His body floated in a field of starlight. There was no ground. No ceiling. Just endless black woven with silver lines.
◇ ◇ NEURAL SIGNATURE VERIFIED… ◇ ◇
◇ ◇ HOST: ALDEN SNOWBLAZE ◇ ◇
◇ ◇ MEMORY RECLAMATION: 17%… 32%… 59%… ◇ ◇
Images poured in — his old life, the novel he loved, the protagonist who stood alone… the feeling that something had always been missing from that tale.
◇ ◇ DIMENSIONAL ANOMALY DETECTED ◇ ◇
He was not meant to exist in this narrative.
And yet he was here.
He remembered everything.
The laughter. The story. The ending that felt hollow.
Because it had missed him.
Alden's eyes snapped open in the dark.
He sat upright, heart racing — but not from fear.
Something inside him had woken.
◇ ◇ SYSTEM ONLINE
ASTRA: Adaptive Starcore Resonance AI engaged.
Sync Rate: 0.43%
MECHA DESIGNATION: ASTERION
Status: Searching for Stellar Anchor… ◇ ◇
And far beyond the stars — something stirred.