https://imgur.com/a/3yescvB
Character visual of Celestienne's friend and Celestienne's archenemy and Celestienne's disguise as a guy and the head of the academy who will be Celestienne's backing.
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Celestienne stood near the train's window, her eyes fixed on the breathtaking expanse of nature outside. A gentle breeze brushed through her hair, yet her mind was focused on the faint voice she had just heard—a voice that seemed to come from afar, yet felt close to her ear.
"Ah… whose voice was that? And why should I be prepared?" she murmured softly, almost as if speaking to herself.
"Princess, why do you seem so deep in thought?" came a gentle yet curious voice from the soul residing within the tip of her sword.
"It's nothing… just enjoying the view," Celestienne replied briefly. She chose to hide the whisper from the sword spirit.
The brief silence was shattered when a group of horsemen suddenly appeared on the road, blocking the train's path. A loud voice rang out:
"Hand over Princess Celestienne… or you will not return home alive."
The coachman tried to spur the horses forward, while the royal guards attempted to hold the attackers back. But the enemy's numbers were overwhelming. In an instant, the guards fell, and the coachman was knocked unconscious.
"Hahaha… this is the end of your journey, Princess Celestienne. After this, no 'Variable' will stand in the way of our union!"
Celestienne looked at them with a faint smile. "Variable? I'm just an ordinary human longing for a peaceful life. If you see me as a threat… you're overestimating me."
Her gaze froze the attackers in place—cold, yet calm. One of them dared to advance, but Celestienne had already prepared magic in her palm.
"Purple Lightning Sphere… Level Seven."
A flash of light formed a sphere the size of a boulder, crackling with electricity that scorched the ground as it was released. A small explosion shook the road, leaving a deep, charred crater.
One of the attackers staggered back in panic. "I–If that had hit me… I wouldn't still be standing."
Celestienne sighed. "Didn't I tell you… reckless attacks will only lead to your own destruction?"
With a swift movement, the cloth covering her sword slipped off. The blade's sharp gleam froze one enemy in place. In a single slash, his body fell before he could react.
"Ah… you're far too slow. Tell your leader—they may come whenever they wish to try again."
---
Far from the road where the battle had taken place stood a dark castle that seemed to reject the light. The sky above was forever shrouded in thick clouds, never blue. The surrounding forest was dead—trees standing like frozen spirits.
Inside its dim great hall, footsteps echoed. A messenger bowed deeply.
"Report, my Lord… our member number 298 has been slain. The culprit… Celestienne Aurelith."
"I see."
The voice was flat, but the leader's gaze cut like a blade of ice. This was Caelvorn Umbra, a ruler before whom even the heads of the union's factions dared not lift their eyes.
Caelvorn stepped toward the meeting chamber. As the heavy doors opened, all the faction leaders stood at attention. None dared to sit in his presence. They knew—if his gaze hardened even once, their lives could end in an instant.
His deep voice filled the room:
"Our target is clear. Celestienne Aurelith. The Variable blocking our path must be erased… permanently."
"Yes, Lord Caelvorn Umbra," the leaders responded in unison, their voices mingling with both fear and resolve.
They began to discuss the plan. Maps, movement routes, and magical sigils were spread across the long stone table. Strategy after strategy was debated—every step designed to leave no opening.
"If this plan fails," Caelvorn's voice rose slightly yet remained controlled, "consider your necks already given to the enemy."
The leaders nodded firmly. After the final instructions were given, Caelvorn gestured. "You may go."
One by one, they left the room. Only Caelvorn remained, standing in the candlelit gloom.
"Celestienne Aurelith… your time is short."
A faint smile curved his lips—a smile more terrifying than anger.
---
In the train that had witnessed the fierce battle, Celestienne finally drifted into slumber. When she awoke, a magnificent sight unfolded before her—towering spires, walls of solid stone carved with magical engravings, and a massive gate guarded by fully armed knights.
"So… this is the academy," she whispered, unable to hide her awe. "It's huge… even the students arrive in horse-drawn carriages." Her eyes sparkled, a faint smile gracing her face.
But behind the grandeur, Celestienne did not know that her own blood—her family—held the intention to erase her from this world.
As the carriage wheels passed through the main gate, time seemed to slow. Then, an explosion shook the air. Fire and thick smoke billowed from beneath the carriage, swallowing the view of anyone nearby.
One of the knights smiled with satisfaction amidst the chaos.
"Finally… Princess Celestienne Aurelith is gone."
Elsewhere, a noblewoman stood gracefully, though her eyes burned with hatred.
"Just as reported. The princess from the third concubine… will trouble us no more."
But their victorious laughter halted when the shadow of a woman emerged slowly from the smoke. She stood tall, her sharp eyes locked onto the knight.
"Knight of the second concubine," her voice was cold, "do you think I'd die so easily from a mere magical bomb under my carriage?"
In an instant, the space around them shifted. Celestienne had teleported the knight to a secluded, silent place.
"Now, tell me… who ordered you?"
The knight trembled. "It… it was a direct order from the second concubine, Your Highness."
Celestienne let out a quiet hum. "Go on. Hold nothing back."
With great reluctance, the knight revealed the reason the second concubine wanted her gone. Celestienne listened without changing her expression—though within, questions swirled.
"So… her face was dark, formless… only a shadow?" Celestienne repeated, seeking confirmation.
"Yes, Princess. As if… she wasn't human."
Celestienne's eyes narrowed, though her lips retained a faint smile. "Interesting… but that's enough. You're free."
A flicker of relief appeared on the knight's face—until Celestienne added in a calm tone:
"But your freedom… comes after your death."
With a single motion, the knight's body vanished—as if swept away by the wind—leaving only silence. Celestienne exhaled slowly.
"Sooner or later… I must see that woman's true face."
She returned to the academy, moving lightly toward her dormitory. She unpacked, changed clothes, and prepared herself for the entrance ceremony.
As she walked toward the grand hall, a lively crowd greeted her. Two main paths lay ahead: one leading to the swordsmanship classes, the other to the magic classes. Celestienne smiled faintly.
"A combination of sword and magic, huh… interesting."
From the corner of her eye, she noticed a silver-haired young man with cold eyes, always carrying a spellbook. She recognized him from the rumors—Eryndor Valthas, a magic genius said to be unmatched.
"His gaze is as cold as ice… but I don't like men who are too… manly," she murmured under her breath. She averted her gaze, choosing to continue toward the hall.
Celestienne's entrance into the hall was met with the murmur of new students. The vast room was filled with neatly arranged seats facing a grand stage, where the academy head stood tall, his eyes sharp with calculation.
"So that's the academy head…" Celestienne studied him intently. "His face… full of deceit, but his hands clearly used to wielding both sword and spell."
She took a seat in the middle rows. As she leaned back, she noticed strange stares directed at her—assessing, mocking, even disdainful.
At her young age, she had already reached the Fifth Circle of magic—a rare achievement. Yet it seemed her reputation was not something they wished to welcome.
"Ah… I love life like this," she whispered, "but… why hasn't my system appeared yet?"
She sighed. Without that system, her true power was difficult to control.
"Hurry back… or I'll—" she stopped herself, biting her lip.
The pressure inside her grew, as if wild magic was trying to burst free. Celestienne restrained herself like someone holding their breath too long.
"Calm yourself, Princess…" the sword spirit's voice trembled, "…I'll hold back your power as best I can—arghh… it hurts."
The academy head, mid-speech, paused. From afar, he noticed Celestienne growing restless. He stepped closer, but before he could speak, something happened.
A cold, ringing, and familiar voice echoed in her mind:
[Ding! System has returned. Please release your power.]
Celestienne's eyes widened. She immediately channeled energy into the system, but… she heard a faint cracking sound.
"What? System… you're fractured?"
"Apologies, Master… the power you're sending is too great. If I keep holding it, I will break."
Celestienne closed her eyes, thinking quickly. "Then… I'll channel my power another way. Don't draw attention."
Before the thought was complete, magical alarms blared throughout the hall. The academy head addressed the students with a firm voice.
"Stay calm! The instructors will hold off the attackers."
But calm shattered when the doors burst open—a teacher was thrown inside, unconscious. Panic swept the room.
Amid the chaos, Celestienne slipped out toward a quieter place—the girls' bathroom.
Inside the empty bathroom, she stood before a large mirror. Her reflection stared back, a mix of tension and resolve. Outside, the sounds of shouting and magic blasts echoed faintly, but she focused entirely on a ritual she had long prepared.
"All right… let's try this magic."
She began chanting her self-created spell—words that vibrated in the air, summoning a warm light that grew brighter and brighter. The light wrapped around her body, starting from her hands, then spreading across her form. Her white hair gradually darkened to deep blue, her eyes shifting to a dark oceanic hue. Her frame adjusted, her facial features becoming sharper, more masculine.
In the mirror, the figure was no longer Celestienne Aurelith—but a calm, charismatic young man.
"Finally… it worked," he said with satisfaction. "From now on, my name is… Ashen Vale."
He donned a simple mask and a black cloak, concealing his identity. From the sword's sheath, the cloth covering the sword spirit was removed.
"Prepare yourself," he said.
"Yes, Master," the sword spirit replied, its tone now more respectful than before.
Ashen stepped out of the bathroom, and in a single breath, the power he had been holding back surged forth. A dense aura radiated from him, making the air vibrate.
Outside the hall, the union's attackers had already broken through. The academy head stood at the front line, but his face grew tense as he felt Ashen's presence.
"Who are you?" he asked cautiously.
Ashen smiled faintly behind the mask. "Just a passing wanderer."
"In that case, don't get involved."
"Unfortunately," Ashen's gaze swept over the attackers, "I'm in the mood for some exercise."
He vanished in an instant. A sharp gust swept past, and ten enemies fell almost simultaneously. His movements were so fast, it seemed as if he merely took a leisurely step.
"W—What kind of movement was that?" a student whispered from the balcony above.
Ashen reappeared, spinning his sword once before vanishing again. Each reappearance ended with one or two foes collapsing, until the hall became a silent field of motionless bodies.
"You're too slow. I was hoping for a worthy challenge… but it seems that was too much to ask," he said softly, almost bored.
The academy head could only watch, trying to discern who this young man truly was. The aura he felt… was unlike anything human or even divine could easily comprehend.
Without waiting for a reply, Ashen gave a small bow, then leapt high, disappearing into the night sky.
---
Above the smoky air of battle, Ashen soared through the cold night. The wind whipped at his cloak, while in the distance, the full moon hung large and beautiful, like an eye quietly watching the world.
Landing atop an old tower at the academy's edge, his body began to glow faintly. The transformation magic slowly faded, and his form returned to Celestienne Aurelith—her white hair gleaming once more under the moonlight, her pink-black eyes reflecting the night sky.
She gazed at the moon for a long moment, letting the silence envelop her. But it didn't last. The same voice slipped into her ear again—cold, yet carrying a hidden smile.
"So… you are ready."
Celestienne stiffened. "Ready? For what? And why is that all you say?"
No answer came. Only the brief whisper fading again, leaving an empty space in her mind.
She exhaled heavily, eyes lifting to the sky.
"Every time you appear, you make me curious… and the more curious I get, the more I hate not knowing."
The night wind swept her hair. Below, the academy was slowly returning to peace after the chaos. But in her heart, Celestienne knew… this was only the beginning of something far greater.
With a faint smile, she turned away from the tower's peak. Her steps were light, but her mind kept circling back to that single phrase.
"So… you are ready."
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Chapter 4 Completed