The twins' song marked the end of the debutante ball, and as the final notes faded, Aster and Astra ran straight into their mother's arms. Arlienne knelt, embracing them tightly as if she could shield them from the entire world with nothing but love.
"You were… incredible," she whispered breathlessly. "I have never been prouder."
Seraphine, their elder sister, hurried over with sparkling eyes. "You two were adorable! Astra, your voice is like a jewel—oh, and Aster, you sounded so grown-up!"
Even Leonwyn, the stern eldest prince, stepped forward and gave a small nod. "You did well. Very well."
It was the greatest praise they would get from him.
Soon after, the nobles trickled out, still murmuring excitedly about the unexpected miracle performance. The king left with a strange, conflicted expression on his face. Some claimed he was proud. Others whispered he was simply stunned.
But one thing was certain:
**The kingdom would not forget this night.**
***
The moment the family returned home, the impact began.
The media—the magical newspapers, mana-crystal broadcasters, and even gossip scrolls—exploded with headlines:
> **"Royal Twins Deliver Heavenly Performance!"**
> **"Sound Magic Awakens After Centuries—A New Era Begins?"**
> **"Prince Aster: The Child with a Voice to Rival the Gods!"**
> **"Astra Wynfall Stuns Nation with Angelic Harmony."**
For the first time in Vornis history, music—true, structured, emotional music—had shaken the world.
And Aster knew this was only the beginning.
***
After the ball, Aster threw himself into research.
He remembered physics from his old world. Frequencies. Vibrations. Resonance. Wave manipulation.
If Sound Magic could create melodies and rhythm…
what else could it do?
He tested everything he could:
- **Resonance magic** — vibrating objects at controlled frequencies.
- **Mana harmonics** — infusing mana into sound to amplify its effects.
- **Directional sound** — projecting voice like a focused beam.
- **Emotion-based singing** — where the mood of the singer changed the power of the magic.
Astra trained alongside him every day.
Her progress was just as fast—sometimes even faster.
With their mother guiding their voices and Aster guiding their techniques, the twins became unstoppable.
Years passed like a melody.
***
Now, Aster and Astra were seven years old.
Today was a meaningful day.
A day of celebration for many.
The Queen's birthday.
And also… Arlienne's birthday.
Their mother.
The concubine the queen despised.
Every year, the palace held a grand celebration for the queen—luxurious, massive, attended by nobles and foreign guests.
But Arlienne had never once been invited.
Not because she was unimportant…
…but because the queen wished she didn't exist.
As a result, Aster and Astra always spent this day quietly at the mansion, celebrating their mother's birthday with simple decorations, a homemade cake, and gifts they made themselves.
This year, Arlienne had already prepared tea, desserts, and soft music for their private celebration.
But Aster had different plans.
He clenched his small fists as he stared at his reflection in the window.
His silver eyes gleamed with determination.
*Mother deserves more than hiding in the shadows.*
*She deserves recognition.*
*She deserves to be seen.*
The palace would be filled with nobles right now. The media would be everywhere. Every influential figure in the kingdom would be present.
And the queen—smiling, adored, celebrated.
But Arlienne?
She would remain forgotten.
Overlooked.
Erased.
Not today.
Aster turned to Astra, who was brushing her long white hair.
"Astra," he said quietly. "We're changing the plan this year."
She blinked. "Eh? But… Mama already set the table."
"I know." Aster stepped closer, lowering his voice. "But don't you think Mama deserves a better birthday than hiding from the queen again?"
Astra's eyes widened. "Wait… you're not thinking—"
Aster smiled.
A mischievous smile.
The dangerous kind.
"The queen has her birthday ball," he said softly. "But today is Mama's birthday too."
Astra gasped. "Aster! Are we going to the castle?"
"Not exactly." Aster shook his head. "We're not crashing the party."
Astra let out a relieved sigh—
"—we're performing at it."
Her sigh caught halfway.
"We're WHAT?!"
Aster crossed his arms. "This year, everyone will remember that today isn't just the queen's birthday. It's Mama's. And we're going to make sure the whole kingdom knows who the real star is."
Astra stared at him.
Then she slowly covered her mouth.
"You're… amazing," she whispered.
Aster smirked. "I know."
"But… how will we do it?" she asked anxiously.
Aster turned toward the window, looking toward the towering silhouette of the palace in the distance.
"Don't worry," he said softly. "I've been preparing something for two years."
A magic that the world had never seen.
A song that no one could ignore.
A plan only possible because he was once Raze—
the failed singer who was reborn to rewrite the meaning of music.
"Tonight," Aster whispered, his eyes glowing,
"we give Mama the best birthday of her life."
And far away, in the grand palace illuminated by thousands of lights,
the queen's celebration continued—
completely unaware
that the royal twins were about to steal the entire show.