Valerie stands on the third deck of the ship, her violet-silver eyes filled with expectancy as the city of the Star Republic comes into view.
For over a decade, she has heard tales of this place—the most powerful and advanced nation in the world.
A country where supernatural races no longer have to cower in shadows, no longer have to fear the cold blades of hunters in the night.
In the Star Republic, supernatural beings are considered citizens.
Still hidden from the general public, yes—but no longer invisible to the ruling powers.
Knowledge of them spreads more each year, and the world changes with it.
Hunters, once proud and unchallenged, now have their hands tied.
They cannot touch anyone under the Star Republic's protection unless that supernatural breaks the law.
And only the Republic's courts can deliver judgment—not blades, not pacts, not vendettas.
Even the hunters do not oppose it.
Because their strongest human mages have either joined the Star Republic or formed good relations with it.
And the Republic holds a power too tempting to deny—longevity medicine.
Powerful humans hunger for longer lives, and only the Star Republic can give it to them.
Only five years have passed since the medicine's introduction.
What will ten years bring? Or twenty?
The hunters understand—they cannot challenge the future.
Valerie's thoughts shift to what truly brought her here.
Magic.
Within this land, the witch covens have begun to open their gates, once sealed for centuries.
They communicate, share knowledge, even speak to other races.
New spells are born.
New rituals refined.
It is a time of innovation unlike anything the magical world has seen.
It is said that now, in this rare alignment of discovery, a grandmaster witch will be born.
Because if not now, in this age of magic's rebirth, then never.
And she wants that to be her.
She does not want her child to be the one burdened with revenge.
She will rise—break limits—transform fate.
She wants to be the one to take revenge for her parents and destroy all the hunters.
If she ever has a child, she wants them to be born in a world where no hunter remains alive.
What she suffered, she refuses to pass on.
If her child is the fated child, then they would be in more danger than she ever was.
She won't allow it.
To protect her future, she needs strength.
She is now in the initial stage of the Greatmaster Witch realm—just one step away from the Grandmaster Witch.
But no Grandmaster Witch walks this world now.
None have for many years.
When one last existed, hunters nearly vanished from history, the records say.
Her thoughts stop.
A jolt runs through her chest as her wolf jumps in joy.
Her magic stirs, awakening on its own.
She narrows her eyes and scans the surroundings but finds nothing.
Then she notices Talun's frown.
Others notice it too.
Enra asks, "Did anything happen, Talun?"
Talun's creased brows deepen.
"Someone was watching us," he says.
Eyes widen all around as everyone starts to look around in silence.
Talun adds, "Not near us—distant. Like through a scrying bowl."
One of the witches mutters, "Who would look at us?"
Valerie wonders the same.
She is known, yes—but not enough to draw the attention of the Star Republic.
Even if she gives birth to the prophesied child, it brings no danger here.
Supernaturals aren't hunted or persecuted in the Republic.
And if her mate is a witch or werewolf, her child likely won't even be the child of prophecy.
But she doesn't care.
What matters is that someone was watching them even before they stepped into the Star Republic.
Another one says, "Could be hunters?"
Murmurs of agreement follow.
Her uncle replies, "It could be the Star Republic. Our ship carries a large number of supernaturals—they may be keeping an eye."
Many nod to this.
They feel relief at the thought—the Star Republic watching them is far better than hunters.
A couple of hours later, as the sun begins to set, Valerie steps down from the ship.
They book a vehicle to reach their residence—a large house purchased by the Council of Icedic.
The main reason for choosing this city is strategic.
The council hopes to form an agreement with the Republic, and for that, they need regular dialogue.
What better show of goodwill than sending a large number of council prodigies to study in the Republic's education system?
A few hours later, Valerie heads out with her friends to eat and explore the city.
She is amazed.
Clean streets.
Small streams flowing alongside the roads.
Parks blooming with life.
Buildings that look like artwork carved from glass and metal.
Then someone passes her.
She stops, stunned.
Turns.
There's only a crowd.
Her friend, a fae named Lassie, asks, "What happened?"
Valerie shakes her head.
"Nothing," she says, and continues walking.
They see many new and beautiful things, but her mind stays locked on that one fleeting moment.
That scent.
She's sure it was her mate's scent.
Her mate is here.
In this city.
And very likely… a human.
Humans can't feel the mate bond.
Which means no one will know.
No one will know she has a mate.
And it is what she wants.
From a rooftop, Merin watches his beautiful mate.
His body aches to leap down, to claim her now and forever.
But his mind holds him still.
He knows better.
This is the dimension's will at work.
The bonded mate process—just another mechanism of a grand breeding program orchestrated by the dimension itself.
The dimension selects mates for the supernatural so their offspring can surpass them.
So one child may one day break the limit of the cultivation realms in this world.
Because here, cultivation methods don't exist.
People only practice skills, a slow and ineffective path.
No vampire king, no wolf emperor, no great fae lord exists in this world anymore.
Not even close.
As Merin's thoughts spiral, the rooftop door opens behind him.
A man walks in.
"Sir, I brought what you asked for."
Merin takes the file from the man's hand and begins reading.
Line by line, detail by detail—everything about the girl.
When finished, he hands the folder back.
The man is Robert, his secretary.
A human mage.
Born in this dimension, but aware of his true origin.
Robert wants to return to the origin world.
Here, the human lifespan caps at a hundred years.
But there, in the origin world, time bends for those who walk the right path.
Robert intends to follow Merin there.
Merin looks at him and says, "Tell me what you think."
Robert scans the file, closes it slowly, and meets Merin's eyes.
"Sir, the girl is your bonded mate."
Merin nods.
Robert goes on.
"Then this is more than chance. This is an opportunity to conquer the supernatural races—all of them."
"Your future… with the prophesied child of three races."
"With him—or-her, you could unite them all. Rule them all."
"And take the world."
"It can be done within the next fifty years."
Merin nods.
"It would be a good experiment."
A smirk rises on his lips.
"Inform the rest. The continent should be under our control by the time our child becomes an adult."
The hope of the dimension… would become its weapon.
Robert remains still, then asks, "What should I do with her? Should I capture her and bring her to you?"
Merin shakes his head.
"Do nothing. I want to see what the girl will do."
Robert bows slightly and leaves.
Merin takes one last look at Valerie.
Then vanishes—as if he were never there.
A week later, Valerie steps through the gates of the university.
She shares her classes with humans—no difference in treatment, except for the three additional subjects chosen for witches.
Her course includes chemistry, physics, math, Language-I, Language-II, and ethics.
They said the first three help a witch understand the world, and in doing so, understand magic.
The last three aren't crucial—her magic could make learning them effortless.
The extra subjects? Astronomy, Elements, and Potion Science.
Today marks the beginning of her classes.
Inside the science building, her wolf and witch blood surge with intensity.
She inhales—and nearly gasps.
Her mate's scent floods her senses.
Her blood demands she tear through the walls, find him, claim him.
But she clenches her fists, stills her breath, and keeps her face neutral.
The entire day becomes a struggle—a silent war to suppress herself.
And at last, only one class remains.
Math.
Once it ends, she can leave.
She grips her table tightly, heart pounding, as her mate's scent drifts into the room.
Then—he walks in.
The world tilts.
She feels as though her feet lift off the ground.
Everything inside her screams to run, to embrace him, to say his name though she doesn't know it.
But she doesn't move.
Her will wraps around her blood like chains.
And through calm, determined eyes—she looks at her bonded mate.
His name is Adam Taylor.
And he is her math teacher.
Which means this class will be unbearable for her.
She has the option to change teachers.
But she won't.
She doesn't want the bond now—but she will, later, after her revenge is complete.
So this is the only time she can watch her mate without raising suspicion among her group.
Adam starts the lesson, and she listens with complete attention.
This continues for a month.
Then, one night, she spots him in a restaurant.
He's sitting with a woman.
It looks like a date.
A snarl escapes her throat before she can stop it.
She wants to tear the woman apart.
But she shuts her eyes and breathes slowly until her pulse calms.
Her friends don't notice.
Three days later, she sees the same woman walking through the science building corridor.
She follows.
Her heart sinks as the woman enters Adam's office.
Standing outside, her supernatural senses sharpen.
She hears laughter.
Then a soft moan.
Her hand flies back and grips the metal railing.
She holds on so tightly that the metal groans.
She doesn't move until they walk out together—his hand resting on the woman's waist.
She wants to kill.
It cannot go on.
Her bloodlust is rising, and she doesn't know how long she can suppress it.
She needs a solution.
Maybe… she should make Adam her boyfriend.
Others do it—bonded mates often take lovers before their fated ones are found.
If she makes him her boyfriend, no one would question it.
He won't feel the bond—but he will be drawn to her.
She only needs to give a small push.
And the perfect opportunity is coming.
The Spring Welcome Party.