The gentle hum of morning filled the royal palace. Through tall windows, sunlight spilled across marble floors, touching golden drapes that swayed softly in the breeze.
Princess Arisa Varellis sat by her desk, a cup of tea untouched beside a stack of official reports. But her eyes were fixed on a single piece of parchment lying open before her — today's newspaper.
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"Young Heir Slays A+ Rank Monster — The Hero of the Capital!"
By decree of the Royal Council, Sho Ardenthal is hereby recognized for preventing a potential catastrophe within the borders of Varellis.
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Her delicate fingers brushed the paper's edge.
"...So he truly did it," she murmured.
Even as the words left her lips, she wasn't sure if they sounded like admiration, worry — or something else entirely.
Arisa leaned back slightly, the faint gold of her hair catching the morning light. She closed her eyes and let her mana flow — faint, warm, like sunlight on her skin.
And immediately, she felt it again.
A pulse.
Distant, but undeniable.
It was faint — buried beneath layers of mana and distance — yet her very soul resonated with it.
> That same rhythm…
The same pulse I felt the night of the ball.
Her hand instinctively went to her chest. Her heart's rhythm didn't match the beat she felt — it moved in harmony with another's.
She inhaled softly.
"Sho Ardenthal…"
The name lingered in her mind, whispering like a forgotten melody.
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A soft knock came at her chamber door.
"Your Highness, may I enter?"
It was her personal attendant, Lina, holding a tray of correspondence.
"Come in," Arisa said gently.
Lina entered, bowing before setting the letters on the desk. "The court has confirmed it — the young heir of the Ardenthal House defeated the monster alone. His Grace, the Duke, confirmed it himself."
Arisa nodded faintly. "And the capital?"
"The people are calling him 'The Silver Heir.' Children on the streets are already pretending to be him. He's become something of a legend overnight."
Arisa smiled softly, though her eyes held a shadow of concern.
"Legends are dangerous things, Lina. They inspire hope… but they also invite fear."
Lina blinked. "Fear, Your Highness?"
"Yes." Arisa looked out the window toward the far horizon. "The more the world praises someone, the more it wishes to test them."
The attendant hesitated. "...Shall I prepare a letter of congratulations on your behalf?"
Arisa thought for a moment before replying. "No. Not yet."
Lina tilted her head slightly. "May I ask why?"
Arisa's voice lowered — thoughtful, almost melancholic.
"Because… I don't know what to say to him."
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When Lina left, Arisa rose from her chair and stepped toward the balcony. From there, the entire capital stretched before her — shining beneath the sun, unaware of the subtle tremor in the world's balance.
The wind carried the scent of the gardens, the faint hum of mana from the protective wards around the palace — but underneath it all, she could feel him.
His mana — wild, silver, steady.
And somewhere deep inside, hers responded — golden and calm, pulsing in unison for just a heartbeat.
Her system flickered to life.
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[System Notification]
> Resonance Detected: 9%
Connected Soul: Sho Ardenthal
Reaction: Mutual Awareness — Active
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Arisa's eyes widened slightly. "Mutual awareness…?"
The system rarely responded like this. It was as if both of their existences had begun to recognize each other — across distance, across silence.
> Light and dark, she thought. Two sides of the same force.
If his power is darkness... then what is mine meant to illuminate?
She turned her gaze skyward, her golden eyes reflecting the clouds.
> Sho Ardenthal... what path will you walk now? And why does the world insist I walk beside it?
Her fingers tightened slightly against the balcony railing.
> That feeling… it's growing stronger each day.
If we're both Resonants… then our meeting wasn't coincidence.
A faint glimmer of light radiated from her skin before fading. She took a deep breath and whispered — as if to the wind itself:
"Next time we meet... I'll know what to say."
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