The night sky over Astraeus Academy pulsed with a thousand colors, as if the stars themselves were holding their breath. The celestial spires shimmered under moonlight, and Aiden could feel something shifting — a pressure in the air, deep and ancient, like the heartbeat of another world calling out to him.
He stood on the Moonlit Terrace, overlooking the academy's sprawling gardens. The faint hum of mana stones echoed around him, and his silver hair gleamed in the glow of the twin moons. It had been three days since the Trial of Convergence, and yet the image of the shattered portal still haunted him — the glimpse of the strange crimson world beyond it.
Behind him, a soft voice broke the silence.
"You haven't slept again, have you?"
Aiden turned. Seraphina stood there, her robes loose around her shoulders, the faint luminescence of her aura flickering like fireflies. The night breeze played with her golden hair, and her gaze — calm yet piercing — settled on him. She looked less like his teacher and more like a spirit born from starlight itself.
"I can't," Aiden admitted. "Every time I close my eyes, I see that place again. That red world... it felt alive. Watching us."
Seraphina walked closer, her boots clicking softly on the marble. "It wasn't supposed to appear yet. The Whispering Gate... it only responds when the dimensions start bleeding into one another." She lowered her voice. "Someone's forcing it open."
Aiden's pulse quickened. "You mean—someone from the academy?"
"Or something within it," she replied darkly.
Before Aiden could answer, the terrace lights flickered. The air turned cold, and whispers filled the wind — faint, disembodied voices that seemed to crawl under their skin. Aiden's eyes widened as the ground beneath the terrace began to shimmer, forming strange geometric runes.
Seraphina's hand shot forward. "Get back!"
But it was too late. The runes flared, and Aiden was pulled into the air by invisible force. His vision blurred — flashes of unknown faces, a forest of black glass, and a figure cloaked in gold who whispered his name like a curse.
Then, silence.
When Aiden's vision cleared, he found himself standing in an unfamiliar place. The world around him was dimly lit — endless plains of glowing dust and fractured stars floating in the air. It was quiet except for the echo of his own heartbeat.
"Aiden," came a familiar voice behind him.
He turned — and froze.
It was Celestine, his older sister. Her appearance was breathtaking — long silver hair flowing like moonlight, eyes sharp with divine energy, armor engraved with runes that pulsed faintly. But something about her felt different. Her aura, once warm and protective, now burned cold like frostfire.
"Celestine... what are you doing here?" Aiden asked, his voice shaking slightly.
She smiled — but it didn't reach her eyes. "Little brother, I told you not to wander into places you don't understand."
Aiden frowned. "You knew about the Gate?"
"I am the Gate," she whispered.
The world trembled.
Suddenly, pillars of light erupted around them, each one showing flickers of memories — Aiden's past life, his time as a forgotten noble, the battles, the betrayals. All of it converging into one blinding truth: Celestine wasn't merely his sister anymore. She was the guardian of the rift, chosen by something ancient and incomprehensible.
"You're not supposed to be here yet," she said softly, walking toward him. "The paths haven't aligned. If you keep forcing your destiny open, you'll burn before you reach the end."
"I don't care," Aiden said, eyes blazing. "I'm not leaving until I understand what's happening — to you, to this world, to me."
Celestine stopped a breath away, her expression torn between affection and sadness. For a moment, her cold demeanor melted. "You've grown stronger," she murmured. "But strength without understanding is chaos."
Her hand touched his cheek, warm and trembling. "When the Starlight Convergence begins, don't trust anyone wearing gold. Not even me."
Before Aiden could speak, the world shattered around him — stars collapsing, light twisting — and he was thrown back into reality.
He gasped, finding himself once more on the terrace, Seraphina's arms around him. Her magic pulsed frantically, stabilizing his energy flow.
"Aiden! Are you alright?!" she cried.
He nodded weakly, still trembling. "The Gate... it's connected to Celestine. She—she's part of it."
Seraphina's expression froze. "That's not possible. The Gate's guardian vanished over a century ago."
"Then she came back," Aiden whispered. "And she's trying to warn me."
As the night deepened, distant bells rang across Astraeus Academy — signaling another dimensional rift opening at the edge of the Starsea Forest.
Seraphina looked toward the horizon. "Whatever's coming, we're out of time."
Aiden clenched his fists, eyes blazing with determination. "Then we'll face it head-on."
Above them, the stars flickered — and somewhere in the distance, Celestine smiled.
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