The wind carried the scent of ash.
It drifted through the broken towers of the celestial beast clan's city of celestia ,weaving between fractured rooftops and shattered walls before climbing the highest balcony of the royal castle.
Marin Augustin Yume stood there alone.
Her small hands rested upon the cold marble railing as heterochromatic eyes silently overlooked what had once been one of the western realm's proudest domains.
Now...
It was a kingdom trying desperately to convince itself it was still alive.
Smoke lingered in the air despite the battle having ended several days ago. Entire streets had become fields of rubble where elegant stone houses once stood. Merchant stalls had been reduced to charred timber. The great aqueduct that supplied the capital with fresh spring water now lay cracked across the city like the spine of some fallen titan.
Far below, people moved like weary shadows.
Carpenters hammered together temporary shelters.
Healers rushed between makeshift infirmaries.
Children searched through collapsed homes for keepsakes their parents had left behind.
Soldiers... those fortunate enough to have survived... stood watch despite the exhaustion visible in every movement.
Nobody spoke loudly.
It was as though the entire kingdom feared disturbing the silence left behind by the dead.
Yume closed her eyes.
"...Father..."
The word escaped almost unconsciously.
Two lives.
Two sets of memories.
Yet grief remained stubbornly singular.
No matter how many lifetimes one lived...
Losing family never became easier.
She slowly opened her eyes once more.
In the distance, enormous claw marks carved through the landscape where the invading army had marched.
The Lesser Dragons.
A faint chill passed through her.
"They called themselves dragons..."
Her fingers tightened around the balcony.
"...yet they were little more than beasts intoxicated by borrowed pride."
Hatred briefly flickered across her face before vanishing beneath perfect composure.
Anger clouded judgment,Judgment which was needed to keep people alive.
Her gaze wandered across the ruined capital again.
The attack made no sense.
That alone bothered her.
Wars had reasons.
Conquests had objectives.
Even massacres served purposes.
This one...
Didn't fit.
If extermination had been the goal...
The celestial beast clan would no longer exist.
Instead...
Hundreds had been spared and taken to be slaves before she'd killed nearly all the lesser dragon soldiers of course .
Hundreds more had been killed.
Yume replayed every inherited memory she possessed.
Every history lesson.
Every diplomatic report.
Every military campaign.
Nothing matched.
No dragon clan had ever shown such restraint.
Unless...
"They weren't the ones making the decisions."
The possibility settled heavily in her mind.
Someone else.
Someone hidden.
Someone who needed living captives.
The thought refused to leave.
Before she could pursue it further, a soft knock echoed from behind her.
"My lady?"
Yume turned.
A maid stood respectfully near the balcony doors, hands folded neatly before her apron.
"Lord Thorphin has arrived. He says he wishes to speak with you whenever you're ready."
Thorphin.
The kingdom's Grand Steward.
Her father's most trusted adviser.
Or...
At least he had been.
"I'll be there shortly."
"As you wish, Mistress."
The maid disappeared as quietly as she had arrived.
Yume remained still for another minute.
The wind tugged gently at her long dark.
How much did Thorphin know?
More importantly...
How much wasn't he telling her?
She pushed herself away from the railing.
"I suppose it's time."
The castle felt different now.
The grand halls remained just as magnificent as before.
Polished obsidian pillars stretched toward vaulted ceilings decorated with constellations unique to the celestial beast clan. Crystal chandeliers bathed the corridors in soft golden light while moonsteel braziers burned with pale blue flames that neither smoked nor crackled.
Once...
These halls had echoed with music.
Nobles discussing politics.
Knights boasting of their exploits.
Servants laughing when they thought no one important was listening.
Now...
Only footsteps remained.
The silence was almost sacred.
Servants walked with lowered heads.
Guards spoke only when nessesary.
Grief had become another resident of the castle.
Yume walked quietly through it all.
To anyone watching...
She looked every bit the five-year-old princess.
Small.
Elegant.
Fragile.
Yet behind those calm heterochromatic eyes, countless thoughts intertwined.
Why attack the celestial beast clan?
Why now?
Why had none of their allies arrived in time?
Who benefited from this disaster?
And perhaps most importantly...
Who had orchestrated it?
Her father had never underestimated his enemies.
King Augustin had ruled for nearly three centuries.
He was cautious.
Patient.
A ruler who prepared for disasters long before they arrived.
If even he had been caught unprepared...
Then either the enemy had concealed themselves flawlessly...
Or someone had concealed the enemy.
Betrayal.
The word lingered unpleasantly.
She disliked reaching such conclusions without evidence.
"Assumptions kill truth, and that is just but conjecture." Yume thought to herself as she walked through the halls.
Evidence revealed it.
Lost in thought, Yume rounded a marble corner.
Someone else did the same.
Neither noticed the other until—
Crash!
A silver tray flew into the air.
Porcelain teacups shattered against the polished floor.
A steaming kettle spun twice before striking the marble with a metallic clang.
Hot tea splashed harmlessly across the corridor.
"Ow..."
Yume instinctively rubbed her forehead.
Across from her, a young servant stumbled backward before hastily scrambling onto his knees.
"I-I'm terribly sorry, Lady Yume!"
His voice trembled.
"I wasn't paying attention! Please forgive me!"
He lowered his head until it nearly touched the floor.
Yume blinked.
Then looked at the broken porcelain scattered around them.
A noble child might have become angry.
Instead...
A soft laugh escaped her lips.
"Hehe..."
The boy cautiously raised his head.
"My... Lady?"
"The important thing is ," Yume said, smiling gently, "is that were both unhurt."
The servant stared blankly.
"Are you injured?"
"I... no."
"Good."
She dusted off her sleeves before crouching slightly to inspect the shattered pieces.
"Then we've both been fortunate."
The boy looked completely bewildered.
She pointed toward the broken porcelain.
"Let's clean these before someone steps on them."
His sapphire eyes widened.
"...You aren't angry?"
"Should I be?"
"I... ruined the tea..."
"And?"
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Yume smiled.
"Cups can be replaced."
"People cannot."
For a moment...
The corridor became strangely quiet.
The boy's shoulders relaxed ever so slightly.
"Th... thank you, my lady."
As he carefully gathered the porcelain shards, Yume observed him more closely.
Golden hair.
Clear sapphire eyes.
A face still carrying the softness of youth.
Perhaps twelve years old.
Yet what caught her attention wasn't his appearance.
It was what flowed beneath it.
Mythos.
An extraordinary amount of it.
Not refined.
Not awakened.
Dormant.
Like an ocean sleeping beneath frozen ice.
Interesting...
Very interesting.
Most servants possessed barely enough Mythos to maintain basic enchantments within the castle.
This boy...
He rivaled children born into noble bloodlines.
Yet no one seemed to notice.
Or perhaps...
Someone had noticed.
And deliberately hidden him.
Yume's curiosity deepened.
"What is your name?"
The boy hesitated.
"I..."
"My name is Aster."
He swallowed.
"Aster Luciel."
Yume repeated the name silently.
Luciel.
It stirred no memory.
Which somehow made it even more intriguing.
"You have a beautiful name."
Aster looked genuinely surprised.
"My parents chose it."
"I'm glad they did."
She rose gracefully to her feet.
"I think..."
Her gaze lingered on him for another second.
"...your future will be far brighter than your wildest imagination can create."
His expression froze.
No one had ever spoken to him like that.
Not as a servant.
Not as someone beneath notice.
But as someone whose future mattered.
Yume turned and continued down the corridor.
Behind her, Aster remained kneeling among the shattered porcelain.
His heart beat strangely fast.
"...Princess Yume..."
He whispered.
Without understanding why...
He felt that meeting her had just changed the course of his life.
...
The corridor gradually grew quieter.
The further Yume walked, the fewer servants she encountered. The lively heart of the castle had long been replaced by an uneasy stillness, and nowhere was that silence more pronounced than the western wing.
It was here that the offices of the kingdom's highest officials were located.
Generals.
Treasurers.
Judges.
Diplomats.
And...
The Grand Steward.
Yume eventually stopped before a pair of towering ebony doors engraved with the crest of the celestial beast clan which was a yin-yang symbol that had a lion's head and a wolf's head incorporated into the design.
For a fleeting instant, she simply stared at it.
Memories surfaced uninvited.
She remembered sitting atop her father's shoulders as he carried her through these halls.
She remembered the warmth of his laughter whenever she proudly declared that one day she would become an even greater ruler than he was.
"...You probably knew I'd say that was impossible."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"And yet... you always encouraged me."
The smile slowly disappeared.
Those days existed only within memory now.
Taking a quiet breath, Yume raised her small hand.
Knock.
Knock.
"Come in."
The familiar voice answered almost immediately.
Yume pushed the doors open.
Golden afternoon sunlight streamed through enormous crystal windows, illuminating countless shelves overflowing with scrolls, maps, ledgers, and historical records.
The office looked exactly as she remembered.
Almost.
For the briefest moment...
She saw her father sitting behind the desk.
Relaxed, radiating his usual golden smile.
Waiting to hear about whatever childish adventure she had experienced that day.
"...Welcome back, little star."
The illusion shattered.
The smiling king vanished.
In his place sat Thorphin.
Tall.
Composed.
His long silver-black hair rested neatly behind his shoulders while his sharp emerald eyes calmly studied the reports spread across his desk.
He looked up.
A warm smile appeared.
"Princess Yume."
He rose to his feet and offered a respectful bow.
"It gladdens me to see you in good health."
His voice was gentle.
Measured.
Exactly as she remembered.
Yume returned a graceful curtsy.
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Thorphin."
For several seconds...
Neither moved.
Both smiled
Neither smile reached their eyes.
Two players.
One board.
The game had already begun.
"Please."
Thorphin gestured toward one of the chairs opposite his desk.
"Sit."
The oversized chair nearly swallowed Yume's tiny frame as she climbed into it, causing Thorphin to chuckle softly.
"I suppose even royal furniture wasn't designed with five-year-old queens in mind."
Yume smiled politely.
"Perhaps they simply expected me to grow faster."
A genuine laugh escaped him.
"You certainly inherited your father's wit."
"Did I?" Yume replied.
"Or are you trying to make me lower my guard?" Yume thought to herself.
On the outside ,Yume simply smiled.
"I've been told that before."
Thorphin resumed his seat.
For a moment, he simply observed her.
Most children who entered this room fidgeted.
Looked around curiously.
Asked innocent questions.
Princess Yume did none of those things.
She sat perfectly still.
Waiting.
Listening.
Watching.
It reminded him less of a child...
And more of someone accustomed to court politics.
Curious.
Very curious.
"I imagine," Yume began first, "that you've requested this meeting because the kingdom faces difficulties requiring immediate attention."
Straight to business.
No hesitation.
No childish small talk.
Thorphin nodded approvingly.
"Precisely."
He slid several reports across the desk.
"The invasion left us with far more than broken walls."
Yume silently examined the documents.
Every page carried another wound.
Destroyed villages.
Collapsed bridges.
Burned harvests.
Supply shortages.
Casualty estimates.
Missing citizens.
Several trade routes had been completely erased from the kingdom's maps.
Even the royal treasury had suffered considerably.
Her expression remained calm.
Inside...
She was calculating.
Food reserves.
Winter preparations.
Trade recovery.
Population loss.
Military capability.
The kingdom wasn't merely rebuilding.
It was balancing upon the edge of collapse.
"The people," Thorphin said quietly, "are frightened."
"They've lost their king."
"They've lost their queen."
"They've lost brothers, sisters, husbands, wives..."
He paused.
"...and certainty."
His expression softened.
"For the first time in centuries, the celestial beast clan appears vulnerable."
Yume nodded in contemplation , still going through the documents.
"Fear spreads faster than fire."
A faint look of surprise crossed Thorphin's face.
"...Indeed."
"You wish to stop that fear."
"I do."
"And you believe I can."
"I believe," he corrected gently, "that hope often wears a familiar face."
He folded his hands together.
"When the people learn that their princess survived..."
"...they'll remember that House Augustin and the celestial beast clan as a whole still stands proud."
Silence settled between them.
Yume understood perfectly.
This wasn't about ceremonies.
It was politics.
Symbols mattered.
Sometimes more than armies.
"I understand."
"I'm relieved."
Thorphin leaned back slightly.
"The royal funeral has been arranged for next week."
The words struck with quiet force.
Yume lowered her gaze.
Although she had expected them...
Hearing them spoken aloud made everything feel painfully real.
Her father was gone.
Her mother was gone.
All of this again.
luckily though , the kingdom had already begun moving forward.
Whether she was ready or not.
"I'll attend."
"You'll lead."
Yume slowly looked up.
"...Lead?"
"The people deserve to bid farewell to their rulers."
His gaze met hers.
"And they deserve to see the one who will inherit their dreams."
For the first time...
Yume hesitated.
Not because she doubted herself.
Because she understood the weight of what he was asking.
A funeral wasn't merely mourning.
It was a declaration.
A promise.
An announcement to allies and enemies alike.
House Augustine had not fallen.
"I'll do it."
Thorphin smiled.
"Thank you. That's how we are going to introduce you to the masses as their to the throne."
He opened another folder.
"Our next concern is external."
"The Council of Western Merchants has already informed us that they'll be sending representatives to assess the kingdom's condition."
"They seek compensation?"
"They seek certainty."
His answer came almost instantly.
"If our trade collapses..."
"...their profits collapse with it."
Yume nodded thoughtfully.
"Merchants value stability almost as much as they value coin."
"I couldn't have phrased it better myself."
He continued.
"The Suncrest Court has also convened."
Yume's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
"The regency I assume."
Thorphin blinked.
"You already know? You're more quick witted than I assumed"
"It seemed inevitable."
He allowed himself another small smile.
"Tomorrow, the court will gather to appoint a temporary ruler until Your Highness reaches adulthood."
A temporary ruler.
Someone entrusted with the authority of a king.
Or...
Someone positioned perfectly to seize a kingdom. As a compromise for failing to desroy it.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Yume folded her hands together.
"And have any candidates been appointed ?"
Thorphin's smile lingered.
"Politics rarely waits for permission."
" I see." Yume replied as she put the documents back on the table.
His answer was flawless.
A bit too flawless.
Yume filed the observation away.
One did not survive decades in royal courts without mastering conversations like these.
Every answer revealed something.
Especially the ones designed to reveal nothing.
She looked at him quietly.
"Lord Thorphin."
"Yes, Princess?"
"...Is that the only reason you wished to see me today?"
For the first time...
Time stopped.
Not literally.
Merely for the briefest fraction of a heartbeat.
His breathing paused.
His fingers tightened against the armrest.
One blink.
One heartbeat.
Gone.
The perfect steward returned.
"...Of course."
His smile remained calm.
"I merely wished to prepare you for the responsibilities awaiting you."
Yume smiled back.
Warm.
Polite.
Almost innocent.
"I see."
But inwardly...
She had already found what she came looking for.
Not answers.
A reaction.
And sometimes...
A reaction was far more valuable than any kind of information.
The office fell silent once more.
Outside, the wind brushed gently against the crystal windows, carrying with it the distant sounds of hammers striking stone as the capital slowly rebuilt itself.
Thorphin watched the little princess.
She had not looked away once.
Most adults broke eye contact eventually.
She didn't.
For a child barely five years old...
Her composure was unsettling.
"...Is something troubling you, Lord Thorphin?"
The question was innocent.
At least...
It sounded that way.
Thorphin blinked before smiling.
"Not at all."
"I'm simply relieved."
"Relieved?"
"That you've remained strong despite everything you've endured."
Yume lowered her gaze.
"I don't believe strength is a choice."
He tilted his head.
"Oh?"
"When a kingdom loses its king..."
"...someone has to remain standing."
Her answer hung quietly between them.
For a fleeting moment, Thorphin saw not a child...
But the late King Augustin himself.
The resemblance was almost frightening.
"You've grown sooner than anyone wished."
"So I've been told."
Another silence settled.
This one heavier than before.
Eventually, Yume climbed down from the oversized chair.
"I believe that's everything."
Thorphin nodded.
"For today."
She offered a graceful bow.
"Then, if you'll excuse me..."
She turned toward the massive doors.
Her footsteps echoed softly across the polished floor.
Three steps.
Four.
Five.
Then...
She stopped.
Without looking back, she spoke.
"...Lord Thorphin."
"Yes, Princess?"
"...Next time."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"...prepare a better excuses."
The room became deathly still.
Even the wind seemed to vanish.
Several heartbeats passed before Thorphin answered.
"...I'm afraid I don't understand."
"You will."
Her voice remained calm.
"Eventually."
The doors opened.
She stepped into the corridor.
And left.
The sound of the closing doors echoed throughout the office.
Silence returned.
Thorphin remained seated.
His smile disappeared.
"So..."
He whispered.
"...she noticed."
He leaned back slowly, closing his eyes.
"How troublesome."
He replayed the conversation in his mind.
Every sentence.
Every pause.
Every glance.
She hadn't accused him.
She hadn't confronted him.
She hadn't even asked another question.
Instead...
She had watched.
Measured.
Concluded.
"...Remarkable."
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"You're far sharper than your age should allow."
His gaze drifted toward the portrait hanging above the fireplace.
King Augustin .
The former ruler smiled proudly from the painting.
"You truly left behind someone extraordinary."
For a long moment...
Thorphin simply stared.
Then his expression changed.
Not into malice.
Not into hatred.
Into regret.
"I wish..."
"...things could have unfolded differently."
A knock interrupted his thoughts.
Three knocks.
Slow.
Evenly spaced.
Thorphin immediately recognized the rhythm.
"They've arrived."
His expression returned to its usual composure.
"Come in."
The office doors opened.
Three figures entered.
A tall man with neatly tied silver hair.
A young woman dressed as a castle maid.
And another man whose plain appearance made him strangely difficult to remember.
Yet each moved with the precision of trained professionals.
The silver-haired man bowed.
"The Pale Rose sends her regards."
Thorphin inclined his head slightly.
"And the garden?"
"The flowers continue to bloom."
A brief silence.
"Any weeds?"
"A few."
"We'll prune them."
The maid stepped forward.
"Our identities have already been prepared."
She presented several official documents bearing the royal seal.
"We've been assigned as attendants to Princess Yume."
Thorphin inspected the papers.
Perfect.
Even if someone investigated them...
Nothing would appear suspicious.
"Your duties remain unchanged."
The maid nodded.
"We understand."
"Remain close."
"Observe."
"And report."
The plain-looking man finally spoke.
"...What if she begins asking questions?"
Thorphin looked toward the window.
The ruined capital reflected faintly in the crystal glass.
"She will."
His answer came without hesitation.
"Curiosity is part of her nature."
"And if she uncovers something?"
Another silence.
Longer this time.
Thorphin's reflection stared back at him.
Then he sighed.
"...Do not interfere unless absolutely necessary."
The three exchanged glances.
The silver-haired man frowned slightly.
"You're willing to take that risk?"
"I'm choosing the lesser one."
He finally turned toward them.
"If we move against her..."
"...we create an enemy. An enemy who uses her childish innocence as a weapon."
"If we simply watch..."
"...we may create not an enemy but a possible ally."
The maid seemed surprised at how highly Thorphin regarded Yume yet she was a mere five year old."
"I thought our orders were absolute."
"They are."
"But my judgment remains my own."
The room fell quiet once more.
After several moments, all three bowed.
"As you command."
Without another word, they disappeared.
The heavy doors closed behind them.
Thorphin stood alone.
His gaze wandered toward the western horizon.
Far beyond the ruined kingdom...
Beyond the mountains...
Beyond even the clouds...
A storm was gathering.
And the kingdom stood directly in its path.
"...Your Majesty."
He spoke quietly to the empty room.
"I can protect your daughter."
His fingers slowly curled into a fist.
"But I cannot protect her from the truth forever."
Meanwhile...
Yume walked through the eastern gardens.
The evening sun bathed the castle grounds in shades of crimson and gold.
Gardeners quietly replanted flowers destroyed during the invasion.
Knights patrolled the walls.
Children who had survived the attack cautiously played together beneath the watchful eyes of exhausted parents inn the city streets.
Life...
Fragile though it was...
Continued.
Yume slowed her pace.
Her conversation with Thorphin replayed within her mind.
Not his words.
His reactions.
There had been four.
His breathing had changed.
His fingers had tightened.
His eyes had shifted toward the window twice.
And...
His heartbeat had quickened ever so slightly.
Small details.
Almost meaningless on their own.
Together...
They painted a picture.
Lord Thorphin wasn't lying because he wished to deceive her.
He was lying because he believed he had to.
That distinction mattered.
It meant two possibilities remained.
He was protecting the kingdom...
Or protecting someone else.
Until evidence proved otherwise...
She would assume neither.
"Truth."
She murmured quietly.
"Only evidence deserves tho monicer of truth non mere conjecture ."
A cool breeze stirred her dark hair and wolf like ears.
Then...
For reasons she couldn't explain...
She felt it.
Someone...
Somewhere within the castle...
Was watching her.
She stopped walking.
The sensation vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
Her heterochromatic eyes slowly swept across the rooftops.
Nothing.
Only the fading light of dusk.
Yet...
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"So..."
"You've begun watching me already."
She resumed walking without looking back.
"If that's the game you've chosen..."
"...then let's see who uncovers whom first."
Above the castle, unseen by anyone below...
A single black rose petal drifted upon the evening wind before disappearing into the gathering twilight.
The game had begun.