Night had settled over the Veyris Empire.
The skies above the floating continents were peaceful, filled with countless stars and drifting streams of cosmic light.
After returning from Celestia Dreampark, most of the empire had become quiet.
Kael Veyris stood alone on one of the high palace balconies overlooking his endless empire.
Below him, crystal rivers crossed through the skies while distant dragons flew among clouds of silver light.
Everything was calm.
Then.
snow started falling.
Kael slowly looked upward.
Snow?
That made no sense.
The Imperial Palace climate systems controlled seasons themselves.
There should not have been snow.
Yet soft white flakes continued falling around him.
Each snowflake shimmered like tiny crystals holding miniature stars.
The air temperature dropped.
Not painfully.
Just enough to feel like standing beneath a winter night sky.
Space gently rippled.
A circular frost-blue portal formed nearby.
Crystal particles drifted outward.
Then someone stepped through.
A dragon goddess.
Long silver-white hair flowed far beyond her waist like a river of moonlight and snow.
Her crystalline ice-blue eyes carried pale silver rings within them, giving the impression of frozen stars.
Her pale skin and soft elegant features gave her a calm and distant beauty, like a quiet winter night.
She wore a beautiful white-and-silver imperial gown decorated with frost-like crystal patterns and celestial embroidery. Long translucent sleeves drifted behind her like falling snow while crystal ornaments shaped like frozen stars rested near her shoulders.
Her presence was quiet.
Not overwhelming.
Not chaotic.
Just... peaceful.
Her name was Crysalith Frostveil.
Dragon Goddess of Eternal Winter Skies.
She looked around the empire slowly.
Then her eyes landed on Kael.
Without warning.
she walked directly toward him.
Then suddenly hugged him.
Silence.
More snowflakes drifted through the air.
Kael blinked once.
Then looked down.
What are you doing?
Crysalith remained there for several seconds.
Warm.
Kael stared.
Warm?
She looked up calmly.
I traveled through frozen realms for a very long time.
Your presence felt warm.
So I came here.
Kael stood there silently.
A few seconds later
a voice suddenly echoed nearby.
Ignisia appeared.
Then Lilith.
Then Nyx.
Then several others.
Everyone looked at the scene.
Then looked at Kael.
Then looked at Crysalith.
Then back at Kael.
Silence.
Ignisia slowly crossed her arms.
...Explain.
Lilith smiled faintly.
This should be interesting.
Nyx calmly looked toward the sky.
Another one arrived.
Kael looked at all of them.
Then back at Crysalith who was still hugging him.
...
For the first time that night
Kael Veyris felt something more dangerous than outer gods.
Family questions.