The main hall of Ashart Mansion had no floor.

  At least, not in the conventional sense. When Mira stepped inside, the soles of her shoes landed on thick transparent glass panels. Beneath her feet, it looked like a reflection of the sky—a mini ceiling dominated by deep blue and purple hues. Wisps of smoke resembling clouds—twinkling nebulae—added to the beauty, some turquoise, some pink.

  The walls of the room were lined with bookshelves that floated without supports, shifting positions every few seconds as if the room itself were rearranging its thoughts. In the center of the room, a mahogany tea table hovered at waist height, surrounded by three velvet chairs that, of course, did not touch the floor either.

  "Welcome to our mansion," a man's voice sounded from the main staircase on the other side of the front door. He walked down the steps slowly until he reached the invisible floor.

  He didn’t look like the nobleman Mira had imagined. There was no fur cloak or excessive jewelry. He wore a leather work vest full of pockets, goggles perched crookedly on his forehead, and a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His golden-brown, amber hair looked messy.

  "I should have tidied myself up first. Sorry for greeting you in such a mess." The man stood before Mira, extending his hand. "My name is Dalt Ashart. People call me Lord Dalt."

  Mira met his hand stiffly but still put on the smile she had learned as a princess. "Mira Agnilith. Nice to meet you, Lord Dalt."

  "She looks just like my wife." Dalt stared at Kars, gently patting Kars on the shoulder.

  "One of the seven twins scattered around the world, right?"

  "I thought you didn't believe in such things, Kars."

  "You should invite our guest to sit, Dalt." A calm and authoritative female voice came from the direction of the main staircase.

  Lady Henesa Ashart gracefully descended. Unlike her messy husband, Henesa was the definition of aristocratic perfection. Her blue dress fit her slender figure perfectly, her black hair neatly styled back, adding an irresistible charm.

  "Welcome back, Kars," Henesa greeted, nodding politely, then her gaze shifted to Mira. "You must be the woman you were talking about."

  "Her name is Mira," corrected Kars, who had been sitting relaxed in one of the chairs.

  Dalt walked over, his eyes scanning Mira from toe to toe. He pulled out a monocle lens, put it on, and stared at Mira's chest—the symbol embedded there.

  "Amazing," Dalt muttered. "The structure looks chaotic but dense. I've never seen anything like this before. Are you sure it hasn't exploded yet?"

  "Almost, Lord Dalt," Mira replied casually but still with the elegance of a princess.

  Henesa gestured a hand, and an empty chair floated closer to Mira, pushing her calf gently for her to sit up.

  “Sit, Mira,” said Henesa softly but firmly. "We have a lot to talk about before the tea is cold."

  ***

  The discussion went quickly and efficiently. It seemed that Kars had already told the husband and wife what had happened before. And now they were asking Mira for an explanation directly.

  "Yesterday, the Royal Council gathered. We discussed many things, including the conflict that once occurred in the south, on your land," said Dalt after placing his cup of tea down.

  "What happened?" asked Mira.

  Dalt looked at Henesa, who was beside him, then continued speaking. "Lord Tama Agnilith has disappeared. The Kingdom of Netranata decided to hand over Agnilith's territory to Eliorr, and a small portion to Waguni."

  "Eliorr sent letters to all the kingdoms on this continent. They requested access to recapture the Agnilith princesses," continued Lady Henesa, looking directly into Mira’s eyes.

  "Is that an official letter?" asked Mira, still holding the cup of tea she hadn’t had time to drink.

  Dalt nodded. "Stamped by the Kingdom of Netranata."

  “What about your kingdom? You allow that?”

  “Our king refused. We don’t want to interfere in the affairs of other kingdoms. Especially if it could disturb the comfort of the citizens,” Henesa replied.

  “Asnaven doesn’t want any battles that could damage its territory. That’s why they don’t allow it,” Kars explained.

  “My father disappeared,” Mira murmured. The words were not directed at the people around her, but to herself. “I have to find my sisters first.”

  “Your eldest sibling is in Vesthralia,” Henesa said, which was not a question, but a statement. “You can’t just enter there casually; it’s heavily guarded, not to mention the Golden Angels Order that might be roaming around. You need a new identity.”

  “Why do I need a new identity, Lady Henesa?”

  “The crew of The White Swan knows your identity, your identities.” Henesa’s eyes were not only on Mira but also on Kars. “Your features are probably already clearly mapped out.”

  “Kars said the way to get into Vesthralia is by following The Second Domain,” Mira said, making sure that it was still an option she could pursue.

  “The Second Domain, the Sky and Earth Tournament,” Henesa said while picking up her teacup again, sipping it once more. Then she continued speaking. “An inter-academy competition. Only registered students are allowed to participate.”

  “Kars said you have a way for me to join.”

  Dalt nodded. “You have to go in through the bloodline route.”

  “What do you mean?” Mira raised an eyebrow.

  “The House of Ashart is one of the High Families. We need an heir. You need a way to fetch your sister. A mutualistic symbiosis,” Dalt continued.

  Mira stared at the couple. “You want to adopt me? Just for the tournament?”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The room fell silent for a moment. Dalt stopped winding his pocket watch. Henesa placed her cup down very slowly.

  Mira didn’t catch what Dalt said. She didn’t understand.

  “We need an heir,” Dalt repeated the sentence. “To carry on the Ashart name.”

  Mira’s eyes widened.

  No, she couldn’t accept that. She already had a status in another noble family. Her mouth opened to say something, but something held her back.

  Henesa looked at Mira with a sorrowful gaze. “Agnilith is no longer around, Mira,” Henesa said cautiously. “If it’s really going to return, wouldn’t your sister be the heir?”

  "No... That's not what I meant."

  "I understand what you mean." Now Henesa's hand was stretched forward, touching Mira's hand, who was still holding the cup of tea.

  "We are now fugitives, Mira. We, no, I mean you, need allies. Need protection. The House of Ashart is the number two family in the Asnaven Kingdom, the richest and most powerful kingdom on the continent." Kars's voice sounded like it echoed throughout Mira's ears. That man's tone was more serious than before. "You need a new home."

  "But I have to reclaim my territory, reunite my family," Mira said steadily. "My mother is in the Akhar Continent."

  "You don't need to cut ties with your family," Henesa interjected, her fingers gently stroking the back of Mira's palm.

  “How about this. You will still use our name for the tournament. After that, we will discuss matters with your family,” said Dalt, offering a solution that was hard for Mira to refuse. “If things go smoothly, Ashart and Agnilith will have a good relationship. North and south.”

  “But… I am a ticking time bomb. Why do you want me so badly?” Mira asked softly.

  “We are Ashart.” Dalt grinned, returning to his scientist mode. “From impossible, we make possible. We love danger.”

  "The first problem," Kars said, cruelly breaking the emotional moment. "Her eyes."

  After the incident in Jangberg Forest, Mira's eyes were no longer ordinary amber eyes. They had now become unnatural heterochromia.

  "And the second problem," Kars continued, "The Intian. If she uses Star magic in the tournament, the Golden Angels Order will know it immediately. She has to use Ashart magic."

  "Ashart magic?" Mira frowned. "How? You said Stealix can only use one type of magic. My Intian is already locked onto Star magic."

  "That's where we come in." Dalt opened his Dimension Pocket. He took out a black velvet box.

  There lay a pair of bracelets.

  The bracelets were no ordinary jewelry. Made of cold white Esthel metal, the bracelets had an intricate skeletal design, like a dragon's coiled spine.

  "This is my magnum opus," Dalt said proudly, lifting the bracelets. "You can call it the Igniter."

  "Igniter?"

  "It works like a refractor," Henesa explained. "Like a prism that turns white light into a rainbow. These bracelets will take your Intian input, force it through the rune circuits inside this metal, and convert the output into anomalous properties."

  "Anomalous? You’re anomaly magic users?"

  Henesa nodded. “That's right. House of Ashart is synonymous with anomaly magic of the imagination type. The rune inside this bracelet was written using a mixture of Dalt's blood and his Intian, and of course, with my husband's intellect, he could turn it into a deadly tool that could revolutionize the world if he wanted to publish it.”

  “Does it… hurt?”

  “Very much,” Dalt smiled widely. “Extend your hand.”

  Mira hesitated for a moment, then extended both of her hands. Dalt placed the bracelet on her left and right wrists. The cold metal touched her skin, then clicked into place with a solid sound. Then, it disappeared.

  “Disappear?” asked Mira, confused.

  “If it’s not used, it will disappear. Become transparent,” Dalt explained.

  “Activate it,” Kars ordered.

  Mira took a deep breath. She summoned her Intian and channeled it as usual.

  “ARGH!” Mira screamed. It felt as if her wrist had been dipped in molten lead. The bracelet glowed brightly, then turned into a dark, stable gray.

  The runes in the bracelet worked, "chopping" the structure of Mira's pure and sharp Intian, then "stitching" it back into a more fluid and abstract form.

  "Don't resist!" shouted Dalt frantically. "Imagine shapes! Don't imagine energy! Imagine objects! Sword! Flower! Anything!"

  Mira gritted her teeth, cold sweat pouring down her forehead. The pain was excruciating, as if the veins in her hand were being pulled out. An object... imagine an object... She thought of the only thing that had saved her on the ship—a dagger.

  Mira forced the Intian out from the palm of her hand.

  The light that emerged was no longer dazzling white light particles. Instead, a substance like dark blue liquid ink seeped out from the pores of her hands. The ink floated, spun, and then solidified.

  Within seconds, a dagger formed in the air. Not a light dagger (Hard Light), but a physical dagger. It looked as if it were made of solid blue glass.

  Mira gasped, the pain in her wrist gradually subsiding into a constant dull throb. She reached out and took the dagger. Cold. Heavy. Real.

  "Perfect," Henesa whispered in awe. "High-level materialization on the first try."

  "What about the color?" Mira asked, staring at the blue glass dagger.

  "Ashart magic always has a blue or purple hue," Dalt explained. "That's our family's signature. With this, no one will suspect you're a Star user. They will think you're an Anomaly Prodigy."

  "And your eyes," Kars pointed at Mira's face.

  Mira crawled to her feet, stumbling toward the large mirror on the wall. She looked at her reflection.

  The side effects of the Igniter apparently affected the pigment of her eyes when active. The forcibly altered Intian flow had suppressed the blue and red colors in her eyes. Both her eyes were now a deep gold. Amber. Just like Dalt's eyes. Their original eyes. Like Mira's eyes.

  She looked... like their daughter.

  "Your name is Rhea Ashart," said Henesa, standing behind Mira, placing her hand on that girl's shoulder.

  Henesa snapped her fingers. Mira's shabby linen shirt dress was transformed. Henesa's Imagination magic “rewrote” Mira's clothes. Now she was wearing an elegant academy uniform: a dark blue blazer with gold trim, a knee-length pleated skirt, and sturdy leather boots. On her left chest was the emblem of Veinara Academy—a book pierced by a sword.

  "Starting tomorrow," Henesa continued, her voice shifting to the tone of a Headmaster that could not be contradicted, "You will study the history of the kingdom, and basic magic theory. You will not disgrace the name Ashart at the academy or in that tournament."

  Mira stared at her unfamiliar reflection in the mirror. The girl in the mirror looked strong, wealthy, and honorable. But Mira could feel the weight of the metal bracelet on her wrist—a small prison that bound her power.

  "And one more thing," Dalt added, raising his index finger. "That bracelet has a limit—a limiter. Users of Imagination Style can use it every three to five minutes within an hour. Since you’re not a pure user, you can only use it for one minute per hour."

  "What do you mean?"

  "If you use too much Intian… let’s say, if you try to summon that Star Dragon again…" Dalt tapped his own wristwatch. "The bracelet will melt. And most likely, it will take your hand with it. Even ordinary users, if they exceed five minutes, can cause their brain leak, or in the worst case, it could explode. So the safe limit for you is one minute.”

  Mira swallowed. "So I’m not supposed to go all-out?"

  "You have to be smart, Rhea," Kars said from his chair, a thin smile playing on his lips. "A true Universalist doesn’t win with structured power. They win with flexibility. With that bracelet, you are now an Artificer and Stealix. Use your imagination. Literally."

  Mira clenched her fists. The blue glass dagger in her grip shattered into shards of light dust, then vanished.

  She turned to face her new family.

  "When does school start?" Mira asked.

  Henesa smiled. "Next Monday. And you're four semesters behind. We have to catch up on two years of lessons in one week."

  That night, Mira lay on her new bed. Her mattress was soft, made of goose down, with cool silk sheets. The ceiling of her room was enchanted to display constellations of stars moving in real-time.

  It was a far cry from the hard forest floor or the musty hammock on The White Swan.

  But Mira couldn’t sleep.

  She raised her hand toward the ceiling. “Rhea,” she whispered, trying the taste of her new name on her tongue. It felt strange, like wearing someone else’s shoes.

  Vessel... The voice of one of the entities within her rumbled softly, sounding displeased because its flow was being diverted. You restrain me with this metal toy?

  "Be quiet," Mira whispered to herself. "This is the only way we survive."

  Mira wondered where the other entity had gone. Er-ryn, it never appeared. Did that entity let V’nyr appear in the ocean at that time? So many questions, and so many problems.

  Ah, not to mention this morning's dream. Mira hadn't told Kars about it yet. Luckily, she still remembered its words.

  She closed her eyes, letting exhaustion finally take over. Outside the window, the city of Everiven was still awake, its lights flickering beneath the shadow of the Palace.

  Mira, the Princess of the South, had completely disappeared—for now. Rhea, the Princess of the North, had just been born.

  Asnaven Arc!

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