Celestienne had always been haunted by strange whispers and the shadow of a mysterious entity watching her from afar.
"Great… as if the issue with the king's second wife wasn't enough, now I'm being haunted by creepy voices and some creature from who-knows-where. I just want a peaceful life… huhuhu." Celestienne complained, wiping her tears.
With a sigh, she lazily made her way to class. "If I want a quiet life, I still have to attend class…" she muttered.
Her steps paused briefly as the warmth of sunlight touched her face.
"The sun's brighter today than yesterday… the breeze feels nice too. At least it calms my restless heart."
---
Class 1-E
The moment she opened the door to Class 1-E, Celestienne was greeted with scornful stares.
"I knew it…" she thought.
"Hey… that's Princess Celestienne. She just mastered eternal magic and is already arrogant," one student whispered.
"She's good at attack magic, but only knows healing. What a shame for the royal family," another snickered.
Celestienne ignored them. She walked toward her desk—well, her former desk, as it had already been vandalized. Without much reaction, she sat by the window, gazing at the sun.
"Ah, the beauty of a peaceful life… even if it's full of disturbances."
Her calm moment was interrupted when Selene approached. Hiding her smile behind a purple fan, the girl said, "Hello, Princess Celestienne. Would you like to accept my offer to be friends?"
"Sorry, Selene. I'll have to refuse. I prefer to be alone… and at peace," Celestienne replied with a faint smile.
Selene scoffed. "Huh, what did you just say?"
"I only want to enjoy the sun and nature," she answered nonchalantly.
---
A Lesson's Secret
The teacher entered, and the students stood in greeting.
"Good morning. Today we'll be learning basic magic," the teacher announced.
Celestienne yawned. "That's easy. No need to teach it again."
"In that case, explain it to everyone," the teacher challenged.
Celestienne stood with a sly smile. "Alright. Focus your energy in your hands, but don't use the teacher's method. Close your eyes, imagine you are the mana itself. Follow the small light you see… but be careful, take the wrong step and you'll die."
The students followed her instructions—
BOOM!
The entire room filled with smoke. The teacher stood there, stunned.
"How do you know that method?"
"My teacher taught me," Celestienne lied smoothly. "His name is Ashen Vale."
The class erupted into chatter. Ashen Vale was a hero of the academy. Selene's eyes narrowed at Celestienne.
"She's lying… and I'll prove it," she thought.
---
Shadows in the Palace
Meanwhile, at the royal palace…
In the second wife's chamber, a young woman in a lavish gown stood before a mirror. Her face was beautiful, but her eyes burned with fury.
"Celestienne… I will erase you from this world."
She stepped out. The dark corridors of the palace lit up one by one as she walked.
A guard bowed. "Your Majesty, the Guildmaster is waiting for you."
"Take me to him."
They arrived at Caelvorn's office. As the door opened, her expression softened into desire.
"My love… I'm tired of pretending to be the old king's wife. I only want to be with you."
Caelvorn smirked. "Patience. We kill Celestienne first. Then we'll be free."
They kissed, only to be interrupted by a subordinate entering.
"Forgive me, Lord Caelvorn, the First Leader has summoned you."
Caelvorn growled. "Annoying…" Then he turned back to the second wife. "Wait for me."
"Yes, my love."
Inside, the second wife whispered to herself:
"Celestienne Aurelith… you'll die before I lose this man."
---
A Mission from the System
At the academy, Celestienne strolled leisurely toward the garden, thinking about her planned trip to the ice city tomorrow.
Suddenly—
[Ding!]
A system notification echoed in her mind.
[Mission Three: Defeat the King of Ironvale's Second Wife. Failure = Death or Soul Trapped in a Time Loop.]
Celestienne looked up and pointed at the sky. "Why a time loop?! Damn system!"
The other students gave her odd looks. But from the corner of the garden, Selene continued to watch her.
"You lied about Ashen Vale… and I'll find out who you really are."
---
A Parallel World
Elsewhere, in another world…
A girl stood beneath the moonlight, gripping a demon sword. Her eyes were cold, brimming with hatred. She was Celestienne Aurelith—a parallel version.
"Soul, you said there's another world… with a good version of me?"
"Yes, My Queen. In that world, you haven't lost anything yet."
"Hmph. In this world, humans took everything I loved. My mother, my lover… everything. That's why I'll annihilate them all."
Dark light wrapped around her. She soared, tearing through dimensions, heading straight for the other Celestienne's world.
---
The Forbidden Library
Back at the academy, Celestienne knocked on the principal's door.
"Excuse me, Headmaster. Is there another library in the academy?"
"There is. But it's deep within the academy forest… few return from there. Are you sure you want to go?"
Celestienne smiled. "I'm sure."
Magnus, the headmaster, handed her a key. As she left, he murmured softly,
"I know you're hiding your power… Ashen Vale."
---
Celestienne strode into the forest. In the distance, she saw an old building—the library's entrance. But a shadowy dragon blocked the way.
Celestienne sighed. "The guild again… you never let me rest."
In an instant, she appeared before the dragon—
BOOM!
Its head fell to the ground. She wiped her hands with the cloth her mother gave her and entered the library.
As the door shut, an eerie atmosphere enveloped the room. Shelves upon shelves of books seemed to whisper…
"Whisper… I'll find you here."
---
The Same Shadow
The library was silent, the air filled only with faint murmurs. Celestienne walked slowly between towering shelves. Dark aura swirled around the old tomes.
"This must be the source…" She reached for a black leather-bound book.
Suddenly—
CRACK!
The air split open, and someone stepped out from the dimensional rift. Celestienne froze.
Standing before her… was herself. The same face, the same hair—but with crimson eyes full of hatred, and her body cloaked in darkness.
"I've found you…" the evil Celestienne's voice was cold. "The good version of me."
Celestienne stepped back. "Who are you?"
"I am you. From a world where humans took everything I loved. I came to destroy this world… including you."
---
The Devil's Offer
The demon sword in the evil Celestienne's hand trembled, its voice echoing. "Join me, Queen. Let's wipe out all humans."
Celestienne smirked faintly. "No. I've had enough of the drama around me. All I want is a quiet life."
"Quiet?" Her dark counterpart sneered. "Until that second wife stabs you in the back? Oh, yes… I know everything. I'm part of you."
Celestienne fell silent. The system spoke again in her mind.
Warning: Presence of Parallel Entity will accelerate Mission Three. Enemy cooperation detected. Death risk increased by 200%.
"Wonderful…" Celestienne sighed. "Even my evil self is getting involved."
---
Attack at Midnight
That night, in the academy courtyard, the Second Wife appeared with the guild's forces. The red moon hung overhead—a sign of a grand spell being prepared.
Celestienne walked out from the library, followed by her dark counterpart.
"Looks like… we'll be fighting together first," the evil Celestienne said lazily.
"Temporary alliance. After this, we'll see who's left standing," Celestienne replied.
Shadow dragons lunged forward. The two Celestiennes leapt at the same time—one wreathed in golden light, the other in darkness—tearing through the enemy lines.
The Second Wife emerged amidst the battle smoke, her red gown flowing.
"At last we meet, Princess Celestienne…"
---
The Decisive Battle
The clash of magic was deafening. The Second Wife summoned a demon spear and hurled it at Celestienne. Celestienne dodged, while her dark self countered with a slash from her demon sword.
"She's strong," Celestienne muttered.
"Yes. And I'm stronger than you," her counterpart laughed.
Attack after attack shattered the courtyard. Healing and attack magic mixed, light and darkness clashing in a dazzling storm.
Finally, Celestienne found an opening. Using a technique she'd never shown anyone, she unleashed a beam of eternal light straight into the Second Wife's chest.
The woman was thrown back, screaming with hatred. "This isn't over, Celestienne Aurelith! I'll be back!" Her body vanished into black mist.
---
A Hanging Farewell
The battle was over. The evil Celestienne stood among the ruins, staring sharply at her.
"Our alliance is over. Next… you're my target."
A dimensional rift opened, and she stepped inside.
"Prepare yourself, foolish me. Next time, I'll take everything."
Celestienne looked up at the night sky and let out a long sigh.
"All I wanted was a quiet life… so why is my life like this?"
The system chimed again.
Mission Three: Completed (Temporarily). Parallel Threat: Active.
Celestienne gazed at the stars. Beyond their light, she knew a greater danger was waiting.
---
Epilogue
The night sky above Ironvale Academy was calm once more. The battle's remnants were being cleared, the shadow dragons reduced to ash, and the Second Wife had vanished to who-knows-where.
Celestienne sat at the edge of the academy tower, legs dangling, face turned toward the moon.
"Finally… some peace," she murmured, hugging her knees.
In the distance, the city lights twinkled like stars on earth. Laughter from the dorms echoed faintly. For a moment, Celestienne could almost imagine the life she wanted: peaceful, without drama, without threats.
But the peace didn't last.
[Ding!]
The system chimed again, its voice heavier than usual.
Warning: Parallel Entity has marked you as a Priority Target. Primary Whisper will soon connect. Time remaining: 7 days.
Celestienne let out a long sigh. "Of course… I can't be too happy."
The night breeze carried a strange scent. She turned—and saw Selene standing in the shadows beneath the trees, watching her with questioning eyes.
Without a word, Selene turned and disappeared into the darkness.
Celestienne closed her eyes. "Looks like my peaceful-life arc is officially over…"
Suddenly, the whisper returned—clearer than ever, as if calling from both very far away and right beside her ear.
"Come… the truth awaits you in the library that never was."
Celestienne opened her eyes, her gaze sharp.
"In that case… let's begin the next arc."
---
Chapter 6 Completed.