At the same hour, far away at Stargate, Starlax woke with a sharp gasp as thunder tore through the night. A great storm battered the spire city, lightning crawling across the sky like living veins. His chamber windows rattled under the force of the wind. He rose from his bed and drew the blue curtains shut, shutting the storm out as best he could.

  Still half awake, hunger crept in. Sweet food, he thought. He slipped out of his room and padded down the stairs. Light spilled from the dining hall below. Curious, he slowed.

  Inside, he saw his father, his mother, and his elder brother Starfall seated at the long table. They were not arguing as they often did. No raised voices, no sharp words. Only silence, broken by the soft sound of parchment being turned. Starlax did not dare enter. He crouched by the door and peered through the keyhole.

  “So what do you think?” Lord Star asked at last.

  “Guarding Harbor District Six for a few months,” Starfall replied, his finger tracing several lines of the document. “That is the assignment.”

  “We understand you still crave adventure,” Lady Star said evenly. “But the family’s business is something you must learn.”

  “This is just a trick,” Starfall said, folding the paper. “A slow attempt to push me into becoming heir. It won’t work.”

  “Being an heir is a burden,” Lord Star replied calmly. “But all three of my children must understand how this house endures.”

  “In the future, you must support one another,” Lady Star added. “Your Aunt, Starmist has chosen her own path, but the three of you are responsible for the continuation of House Star and for leading our faction in the All Realm.”

  “Working with Starslayer?” Starfall scoffed. “I would rather leave this house. And that spoiled little sister of mine would only turn me into a caretaker.”

  The words struck harder than thunder.

  Starlax felt his appetite vanish. He pulled away from the door and slipped out into the garden, the storm’s distant roar following him.

  Inside the dining hall, the discussion continued.

  “Starslayer balances you,” Lord Star said. “He handles the administration you refuse to touch. And Starlax is still young. As the elder brother, it is your duty to protect him with all cost.”

  “You will only be strong if you stand together,” Lady Star said. “The Shogun, Amaterasu, and Susanoo are not even bound by blood, yet they lead their faction with dignity and honor.”

  “They misunderstand each other often,” Lord Star continued. “Even when I trained them as young Vanguards, conflict was constant. That is precisely why you, Starslayer, and Starlax must learn to build bonds like theirs.”

  Starfall stared at the table, his expression hollow beneath the weight of their words. At last he rose from his seat.

  “I will think about it,” he said.

  Lord Star and Lady Star exchanged a glance. Two days, they decided. Two days for their son to choose.

  Outside, the storm rolled on, and somewhere in the gardens of Stargate, Starlax stood alone beneath the trembling trees, listening.

  Starlax stood by the window, watching the storm through the glass. Rain fell in heavy sheets, blurring the lights of Stargate into pale streaks. Thunder rolled farther away now, but the sky still trembled.

  Starfall passed by on his way to his chamber. He paused only long enough to glance at his sister.

  “Go to sleep,” he said, then turned and left.

  Starlax did not answer. Her face remained dull, her eyes fixed on the rain. When his footsteps faded, she noticed a glow down the corridor. Njall’s workshop was still lit.

  She took a parasol from its stand and walked through the rain. When she knocked, the door opened at once. Njall had been asleep at her desk and nearly fell from her chair in surprise.

  “Good heavens, young lady,” Njall said, ushering her inside. “What brings you here at this hour?”

  She cleared scattered papers and offered her own seat. Starlax sat, shoulders slumped, saying nothing.

  Njall busied herself at once, heating milk and melting chocolate. When it was ready, she placed the warm cup into Starlax’s hands.

  “Njall,” Starlax asked quietly, blowing on the steam, “am I a burden to my family?”

  Njall blinked. “Why would you think such a thing? You are still very young. Most nobles your age care only for games and sweets.”

  “I don’t really belong with my faction either,” Njall added with a small laugh, trying to lift the mood.

  “Why not?” Starlax asked, taking a careful sip.

  “The Cogworks faction is complicated,” Njall said. “Brilliant minds, but sharp tempers. I asked Professor Bjorn to leave it for that reason.”

  Unsure how else to comfort a young noble, Njall spread out blueprints across the table. She spoke about buildings Lord Star planned to raise, about gears and moving halls and strange devices of cogworks design. Machines were the only language she truly knew.

  Slowly, Starlax’s gloom faded. She listened, eyes brightening as Njall explained each drawing and demonstrated a few peculiar tools. By then, the storm had weakened to a drizzle.

  “You should return to your room,” Njall said at last. “I don’t need trouble added to my day.”

  Starlax paused at the door. “If you could choose your own siblings in the All Realm,” she asked, “who would you choose?”

  Njall laughed softly. “I’ve never thought that far ahead.”

  “I would be happy to have siblings like Leroy and Elysius,” Starlax said with a smile.

  “Two council members at once?” Njall said, startled. “You would feel safe every day.”

  Starlax laughed and ran back toward the palace halls. Njall watched her go, hands on her hips.

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  “Poor child,” she murmured, closing the door. “I thought only the poor carried so many worries.”

  She extinguished the lights and returned to rest, while the last rain faded into silence.

  Starmist returned to Stargate after several days away. The moment she stepped down from her vessel, Starlax rushed forward and wrapped her in a tight embrace. Starmist laughed softly and returned it, and together they walked into the palace halls.

  She opened a small pouch and offered her niece candied fruit, a gift from her travels. The sweetness carried a sharp sour note. Starlax tried it, frowned, and decided she did not like it at all. Starmist laughed at her reaction and let it go.

  Later, she sat beside Lady Star as they watched Starlax practice a speech. The girl stood at a small podium, struggling to shape her words while her mother and aunt spoke in low voices beside one another.

  “Did Amaterasu mention the illegal trade of elemental creatures?” Lady Star asked.

  “Only briefly,” Starmist replied, sipping a cold drink. “The council has already addressed it with her. Still, if the matter were brought before the Shogun, the outcome might be different.”

  “The black market can’t be stopped,” Lady Star said, watching her daughter pause and start again. “More commonfolk and even kingdoms of the Silver Chair deal there in secret.”

  “The council agrees,” Starmist said. “They intend to let it persist, but they want to involve the Cryptic Associates to control the flow of information.”

  Lady Star added sugar to her drink. “That is sensible. We cannot erase it, but Cryptic involvement may help identify which Extraterrestrial Houses are truly active in those dealings.”

  She glanced at Starmist. “Your friendships with faction leaders are a blessing for a minority faction like ours.”

  “I’m not particularly close with the leaders of the Abyss, Cogworks, or Celestial,” Starmist said with a small smile.

  “We’re fortunate Starlax gets along with Morrigan,” Lady Star said. “Though I still worry. But you once had a friend in Celestial as well, besides Elysius. You haven’t spoken to them in a long time, have you?”

  Starmist looked down into her cup and shook her head slowly.

  At that moment, Starlax ran from the podium and thrust her written paragraph toward them. Lady Star crossed out several lines and rewrote others, while Starlax lost interest and leaned closer to her aunt, chatting excitedly.

  A servant approached Starmist and whispered that a guest had arrived. She excused herself and went to the reception room.

  Elysius sat waiting, a bundle of notes in his hands.

  “You know the weapon masters and the Cogworks are causing trouble again,” he said, resting his staff against the bench.

  “You came here to vent,” Starmist said, sitting beside him.

  “Not exactly. I only—” Elysius met her calm azure gaze and froze. After a moment, he looked away. “Yes. You’re right. I came to vent.”

  Starmist smiled. “I thought so. How are things with the duties we agreed on?”

  “I work well enough with the weapon masters, the sorcerers, and several elemental gods,” he replied.

  “And the Abyss?” Starmist teased, knowing his temper where that faction was concerned.

  Elysius took the bait. “Ask Cogworks. Or even your own faction. Why must it always be the Abyss?”

  “You avoid the Abyss because of one woman, don’t you?” Starmist pressed.

  “That Samartian will shorten my life if I have to deal with her any longer,” Elysius said, irritation slipping through his calm.

  Starmist only smiled, letting the words hang between them as the palace settled into its evening rhythm.

  “Lady Amaterasu told me to hear her out first,” Elysius added.

  Starmist laughed.

  Elysius then handed her the papers he had been holding. They contained early notices regarding the Sevenstar event the council was preparing. Starmist wants to bring this up at the next council meeting, the plan should all be clear before it comes to the table.

  She read with careful attention. While she did, Elysius stood and studied the vast architecture of Stargate’s ceiling, its lines curving like frozen constellations. When she finished, Starmist pointed out several points that needed to be announced either before or after the event. Not everything, she said, should be revealed at once.

  She also noted that several major factions would send representatives. Elementalist. Extraterrestrial. Sorcerer. Abyss. It was important that other noble houses understood this. Such names drew attention. Where they gathered, others followed.

  “The Abyss too?” Elysius asked, startled.

  “Lord Star helped me negotiate with King Darkon,” Starmist replied. “Princess Samartian will attend.”

  She looked at Elysius. His shoulders sagged in quiet defeat.

  He sat back down beside her. “At least we’ll all be in one place,” he said, forcing a thin smile.

  They spoke for hours after that, refining preparations and contingencies. When Elysius finally departed, he left by running into the open air, feet striking nothing as he propelled himself upward, faster and higher until he vanished against the darkening sky.

  Night settled over Stargate.

  Servants moved in quiet lines, carrying dishes from the kitchens to the main dining hall. Starmist entered to find her family already seated. Starlax still held her speech notes, whispering lines to herself under her breath.

  Dinner passed in calm silence. No arguments. No raised voices. Each of them seemed lost in private thought.

  When the meal ended and the servants withdrew, Starfall rose. He placed his hand on the table and struck it once, lightly. Not a threat. A declaration.

  “I have good news,” he said, smiling with unexpected brightness. “I’ve agreed to take the harbor assignment. I’ll depart in two days.”

  The words lingered in the air, heavy with consequence, as the family turned to look at him.

  Lady Star reached for her husband’s hand where it rested on the table. Their fingers intertwined, and both of them smiled, relief plain on their faces.

  “Congratulations, Brother,” Starlax said shyly, lifting her glass just a little. “I hope you succeed.”

  “I will,” Starfall replied, pointing at his youngest sister. “I promise you that, Starlax.”

  “May it go well,” Starmist said, raising her own glass. “What made you change your mind?”

  Starfall explained that he had already spoken with Leroy through a transmitter. Since District Six was controlled largely by weapon masters, he wanted to ensure the faction leaders there would not obstruct his work. Instead, he proposed cooperation. With those negotiations in place, Starfall believed security would be easier to maintain, allowing him to focus on smuggling operations likely occurring in the harbor.

  “Starfall,” Starmist said, impressed, “I didn’t expect you to seek Leroy’s advice on this. You’ll do well.”

  “If you need help, my son, contact us,” Lord Star said with a broad smile. “I’ll support you.”

  “There’s no need, Father,” Starfall replied, still standing. “The weapon masters and I are enough. But you’ll hear from me once a week.”

  Starslayer cleared his throat softly. “That’s a wise choice, Starfall. You’ll build your own reputation without standing in Father’s shadow.”

  The smile vanished from Starfall’s face.

  He set his glass down and walked toward his middle sibling. His eyes were sharp, anger restrained but unmistakable. Starslayer remained seated, calm, and did not look back at him. Starfall reached out and struck the back of Starslayer’s neck, a sharp tap meant more as warning than harm, then left the dining hall without a word.

  Lord and Lady Star froze. Starmist rose at once and guided Starlax out of the room. Behind them, the low voices of three adults began to argue, controlled, but tense.

  Starmist signaled to the servants to escort Starlax to her chamber and keep her distracted with games. Taking several books with her, Starmist went out into the courtyard and sat beneath the open sky.

  The wind had grown strong. Cold air crept in, and thick clouds rolled across the heavens, dimming the stars one by one. As long as no rain fell, Starmist remained where she was, reading in silence while the night gathered above Stargate.

  Soft footsteps approached, swaying slightly as they moved.

  “Reading book about human again, Starmist?” Sicilia asked.

  Starmist turned the book so the cover faced up and nodded. Sicilia stand beside her.

  “A rough family dinner?” Sicilia said, glancing at the dark clouds above. “If you want to clear your mind, I know a tonic recipe just for you.”

  “I’m fine,” Starmist replied. She shifted her gaze between Sicilia and the page. “I’m used to things like this.”

  Sicilia leaned closer, peeking at the book. “Don’t you ever get tired of always appearing perfect?”

  “I’ve always been this way,” Starmist said with a small smile. “It seems to be my nature.”

  “You’re fortunate,” Sicilia said, her eyes lingering. “That nature shapes the All Realm. And it doesn’t hurt your admirers either.”

  Starmist smiled again. Sicilia folded her arms and stared ahead, expression distant.

  “But you reject every man who comes to you, don’t you?” Sicilia said.

  Lightning flashed across the clouds as the first drops of rain fell.

  Starmist closed her book and held it over her head. “Sicilia, I’m sorry. I should go inside. You should too. The rain’s getting heavier.”

  Sicilia did not answer. She watched Starmist leave as the rain soaked her clothes, unmoving beneath the dark sky.