A cool surge of mana, controlled and precise, flowed from Astra's hand into Cassia's core.
But something slipped.
Just slightly.
A surge—too strong, too fast.
Astra's eyes widened a fraction, but it was already too late.
The runes responded immediately.
Magic sparked at Cassia's fingertips as white and blue tendrils curled into the air like ethereal smoke, dancing in delicate arcs.
The grass trembled as if holding its breath, though not a single breeze stirred.
The summoning circle pulsed, the gemstone at its heart glowing brighter and brighter until it gleamed like a miniature sun.
Then the ground trembled.
A ripple tore through the runes like a shockwave.
The air grew dense, saturated with crackling energy. The pressure was immense like a great invisible force pressing down from all directions.
The girls gasped, clutching their chests. A few stumbled back.
"I… I can't… breathe…" Claire wheezed, her voice trembling through the haze of pressure.
Due to the commotion, Astra completely forgot about now,, earliar incident. She furrowed her brows, eyes narrowing as the pressure thickened around them.
This energy… it's far too strong for a normal summoning, she thought, tension knotting her stomach. Good thing I sealed this entire place with sound-blocking magic barriers… But really now, did Cass summon a monster instead of a beast, or what?
The others stumbled, breath shallow and limbs trembling. They could barely remain on their feet.
Then—
BOOM!
A burst of deep violet light exploded from the center of the circle, swallowing the entire courtyard in blinding brilliance.
The force of it surged like a hurricane wind, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.
A wave of force rolled outward.
The etched summoning runes flared, blazing in dark purple, their glow so intense it painted the world in eerie twilight.
The wind shrieked through the trees. Branches cracked overhead. Dust rose in a furious swirl. The etched runes on the ground blazed with blinding dark purple light.
The magic settled into stillness but it was a charged stillness, like the hush before a storm resumes.
Nobody dared breathe.
Seconds stretched on endlessly as their eyes slowly adjusted to the aftermath.
They looked at one another.
Then all eyes turned back to the circle. It was now dimly glowing, fragments of runes still pulsing faintly in the grass.
From the fading circle of light… something stirred.
A soft rustle.
A glimmer.
Slowly, a small white snake slithered into view.
Delicate and slender, its scales shimmered like polished moonstone, almost translucent beneath the soft, fading glow—catching the last threads of magic in the air.
Faint patterns of purple light rippled along its back like flowing water before vanishing.
Violet eyes blinked slowly, gleaming with an uncanny, almost human intelligence.
The creature's movements were unhurried, its body coiling protectively around the now-dim gemstone at the center of the summoning circle.
The pressure in the air finally dissolved. The girls exhaled shakily, but none dared speak.
They were stunned.
Such overwhelming energy… was produced by such a small creature?
Lora blinked, then rubbed her eyes as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"This… little thing caused all that?" Melinda whispered, voice trembling with disbelief.
Ella and Lily exchanged wide-eyed glances.
But while everyone stood in dumbfounded silence, Cassia's knees buckled and she dropped to the ground, though not out of fear.
Her lips parted in disbelief as tears welled up in her eyes.
"I… I did it… I really… succeeded…" Her voice cracked with joy, small and fragile, yet ringing with triumph.
The shock melted quickly from the others' faces. Replacing it was awe then giddy excitement.
"Cassia… you did it!" Claire breathed, eyes shining.
"That was amazing!" Lora exclaimed.
"You're a summoner, Cassia!!" Lily cheered, practically bouncing with excitement.
The girls rushed to her, surrounding her with cheers and praises. Their eyes sparkled with admiration, completely forgetting the near-explosive pressure that had shaken them to the core just moments ago.
Cassia laughed through her tears, holding her trembling hands close to her chest.
But while the others were caught up in the moment, Astra remained still.
Her gaze never left the snake.
And the creature, for reasons she couldn't explain, was also watching her.
Its violet eyes gleamed unnervingly with silent awareness.
Astra narrowed her eyes slightly. She said nothing but her wariness deepened.
Then, Cassia suddenly blinked as if remembering something and turned her head toward Astra.
"Wait—Your Highness," she said, voice trembling between curiosity and accusation, "don't you have something to explain?"
Astra tilted her head, eyes calm, masking any hint of the storm Cassia clearly expected.
"Explain what?" she asked softly, her tone almost teasing.
Cassia pointed at her insistently. "That!" she exclaimed, "That moment just now! You used magic! How come none of us knew you knew magic?"
The rest paused mid-celebration and turned their full attention toward Astra. Their expressions flickered with a mix of surprise, curiosity, and disbelief.
Astra raised an eyebrow with an expression of innocent composure.
"I only transferred some of my mana into you," she said, voice soft yet measured. "Well… I do have a familiar. I needed mana to bind it, right? So it's not strange to transfer some of my mana into others."
She said very smoothly, "That doesn't necessarily mean I know magic."
But Cassia was having none of it. She stood up, eyes bright and intense.
"That wasn't 'some,'" she said, words precise, trembling slightly with awe. "It was precise, calm, controlled—so steady that I could feel it weaving around my core."
She said seriously, "No one who doesn't understand magic could have that much control. I'm sure not even the imperial mages can do that."
Astra sighed softly. She stared at Cassia for a long moment then slowly looked around at the others. They were all watching her with hopeful eyes.
After a pause, she admitted quietly: "…Fine. I do know magic."
A gasp rippled through the group.
"Really?!"
"When did you learn?!"
"How strong are you?"
"But… didn't you just turn seven recently? The power I felt just now, it's far greater than any mages I've ever known."
"Wait... does this mean you're actually a genius?!"
"Has the princess been secretly hiding her powers this whole time?!"
They all spoke at once, voices overlapping in rising excitement.
Even the summoned snake turned its head slightly, as if listening in.
Astra raised a hand gently, a calm smile softening her features.
"Everyone, please," she said gently, her voice cutting through the excited chatter.
"No need to get so worked up. I just happened to discover I have a talent for magic, so recently I've been… learning it."
Her gaze swept across the group, knowing their questions wouldn't end there.