The heavens trembled with a quiet song.
From horizon to horizon, the sky of Imperium Astrae shimmered with rivers of silver light — the long-awaited alignment of the Twin Stars, symbols of divine harmony and cosmic balance. Every few centuries, their light descended upon the mortal realm, igniting the Celestial Resonance Ceremony within the Heavenly Blade Sect.
Bells tolled across the mountain peaks.
Drums followed, their rhythm steady and deep — each beat echoing like the heart of heaven itself.
Disciples from every division assembled before the Celestial Plaza, their robes fluttering in the crisp dawn air. Above them floated vast banners depicting ancient sigils — the Four Trials of the Resonance: Mind, Creation, Unity, and Strength.
Zeref stood among the crowd, his expression calm but his heart faintly restless. The air around him thrummed differently, like a quiet storm waiting to unfold.
Chen Ruo leaned close, whispering, "The first round's just theory, right? I can handle that much… I think."
Lin Yuexi smirked. "Don't sound too confident, Ruo. Last time you failed to remember the Eight Meridian Paths of Spirit Flow."
Ruo groaned. "I got nervous! Besides, no one really uses that knowledge in a fight!"
Zeref smiled faintly, gaze drifting to the skies. The twin stars gleamed brightly above — one gold, one silver — slowly circling each other in eternal orbit.
He didn't know why, but their movement made his heart race. Something about their rhythm felt familiar.
Before he could ponder further, Instructor Liang Yuren's voice echoed across the plaza, calm yet resonant.
"Disciples of the Heavenly Blade Sect," he declared, "today marks the beginning of the Celestial Resonance. May your hearts align with the heavens and your spirits endure the weight of truth."
He gestured toward the raised platform ahead. Scrolls of light appeared in midair, one for each participant.
"The first round shall test your comprehension of the Dao, your grasp of celestial principles, and your ability to see the unseen. You will write not with ink — but with your spirit essence. Let your thoughts guide your qi."
Murmurs rose among the disciples. Spirit writing — a skill that required immense focus.
Each scroll descended gently before its chosen student.
When Zeref's scroll touched his hands, it pulsed — a faint warmth spreading from his fingertips.
He blinked. The golden and silver threads of energy within the parchment began to shimmer, matching the pulse of the Twin Stars above.
Miss Lin Zhiyao, seated among the instructors, noticed the flicker and narrowed her eyes.
Again… the same reaction as before.
The bell rang.
Begin.
The courtyard fell into silence.
One by one, disciples began channeling their qi through the brush of light that hovered above each scroll. Texts appeared — diagrams, formulas, and star charts drawn with spiritual essence. The air shimmered faintly with power as their thoughts took form.
Zeref took a slow breath. He closed his eyes for a moment — and when he opened them again, his world was no longer the same.
The plain scroll beneath his hands unfolded into something vast — a cosmic diagram stretching endlessly, constellations and ley lines shimmering in his mind.
His brush moved on its own. Symbols emerged like flowing stars — ancient sigils he'd never learned but somehow understood.
Each line resonated with precision, forming an intricate map of celestial flow.
Miss Lin's breath caught as she watched from afar.
"That formation… I've only seen fragments of it in ancient Aetherion manuscripts."
Instructor Liang leaned closer, brows furrowed.
"You recognize it?"
"I shouldn't," she whispered. "Those texts were lost when the Aetherion Archives vanished centuries ago. How could a student—"
She stopped herself, eyes narrowing at Zeref, who continued to write as if possessed by the stars themselves.
Around him, others struggled.
Chen Ruo frowned, his spiritual brush sputtering.
"Why won't this line stay steady?" he muttered, trying to balance his qi.
Lin Yuexi, calm and precise, drew cleanly across her scroll — beautiful, symmetrical patterns forming the Eight Lotus Diagram, a rare symbol of harmony. Her concentration never faltered, but even she occasionally glanced at Zeref, sensing the strange flow around him.
She whispered softly, "Zeref's qi… it feels vast. Like he's not drawing from himself, but from… somewhere higher."
Hours passed in silence broken only by the faint hum of celestial energy.
Then the gong rang again.
The First Trial has ended.
One by one, the scrolls rose from the disciples' hands, floating into the air to be judged by the instructors. Each glowing parchment shone according to the writer's skill — pale blue for basic understanding, silver for mastery, and gold for divine alignment.
Chen Ruo's glowed a steady blue — respectable but modest.
He grinned nervously. "At least I didn't fail."
Lin Yuexi's turned silver, earning murmurs of admiration from the crowd.
"Impressive," said an upper disciple. "Only the top ten usually manage silver resonance."
Then Zeref's scroll rose into the air.
At first, it shimmered silver — like Yuexi's.
But then… the light deepened. Gold threads appeared, intertwining with silver ones — not clashing, but dancing. The twin lights pulsed in unison, spiraling into a radiant sigil of gold and white.
The entire plaza fell silent.
"That… that's impossible," someone whispered. "A dual resonance?"
Instructor Liang stood, his normally composed face betraying awe.
"No one has ever achieved both. The stars recognize his balance."
Above, the Twin Stars flickered once — a soft shimmer that passed unnoticed by most, but not by Miss Lin.
Her heart pounded.
The heavens themselves are responding to him… It's him. It must be.
But she said nothing. She simply folded her arms, concealing the tremor in her hand.
As the trial concluded, disciples dispersed to rest before the next round.
The air buzzed with rumors and astonishment.
"Did you see his scroll?"
"Dual resonance— no one's done that in generations!"
"Who is Zeref Ying, really?"
Chen Ruo jogged beside his friend, half awed, half exasperated.
"You're insane, Zeref. Silver and gold resonance? I spent three hours trying to remember how qi cycles through the second meridian!"
Zeref smiled awkwardly. "It just… happened. The stars guided me."
Lin Yuexi shook her head. "Don't downplay it. The instructors were speechless. You do realize that kind of harmony could only exist in one who's touched the divine, right?"
"Touched the divine?" he repeated softly, his gaze lifting toward the twin stars still gleaming above.
"Maybe they're the ones touching me."
Yuexi and Ruo exchanged puzzled glances.
But Miss Lin, standing at the balcony of the instructor's hall, heard those words — and her unease grew.
That night, the academy glowed under the starlight of the celestial alignment.
The first round was over, but something in the air had changed. The winds hummed with power. The trees whispered with energy.
Zeref sat alone by the Spirit Sycamore, watching the stars.
The twin lights above pulsed faintly — and for the briefest moment, a third spark appeared between them, like a heartbeat.
He frowned, placing a hand on his chest. The mark beneath his skin glowed faintly, synchronized with that distant pulse.
"Why does it feel like… I've done this before?" he murmured.
The wind rustled the leaves in answer, carrying the faint sound of distant bells.
From the shadows beyond the courtyard, Miss Lin Zhiyao watched him in silence. Her usually composed face was unreadable, her mind a whirl of suspicion and awe.
The heavens do not make mistakes, she thought.
The Twin Stars awaken only for those bound by destiny. And he… his resonance, his control, even his silence… he fits the prophecy.
The stars shimmered once more — bright enough to cast his silhouette in golden light.
For a moment, she almost stepped forward, almost asked the questions that haunted her.
But then, she turned away.
"Not yet," she whispered. "Not until I'm certain."
Zeref looked up once more, his heart swelling with excitement and curiosity.
Tomorrow would bring the next round.
But for tonight, he simply let the light of the twin stars wash over him — unaware that the heavens had already begun to shift in his favor.
"The stars are beautiful," he whispered, smiling faintly.
"I wonder if they're smiling back."
The Twin Stars shimmered, brighter than ever — and for an instant, their light curved downward, forming a bridge of radiance between heaven and earth.
A silent acknowledgment.
A celestial greeting.
The ceremony had only begun…
and destiny was already watching.
---
To be continued...