I saw stars. Thousands upon thousands of them, a breathtaking tapestry of light against an infinite, velvet-dark sky. As I gazed, constellations began to form, their brilliant points connecting with unseen threads, sketching shapes into the void.
It was beautiful. Almost painfully so.
The stars swirled and coalesced, their light intensifying into a vague, luminous outline—a person? An animal? At first, the shape was indistinct, a smudge of celestial brilliance. But as I focused, my vision sharpened, and the pattern resolved into a clear, powerful silhouette.
It was the form of a wolf, etched in starlight against the cosmic dark.
My heavy eyelids fluttered open, gritty with sleep. The first thing I saw was an ornate ceiling I both recognized and didn't—the high, painted arches of the Empress's personal chambers, not my own modest room.
"I am definitely not in my room…" I muttered into the quiet darkness.
Pale moonlight streamed through the large, arched windows, painting silver stripes across the plush carpets and dark furniture.
I tried to sit up, but a warm, surprisingly heavy weight was pinning me down. Then, as my senses fully awakened, a familiar, intoxicating scent filled my nose—a heady mix of roses and an expensive, uniquely feminine perfume. It was a fragrance I knew intimately, one that belonged to only one person.
I looked down. My eyes, already adjusted to the low light, saw her. Alexandra was curled against me, her head resting on my chest, one arm draped possessively across my waist. She was deep in sleep, her breaths slow and even. She wore a simple black nightgown of silk that did little to conceal the dramatic curves of her body. Her long, raven-black hair fanned out over my pajama shirt like a spill of ink, and her pale skin seemed to glow in the milky moonlight.
Right. I'm in her room. The realization settled in. I hope she didn't molest me while I was out.
I noted that I was no longer in the formal clothes I'd worn for the awakening. Someone had changed me into soft, black silk pajamas. I highly doubted Evelyn, had done it. The evidence pointed squarely at the woman currently using me as a pillow.
Deciding not to disturb the sleeping Empress, I settled back against the mountain of pillows.
As I stared at the shadowed ceiling, the memories of the previous day flooded back in a torrent. The agony of the dagger, the endless void, the haunting voices, the white door, and then… them. The meeting with the gods. The blessing. The impossible, universe-altering power now slumbering within me.
I had awakened. The reality of it was still staggering. Meeting deities and receiving their direct blessings felt like a plot from a fantasy novel, not the life of someone like me. In my past life, nothing this monumental, this good, had ever happened.
I shook my head, the movement slight. This is different. A new life. A fresh start. The bitterness of my birth in this world was a fading scar. I had moved on. To test the new reality, I lifted my pale left arm, studying my fingers in the dim light.
Hehehe. Lightning and Cosmos. A giddy, triumphant laugh bubbled silently in my chest. I really did hit the divine jackpot. I wished I could have seen Londres's face when my true affinities were revealed. She must have been absolutely livid. A quiet, satisfied chuckle escaped my lips.
"Lightning," I murmured to myself. It wasn't a command, just a whispered acknowledgment of the power now thrumming in my veins.
And it answered.
I hadn't tried to channel mana, hadn't performed any internal ritual. Yet, from nowhere, small, fierce sparks of blue-white electricity crackled to life around my fingertips. The sound was a sharp, vibrant fizz-pop that seemed deafening in the silent room. My eyes flew wide.
I didn't use any mana. How the hell is this happening?
The rules were clear: to manifest an affinity, you needed a mana core or a magic circle, both developed after awakening. I possessed neither. Yet, here I was, summoning lightning with a stray thought.
Why am I even trying to apply common sense? I chided myself. This is a blessing from a god. Of course it doesn't play by the rules.
With a conscious effort, I willed the sparks to cease. They vanished instantly. I glanced down at Alexandra, worried the sound had woken her. But contrary to my fears, she remained utterly lost in slumber.
She was even drooling a little on my shirt.
A strange, unwanted thought flickered through my mind: she looked… cute. It was a stark, bizarre contrast to the cold, manipulative Empress I knew. The women in this world are unnaturally beautiful, I conceded. Almost without thinking, I reached out and gently brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek with my finger. She mumbled something incoherent in her sleep, nuzzling slightly into my touch.
If anyone saw the mighty Sun Empress, Alexandra Tan Zalanta, now—drooling in her sleep while cuddled up to a fifteen-year-old boy—they would think it a ludicrous illusion. The thought was almost hilariously absurd.
Emboldened, I tried to call upon my other, greater gift.
"Cosmos," I whispered, expecting a similar, instinctual response.
Nothing happened. I tried again, focusing my will. Still nothing. I attempted a few more times, but the cosmic power remained dormant, a vast ocean beneath a still surface.
Well, I guess that one requires a proper core or circle, I reasoned, setting the mystery aside for now.
My thoughts drifted back to the words of Virgil and Finalis. Their warning echoed in my mind: Something is coming. Grow strong. Fast.
It wasn't what I'd hoped for. I'd dreamed of a powerful, perhaps even peaceful, magical life. But in worlds like this, filled with gods and magic, conflict was the constant. People killed for power without a second thought. Peace was a fragile illusion.
I sighed quietly. So much for a quiet life of study and strength. It had to be a war—between gods, or between their chosen successors. Virgil had hinted that other powerful deities were also seeking their own champions. I couldn't be the only one with broken abilities; the universe was never that fair.
All I can do is get strong. Faster than anyone expects. Power was the only true currency here. Weakness wasn't just a disadvantage; it was a sin.
Lastly, I pondered Virgil's information about the God of Reincarnation—the most likely architect of my second chance. Their disappearance millions of years ago, contrasted with my arrival just fifteen years prior, created a puzzling gap. Unless time flows differently between my world and this one… That would make a twisted kind of sense.
But the core question remained, buzzing like a trapped fly in my skull: Why me?
I was nobody special. An orphan with a painfully average, unremarkable life. The very definition of mundane.
Well, I'll probably find out eventually. Whoever you are… wherever you are… I hope you're watching.
With that final, resigned thought, I closed my eyes, letting the steady rhythm of Alexandra's breathing and the lingering scent of roses lull me back into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Morning arrived, soft and golden.
"Mwah. Mwah. Mwah."
The soft, wet sound of kisses brushed against my ears, pulling me from the depths of sleep. I felt something warm and impossibly soft pressing against my chest in a rhythmic, affectionate pattern.
Still half-asleep, I swatted lazily at the sensation, but it didn't stop.
Grudgingly, I was forced into full consciousness. My eyes opened to find the culprit: Alexandra.
I'd forgotten, for a blissful moment, where I was.
I watched her silently. She was placing a trail of light kisses, starting from the center of my chest and working her way deliberately downward, stopping just above the waistband of my pajama pants.
What is she doing this early in the morning?
Sensing I was awake, she finally looked up. My sleep-fogged grey eyes met her clear, crimson ones.
"Good morning," she said, her voice a low, morning rasp as she pushed herself up to sit beside me on the bed.
"Good morning, Emp—" I began automatically, but a sharp, icy glare from her cut me off. I corrected myself. "—Alexandra."
A look of satisfaction crossed her face. "Congratulations on your awakening. You caused quite the ruckus yesterday."
"Thank you," I replied, sitting up straighter. "I didn't intend to cause a commotion."
"You certainly did. Awakening two affinities, one of which was considered mythological… a commotion was inevitable."
Right. I'm the first. The weight of that truth settled on me anew.
Alexandra studied me, her expression unreadable. "Now, every member of the royal family has their eyes on you. You've shattered their expectations. A commoner achieving such a feat is… unprecedented."
It seemed my standing had done a complete one-eighty.
"I didn't do it for their expectations," I said, my voice cooler than I intended. "I did it for myself. That's all."
She gave a slow nod. "That's a good attitude. But attention, especially the kind you've attracted, is a double-edged sword. Unwanted attention is—"
"—dangerous," I finished for her. I knew it was true. Hiding my abilities now was impossible.
"Exactly," she confirmed. "But since you've proven your value, they will also protect you fiercely. Especially the old ones who see you as a priceless asset." A flicker of disdain passed over her features.
So I'm to be used. The thought was clinical, not bitter. Fine. I'll use them in return.
Alexandra continued, "Some have already sent gifts to your quarters…"
"Trying to buy my loyalty early," I surmised with a wry smile. Bribing with gifts was Politics 101.
"Even in a den of snakes, not all are venomous," she said, rising from the bed with fluid grace. She walked to an elegant mahogany dresser, opened a drawer, and retrieved a small, lacquered box of deep crimson. Returning to sit beside me, she held it out.
"This is for you."
I took the box, its surface cool and smooth under my fingers. "What is it?"
"Just open it."
Carefully, I lifted the lid. Nestled on a bed of black velvet was a ring. It was silver, elegant in its simplicity, set with a single, polished black gemstone that seemed to swallow the light.
"A spatial ring?" I murmured.
"Yes. But the real deal. Not one of those cheap, limited trinkets." A note of pride entered her voice. "It can store upwards of a hundred thousand individual items. And it can sustain living beings."
My mind blanked for a second. A hundred thousand? And it stores living things? This wasn't just expensive; this was a king's ransom. Spatial rings with such capacity and functionality were legendary, their value measured in fortunes that could bankrupt lesser noble houses.
I stared at Alexandra, who watched me with an expression that said this was a trivial gift. I keep forgetting. She's not just rich; she's empire-rich.
Sliding the ring onto my middle finger, I felt a sharp, momentary pinch as it bit into my skin, establishing its bond. I didn't flinch; it was the standard security measure. Now, only I could access its contents.
"Thank you, Alexandra," I said, and this time the gratitude was entirely genuine.
"It's nothing," she waved a dismissive hand. "Now, check what's inside."
Focusing my will, I peered into the ring's dimensional space. What I saw there made my breath hitch.
My eyes snapped back to the physical world, wide with disbelief. "What the fuck?" The curse slipped out before I could stop it. I looked from the ring to her impassive face and back again. "You cannot be serious."