Years slowly passed at the Star family mansion.
The large training field behind the mansion had become the favorite place for two children who spent almost every day there—Sunstar and Yuki.
Under the guidance of their teacher, Crystia, their training grew harder each year.
Crystia was not a gentle teacher. Even though Sun and Yuki were still children, she believed that real magicians had to learn discipline early.
Every morning before sunrise, she would wake them.
"Training begins before the sun rises," she would say calmly.
Sun and Yuki would walk to the training field while the air was still cold and fresh. The grass would be wet with morning dew, and the sky would slowly turn from dark blue to bright orange as the sun appeared.
Their first training was always the same.
Mana control.
"Magic is not about power," Crystia often said. "It is about control."
Sun focused on water magic. Small droplets of water would float above his hands while he tried to keep them stable.
At the same time, Yuki practiced fire magic. Small flames danced around her fingers like tiny living creatures.
Sometimes their concentration broke, and the magic would explode into steam or sparks.
When that happened, Crystia simply crossed her arms.
"Again."
At first, the training was exhausting.
But Sun never complained.
He remembered the moment in his previous life when everything had ended before he could marry Jamie. That regret still lived deep inside him.
In this life… I won't waste my time.
Yuki, on the other hand, trained just as hard—but for a different reason.
She simply loved magic.
Whenever a new spell worked, her eyes would shine with excitement.
"Did you see that, Sun?!" she would shout.
Sun would smile.
"Yeah. That was amazing."
Their training sessions slowly became more intense.
When they learned basic combat spells, Crystia began allowing them to spar with each other.
The first time they tried, both of them were nervous.
Crystia stood between them on the field.
"This is only training," she said. "Do not hold back too much. Real battles will not be kind."
Sun stood on one side of the field.
Yuki stood on the other.
A soft wind moved across the grass.
"Begin."
Yuki acted first.
"Fire Bullet!"
A small ball of fire shot toward Sun.
Sun quickly reacted.
"Water Shield!"
A thin wall of water appeared in front of him, stopping the flame with a loud hiss as steam filled the air.
Yuki grinned.
"Not bad!"
Sun smiled back.
Then he raised his hand.
"Water Shot!"
A fast stream of water shot toward Yuki. She quickly rolled to the side and avoided it.
Soon the training field was filled with flashes of fire and bursts of water.
Sometimes Sun won.
Sometimes Yuki won.
But every time they fought, they improved.
Even Crystia was surprised by their progress.
By the time they turned eight years old, both of them had reached the level of D-rank magicians, which was already impressive for children their age.
One bright morning, Yuki ran into the training field with excitement.
"Sun!"
Sun looked up from his practice.
"What happened?"
Yuki crossed her arms and smiled proudly.
"You forgot something."
Sun blinked.
"What?"
She looked at him with mock seriousness.
"It's your birthday today!"
Sun froze.
"…Oh."
Yuki sighed dramatically.
"You really forgot your own birthday."
Sun scratched his head awkwardly.
"I guess I was thinking too much about training."
Yuki suddenly grabbed his arm.
"Come on!"
"Where?"
"The market!"
Sun looked confused.
"The market?"
"Yes! We're going out today."
Crystia stood nearby, watching them with calm eyes.
"Teacher," Yuki said politely, "can we go to the town market today?"
Crystia thought for a moment.
Then she nodded.
"I will come with you."
A short time later, the three of them were walking through the busy streets of the nearby town.
The market was full of life.
Merchants loudly called out to customers. Stalls filled the streets selling fruits, vegetables, clothes, weapons, magical items, and many other things.
The smell of fresh bread and roasted meat filled the air.
Sun looked around with curiosity.
He had rarely visited the market before.
Yuki walked ahead happily, looking at everything.
"Look at that!" she said, pointing to a stall selling colorful glass bottles filled with glowing liquids.
"Those are mana potions," Crystia explained calmly.
They continued walking through the crowded streets.
Then Sun suddenly stopped.
Yuki noticed.
"What is it?"
Sun was staring at a small bookstore stall.
Old books were stacked neatly on wooden tables.
One book in particular caught his attention.
The cover was dark blue with silver letters.
"Advanced Water Manipulation."
Sun slowly picked up the book and opened it.
Inside were detailed explanations of powerful water spells—much more advanced than the ones he currently knew.
His eyes shined with excitement.
But then he looked at the price.
His expression fell slightly.
It was expensive.
Sun gently placed the book back on the table.
"Let's go," he said quietly.
They continued walking through the market.
But Yuki glanced back at the book stall.
A few minutes later, while Sun was distracted by another shop, Yuki quietly walked back to the stall.
She took out some coins from her small pouch.
"I want to buy that book," she said.
The shopkeeper smiled.
"Good choice."
After paying for it, she hid the book behind her back and returned.
"Sun."
He turned around.
"Yes?"
Yuki held the book out toward him.
Sun's eyes widened.
"This is—"
"The one you liked," Yuki said with a smile.
Sun immediately shook his head.
"No, I can't take this. It's too expensive."
Yuki crossed her arms.
"It's your birthday."
"But still—"
"It's a gift."
Sun hesitated.
"But—"
Yuki suddenly stepped forward and pushed the book into his hands.
"I said it's a gift."
Sun looked at the book, then at her.
She smiled warmly.
"Happy birthday, Sun."
For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Finally he smiled.
"…Thank you, Yuki."
Without thinking, he hugged her.
Yuki froze for a moment in surprise.
Then she laughed softly and hugged him back.
Crystia watched them from a short distance away.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Later that evening, they returned to the Star mansion.
The entire family had prepared a birthday celebration.
The large dining hall was decorated with candles and ribbons. Delicious food filled the long table.
Deadstar sat at the head of the table, while Nova and Alina talked happily nearby.
When Sun entered the room, everyone greeted him.
"Happy birthday!"
Sun looked surprised.
"You remembered?"
Nova laughed.
"Of course."
They all enjoyed the evening together.
There was laughter, food, and many small gifts.
For the first time in a long while, Sun felt something warm inside his heart.
A real family…
After the party ended and the house became quiet, Sun went to his room.
He sat by the window, looking at the night sky.
The moon shined brightly above the mansion.
Suddenly—
Knock. Knock.
"Sun?"
It was Yuki.
"Come in."
She entered the room carefully, holding a small cake.
"Wait… another cake?" Sun asked in surprise.
Yuki smiled.
"That one was for everyone."
She placed the cake on the table and lit a small candle.
"This one is just for us."
Sun laughed softly.
"You're serious about birthdays."
"Of course."
They sat together and shared the small cake.
After a moment, Yuki reached into her pocket.
"I have one more gift."
She took out a small pendant.
It was silver, with a small blue crystal in the center.
Sun looked surprised.
"Yuki… this must have cost a lot."
She shook her head.
"It's not about the price."
She placed the pendant in his hand.
"I saw it earlier in the market. The crystal stores a little mana. It might help you when you practice magic."
Sun stared at it quietly.
Then he looked up at her.
"…Thank you."
Yuki smiled gently.
"Don't lose it."
"I won't."
They sat by the window for a while, looking at the stars in silence.
Neither of them knew what the future would bring.
But in that quiet moment, under the calm night sky, a small promise seemed to form between them.
Whatever happened next—
They would face it together.