That Night
Celestienne lay restlessly in her bed, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling while her mind was filled with the faint whispers she had been hearing for the past few nights. The voice seemed to come from afar, yet it felt so close—as if whispering right into her ear.
She took a deep breath and let it out heavily.
"I have to find out why I can hear those whispers…", she thought.
In the end, curiosity outweighed drowsiness. Celestienne got up, grabbed her thin robe, and decided to go outside for some fresh air while calming her mind. But the moment she stepped out of the academy's small gate, a sudden collision made her stumble back.
Standing before her was a girl with long purple hair, wearing an elegant noble's gown. Her noble aura was undeniable, accentuated by the gleaming crescent moon emblem at the side of her head. Celestienne recognized her immediately—Selene Veythar, a well-known noble from the Crescent family.
"Sorry, I didn't see you," Selene said flatly, though a faint smile curved her lips.
Celestienne waved her hand casually. "It's fine. You can go, Selene Veythar."
Selene's gaze shifted slightly upon hearing her name spoken, but she said nothing more. Celestienne walked away, leaving Selene staring at her back.
Why is she running so fast? Selene wondered. Celestienne's movements were far too light and swift for an ordinary girl.
But Celestienne paid her no mind. Her steps carried her quickly toward the academy's library, where she hoped to find the answer to the mystery haunting her.
---
At the Library Entrance
The academy library towered majestically before her. Tall pillars engraved with ancient symbols held up a roof that seemed to touch the sky. As she pushed open the great wooden doors, the scent of old books mingled with the warm aroma of candle wax welcomed her.
Her eyes widened in awe. Thousands of books were neatly arranged on towering shelves, some so tall they could only be reached with sliding ladders. The room bustled with students—some studying magic, others researching sword techniques.
But Celestienne was uninterested in all of that. She walked past rows of study tables, ignoring the curious glances from a few students. Her destination was clear—the world archive and historical records section.
"If I want to know about these whispers… I have to start here. With the history of this world. Maybe it's all connected," she thought, rubbing her chin.
She pulled a thick book titled The Early History of World Creation from the top shelf. Slowly opening it, she found pages upon pages filled with accounts of ancient wars, creation myths, and long-lost civilizations.
She turned the pages eagerly, but her brow gradually furrowed. There was nothing—nothing at all—about the strange whispers.
"Nothing… absolutely nothing. Am I searching in the wrong place?" she muttered in mild frustration.
She returned the book and grabbed several more volumes of history. The results were the same. Even after a pile of books filled her table, not a single one contained the answers she sought.
Annoyed, she dropped into a chair, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. Her gaze wandered, accidentally landing on an old shelf in the corner of the room—one rarely touched by visitors. Thick dust coated the books there, but among them, one stood out: its leather cover was charred at the edges, as if it had survived a great fire.
Her curiosity flared instantly. Celestienne stood, walked over, and picked it up. The rough texture of the leather sent shivers down her spine.
"What is this book…?" she whispered.
The moment she opened it, her eyes lit up. The writing within spoke of things even public history books dared not mention—the beginning of the world before it was formed, before there were multiverses, before there was chaos… when only emptiness existed.
In that void, it said, there was a single great entity who, alone, created everything… and then spread parts of itself across the universe.
Celestienne froze, rereading the passage over and over.
"This entity… it might be connected to the whispers. But… before it appeared, there was another entity… something far more terrifying… that shattered itself across the multiverse… What does this mean?"
Her heart pounded, but she forced herself to keep reading. The more she read, the clearer it became that this world harbored secrets even the most learned scholars might never uncover.
Finally, she closed the book slowly, her gaze hardening.
"If this library doesn't have the answers… I'll find them elsewhere. Until I do."
---
The Next Morning
After days of shutting herself inside the library, Celestienne decided to go out for some fresh air. Her steps carried her through the long academy corridors to the back garden—a place filled with lush grass, blooming flowers, and the gentle sound of water trickling from a small pond.
She stood still for a moment, letting the soft breeze caress her face.
"Hah… the air in this garden feels so nice," she murmured, closing her eyes.
But the peaceful sensation was suddenly replaced by something else. A faint yet piercing feeling crawled along her skin. Celestienne opened her eyes, her brow furrowing. This wasn't just intuition—something was watching her.
She looked around. The garden was empty, save for her. Yet the feeling grew stronger. The aura she sensed was vast and cold, like a gaze from afar piercing straight through to her bones.
"This… isn't the aura of a normal human… not even a creature from this world." Celestienne gripped the hem of her skirt, trying to steady herself.
Instead of panicking, she forced herself to stand calmly. Her gaze lifted to the blue sky, as if searching for the source of that presence. It was strange—like a gaze from outside the world, from somewhere unknown.
After a few seconds, the sensation gradually faded, as if the observer had shifted its attention elsewhere. Celestienne let out a long breath.
"What was that… and why does it feel like I'm the only one who can sense it?"
She shook her head slightly, brushing the thought away.
"Never mind… maybe it's just an illusion from being too tired," she told herself, walking toward a bench. But deep down, the curiosity never truly left—she knew something far greater was watching her… even if she didn't know from where.
That afternoon, Celestienne retreated to her dorm room. She lay on her bed, staring at the large ceiling lamp while fragments of the mysteries she'd encountered in recent days swirled in her mind.
"Huft… I still haven't found the answer to those whispers," she murmured softly. "And now I'm sensing strange gazes from… who knows where. What a complicated fate."
She closed her eyes, letting the breeze from the window carry the fresh scent of trees. Slowly, drowsiness crept in, pulling her into a deep sleep.
---
Inside the Dream
When she opened her eyes, Celestienne was surprised to find herself standing on an unfamiliar beach. White sand stretched beneath her feet, while the soft crash of waves reached her ears. The sea breeze carried its distinct salty scent.
"Where… am I? Why does this feel so real?" she whispered.
She looked around—there was no one else. Only an endless stretch of blue ocean. But when she turned to the other side, her eyes widened.
Someone stood there. The figure had thick silver hair that glimmered under the sunlight, and a pair of white wings spread wide from his back. His smile was warm, yet for some reason, it made Celestienne's chest ache.
"Who… is he?" she muttered, her heartbeat quickening. A strange longing rose within her, as if she had known him before.
She wanted to run toward him.
"If I don't reach him soon… he'll disappear again…"
Celestienne began to run across the sand, but before she could reach him, the figure began to fade… and vanished entirely.
Her steps halted, and without realizing it, tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Hey, princess… why are you crying?" A friendly voice came from another direction.
Celestienne hurriedly wiped her tears. "Huh? No, these… these are happy tears, not sad ones."
"Oh, I see… well then, I'll go back to sleep. Goodbye," the voice replied, as if uninterested in prying.
She gave a faint smile. "Yeah… you really do love to sleep."
But after that, she simply stood in silence, her thoughts returning to the winged figure. Why did his gaze feel so familiar? And why did her chest feel so empty when he disappeared?
---
To the Cafeteria
Upon waking, she tried to shake off the dream's lingering images by going to the academy cafeteria. She ordered a huge amount of food, drawing puzzled stares from other students.
"What are you staring at? Never seen a girl eat heartily before?" she said while chewing.
A few students quickly looked away, while Celestienne continued eating. But then, Selene Veythar appeared and sat across from her, smiling as usual.
Selene glanced at Celestienne's nearly empty plate—or rather, empty because all the food had vanished into the girl's stomach.
"Hello, Celestienne. You seem to be eating quite enthusiastically," Selene said with a small laugh.
Celestienne took a sip of her drink and looked back without guilt. "So what? We humans have to eat a lot. If we don't, we starve and die."
Selene raised an eyebrow. "Yes, but we don't need to eat the entire cafeteria's supply, do we?"
Celestienne looked around and only then realized some tables were empty—probably because she had taken most of the food. "Oh… no wonder everyone's staring at me. Hahahaha."
Selene sighed and shook her head. "You… Oh, by the way, we're in the same class. How about we become close friends?"
Celestienne stared at her briefly before returning to her meal. "Close friends? No, thanks. I prefer being alone. Hahaha."
Her laugh made Selene itch to hit her, but she restrained herself. "Fine. If you change your mind, come find me."
"Yeah, yeah… now go away, you're disturbing my meal."
A bit annoyed, Selene stood and left the table. The cafeteria slowly returned to its quiet state, leaving Celestienne alone. Strangely, she felt comfortable.
But the peace didn't last long. A flash of dark energy suddenly shot toward her. Celestienne merely raised one eyebrow before tapping the table lightly. Instantly, a transparent barrier reflected the attack.
In the corner of the room, a man in a black robe cursed under his breath. "Tch… she already sensed it."
Celestienne stood, glaring coldly in his direction. A faint, chilling smile tugged at her lips. "Is that all you've got? Disappointing."
The man ran, trying to escape the academy grounds. But as he leapt onto a rooftop, Celestienne was already there, waiting.
"Yo," she greeted casually. "We haven't shaken hands yet, have we?"
"H-how did you catch up to me so fast?"
"Simple," Celestienne replied, twirling a lock of her hair. "I placed a magic marker on your clothes earlier."
The man's face paled. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a magic scroll, and tore it. Light enveloped his body. "Goodbye! You'll never catch me now!"
Celestienne just smiled—a smile that made him even more nervous. In an instant, he vanished.
---
At His Base
The tower's members welcomed his return, but one of them looked past him with a pale face.
"L-look… behind you…" he whispered.
The man turned—and nearly fainted. Celestienne stood there, idly spinning a small black sphere on her fingertip.
"Hello. We meet again. Too bad… you'll die here. Black Hole."
Some members laughed at the sphere's small size. But an older member suddenly screamed in panic. "RUN! That's god-tier magic! One of those can destroy a world!"
"Oh, you know its name? Yes, this is Black Hole. But don't worry, this version only destroys a country." Celestienne's smile never wavered, though her tone was icy.
The sphere touched the ground—and instantly expanded, creating a dark vortex that swallowed everything. Screams filled the air. Within seconds, the base was gone, leaving only a massive, deep crater.
Celestienne looked at the destruction, then addressed the magic screen displaying the remaining members. "If you dare disturb my peace again, you'll share the same fate."
Some swallowed hard in fear. But from behind the screen, someone smirked. "Enjoy your arrogance, Celestienne. If you ever meet me… your history will end."
---
That Night
That night, Celestienne stood on her balcony. The cool air brushed her skin, easing some of the day's weariness after cleaning up the earlier mess. Above, the full moon hung brightly, casting its silver glow.
"Hm… the moon is truly beautiful tonight," she murmured with a faint smile. "Classes start again tomorrow. Luckily, I'm placed in Class 1-E… a class no one pays attention to. Perfect for staying unnoticed."
She gazed at the moon a little longer. At first, she only admired its soft light… but then, her eyes narrowed. There was something on its surface—a faint shadow, moving slowly.
"…What is that?" she whispered.
The shadow danced gracefully, as if following the rhythm of unheard music. Celestienne was mesmerized, her eyes unblinking. But within seconds, the silhouette vanished—swallowed by the moonlight.
Her brow furrowed. She tried to look again, but saw nothing. And at that exact moment, the sky above her changed. A thin blue screen appeared, floating in the air like a magic projection—yet it felt different… more alive.
Strange words were written there:
[Someone is watching you with a warm smile]
Celestienne tilted her head, reading it over and over. Something about those words made the air grow colder. The night breeze that had been gentle now felt piercing.
Before she could process its meaning, the screen trembled… then changed:
[Warning: source of observation cannot be identified. Power exceeds system's analysis limit.]
Celestienne froze. Those words made her heartbeat race, though she didn't fully understand them.
"Exceeds… the system's limit?" she murmured.
Suddenly, the screen vanished. The moon returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.
She let out a slow breath, trying to calm herself. "Maybe… it's just fatigue," she said, though deep down she knew—something was watching her from afar. Something she couldn't see, but was definitely there.
Even after the blue screen disappeared, Celestienne remained on the balcony, staring blankly at the night sky. The moon seemed peaceful, the stars twinkled softly—far too normal for what had just occurred.
But beneath that calmness, her thoughts refused to settle. Who… or what… could make the system unable to measure its power? The question spun endlessly in her mind, leaving no room for sleepiness.
She closed her eyes briefly, trying to gather her thoughts. All this time, she had assumed the world she reincarnated into was just a typical fantasy world—full of magic, monsters, and political intrigue. But the longer she stayed, the clearer it became that reality was far more complicated. There was something—or perhaps many things—hidden far beyond the reach of anyone's knowledge.
Celestienne took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"If something really is watching me… then sooner or later, it will appear."
She turned back into her room, closing the balcony door. Sleep finally came, but not the peaceful kind—it felt more like a pause before a coming storm. As she lay in bed, her mind was already planning her next steps.
Deep down, she knew. From now on, she had to be ready for the worst.
Not just against humans… or magical creatures…
But against something far beyond the boundaries of this world.
---
Chapter 5 Completed.