Suddenly, the scene snapped out of focus. The melting throne room, the blurred faces, the echoing laugh—all of it collapsed into a single, crushing silence. Starfania gasped as if she'd been thrown underwater, her lungs straining for air. Darkness surrounded her, vast, swallowing sound and shape alike. Every direction looked identical—empty, infinite, suffocating. Then—a soft, shimmering glow formed ahead of her, like the first star piercing the night. It grew, brightening until it shaped itself into the silhouette of a woman. Her presence was commanding, ancient, and strangely familiar—yet her features were obscured, veiled by the radiance that crowned her like a halo
She moved toward Starfania with a grace that was both comforting and unnerving, as though she had existed long before the concept of fear. When she spoke, her voice carried warmth wrapped in steel. " Ah…you fell for it."
Starfania's throat tightened. The woman's tone was smooth but serious, laced with a knowledge that made Starfania feel frighteningly small.
" There's no reason to be alarmed," the woman continued. " None of what you just saw was real. It was all…in your mind."
The words felt heavy, like truths Starfania wasn't meant to hold yet. Her breath trembled.
" Who are you?" she managed. " What is this place?"
" A test," she said simply. " Your focus wavered. You let your emotions blind you. It happens…especially to the young."
Her head tilted slightly, as if studying Starfania the way one examines a blade to judge whether it is sharp enough.
" Keep your wits about you, Dragon Savior, " she murmured. " You'll need them soon. "
The tilt made Starfania flinch. She felt the woman's gaze—though she had no eyes to see—press into her soul. Then, almost as an afterthought: " And when the sky-born one finds you…do not run."
Starfania stiffened.
" Sky-born?" She whispered. The woman's smile deepened, though her face remained hidden. " You'll know him by the stars in his breath. And he will know you."
Before Starfania could respond—before she could question the meaning, or demand answers—the figure vanished like smoke smothered by wind. The void shattered. Starfania blinked—and she was back. Back in the throne room. Back in front of her father. Back exactly where she had been standing before everything dissolved. Only a single heartbeat had passed. Her pulse thundered, but she forced her muscles still, bowed stiffly, and said the first words that came to her trembling lips: " Ah…I'm glad you wanted to meet with me."
Her voice was steady. Her inside was chaos. Cesar arched a brow, clearly expecting her to speak further, but he did not question her sudden composure. His expression returned to its usual stern neutrality.
" Indeed," he said. " But this matter is far too important for open ears. Let us move somewhere more private."
Starfania swallowed hard, shoving down the lingering terror, the echo of the woman's voice, the warning about a sky-born dragon whose breath carried stars. Atlas. The name rose unbidden—but she did not know why. Not yet. She forced a nod. " Of course."
With that, she followed her father out of the throne room and into the cold castle courtyard. Each step twisted her stomach tighter, a coil of dread forming. Whatever he was about to reveal…whatever truth awaited her beyond those doors…this time, it would not be a dream.