The Grand Hall of Asterion was already alive.
Carriages rolled up the marble path one after another, wheels clattering against stone as nobles stepped out in shimmering robes and embroidered cloaks. Lanterns hung from silver chains, casting warm halos over the arriving heirs. Laughter, whispers, and the rustling of expensive fabrics filled the cool night air.
Inside, servants hurried between the arriving guests, guiding them toward the great doors. Musicians tuned their instruments. Guards lined the path with polished spears and unreadable faces.
It was a picture of splendor.
A celebration forged by centuries of royal tradition.
And into that ancient scene, Crystal Aserra arrived.
Her carriage rolled to a stop at the entrance, its lacquered panels reflecting the golden glow of the hall. When she stepped down, her eyes lifted at once to the towering open doors. Their polished surface gleamed under lanternlight, etched with scenes of past kings and battles.
But before she stepped inside, Crystal's gaze briefly moved across the courtyard.
She noticed several figures helping coachmen tie their horses or adjusting carriage harnesses. Their movements were quiet, efficient, almost too calm. She nodded politely as she passed just another noble greeting servants.
But in reality, she had already recognized their steps.
Her assassins.
And… others.
Crystal hid the spark of recognition behind a soft expression and walked toward the Grand Hall.
The moment she crossed the threshold, her breath faltered.
Not from fear,
but from awe.
The hall was magnificent.
Tall marble pillars lined the sides of the rectangular chamber, supporting the famed open roof that revealed the night sky like a crown of stars above the banquet. Paintings decorated every wall: artworks depicting the reign of past kings, the forging of the kingdom, scenes of legendary banquets, and moments of triumph woven into royal memory.
The levitating chandelier a massive structure of floating crystal pieces rotated slowly in the air, scattering specks of light like drifting fireflies. The music was soft yet festive, a melody that wrapped around the guests like silk.
Crystal stood still for a moment, absorbing the beauty.
She had seen this hall before.
In her last life.
Right before everything shattered.
"Announcing!" a herald's voice rang out suddenly from the side.
"The elder granddaughter of the Grand General of the Aserra Kingdom,
Crystal Aserra!"
A wave of gazes turned toward her.
Some eyes were sharp with hostility.
Some curious, interested in whispers of her past.
Some indifferent nobles too engrossed in their own intrigues to care.
Crystal's lips curved in a light smile, poised and unreadable, as she stepped forward.
She did not shrink under their stares.
She welcomed them.
Because tonight, they were not looking at prey.
They were looking at the woman who had already chosen who would die.
Crystal walked deeper into the hall, gliding like a feather carried by wind. She approached a passing servant one of the infiltrators she had placed inside and spoke lightly:
"A drink, please."
"Right away, my lady," the servant said, bowing quickly before disappearing toward the beverage tables.
As she waited, Crystal glanced once toward the roof.
And in that hidden, elevated darkness, two figures remained perched like silent guardians.
Rion leaned slightly forward, looking down with a grin.
"It's starting," he whispered. "The banquet is about to begin. You coming?"
He turned toward the masked figure sitting beside him.
The wooden-masked man shifted just enough for his gaze to meet Rion's… then turned away again.
Rion sighed dramatically.
"I'll take that as a no."
He stretched, cracked his neck, and then.
His figure vanished.
Reappearing smoothly among the crowd below, blending into the flow of nobles like a shadow slipping into water.
Above, the masked man remained on the rooftop beam, his blue eyes glowing faintly as they tracked the moving tides of people.
He watched.
And watched.
And watched.
Silent.
Still.
Almost too calm.
But then,
Crystal lifted her cup to take a sip.
And her body froze.
A strange sensation rippled through her.
Not pain.
Not fear.
Something… else.
A faint tingling.
A soft pulse.
Like a thread inside her chest was pulling toward something far away.
Crystal's fingers tightened around the cup.
Her breath quickened, then steadied.
Her eyes narrowed, scanning the hall.
What is that?
It wasn't dangerous.
It wasn't harmful.
It wasn't even strong.
But it was there.
A presence.
A whisper from somewhere unseen.
It lingered.
Persistent.
Unexplained.
She took a step, expecting the sensation to fade.
It didn't.
Another step.
Still there.
Crystal's brows pulled together.
Strange…
But the thought ended abruptly as the herald at the door raised his staff once more.
"Announcing.
Fourth Prince Faren Asterion!
and
Fifth Young Prince Liam Asterion!"
Crystal lifted her head.
Two figures entered the hall.
Faren tall, dignified, wearing dark gold ceremonial robes. His posture was calm, every step measured. His expression serious yet warm enough to reassure the nobles watching him.
And beside him,
Liam Asterion, barely ten years old, eyes bright with excitement and innocence. He tugged at his brother's sleeve, whispering about the chandelier.
Crystal's heart softened.
Faren.
Her friend.
Her ally.
One of the few she trusted in both this life and the last.
She smiled as she watched him walk into the hall, pride and relief blooming quietly inside her chest.
Faren seemed to sense something and his eyes swept the crowd,
briefly meeting hers.
He dipped his head the slightest bit.
Crystal mirrored the gesture.
For a moment, the hall felt less suffocating.
Then,
A soft ripple of air.
A flicker of movement.
And suddenly, Rion appeared inside the hall from the roof, landing silently behind a cluster of nobles who never even noticed his arrival.
His eyes scanned the room.
His lips curled.
"Oh yes," Rion murmured to himself, stretching his arms lazily.
"The show is definitely beginning."
Crystal did not see him.
But the masked man did, watching from above with silent intensity.
The hall's lights glowed brighter as the music shifted to a grand, sweeping melody. More nobles poured through the doors, their laughter ringing across the marble floors.
The Grand Banquet of Asterion had officially opened.
But beneath the silk and smiles…
shadows crawled.
Secrets pulsed.
And the night began to tighten around its players.
Every step forward brought them closer to the moment everything would break.
Crystal inhaled slowly.
The banquet awaited.