The Veyris Empire had returned to peace once again.
Crystal trees swayed beneath silver winds.
Floating islands drifted across endless skies while dragons crossed rivers of starlight high above the heavens.
Inside the Imperial Gardens, soft music played from distant crystal fountains.
For once.
nothing unusual was happening.
Kael Veyris sat beneath the World Tree beside Morrigan.
Nearby, Lilith and Nyx were talking quietly.
Further away, Kael's daughters had gathered together again.
Kaelignis Veyris sat on a stone railing.
Lyra's Kaelry was eating star-shaped sweets.
Umbrythra Veyliss watched butterflies made of light.
Elyrion Veythera was reading a floating magic book.
Veyloria Kaelthera quietly looked at the sky.
Lyra suddenly looked toward Kael.
Dad has been peaceful for too long.
Kaelignis blinked.
What kind of sentence is that?
Lyra shrugged.
Usually something weird happens.
Umbrythra tilted her head.
Statistically accurate.
Elyrion looked up from her book.
Probability of unusual events around Father remains extremely high.
Veyloria quietly spoke.
...Three.
Everyone looked at her.
Kaelignis blinked.
Three what?
Veyloria looked toward the sky.
...Three seconds.
Silence.
Then.
the entire sky distorted.
Far above the Empire.
space twisted.
Stars bent.
Clouds froze.
Reality itself rippled like water.
A crack appeared across the heavens.
Then another.
Then thousands.
Dark energy spilled outward.
The daughters stared upward.
Lyra slowly turned toward Veyloria.
You counted that?!
Veyloria blinked.
...
Lucky guess.
Across the gardens, everyone had gone quiet.
Even the wind stopped moving.
A massive presence emerged from the distortion.
Its body constantly shifted between forms.
At one moment it resembled a giant shadow.
The next.
a creature made from broken stars.
Then something with countless glowing eyes.
Then nothing at all.
Its voice echoed through dimensions.
I have crossed endless realities.
I have surpassed distance itself.
Speed itself cannot restrain me.
No one can.
It suddenly paused.
Standing in front of Kael.
someone had already moved.
Ignisia
Dragon fire quietly flowed around her.
Not wild flames.
Not explosions.
Just calm heat.
Her crimson eyes stared forward.
The being looked confused.
...When did you get there?
Ignisia looked at it.
You talk too much.
The being suddenly laughed.
I possess speed beyond all limitations.
No one can catch me.
No one can touch.
It disappeared.
Or at least.
it thought it did.
The being moved through space.
Beyond dimensions.
Past realities.
Past layers of existence.
Then.
it slowly looked around.
Ignisia was still standing directly in front of it.
Silence.
The being blinked.
Moved again.
Appeared elsewhere.
Ignisia was there again.
Moved again.
Still there.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each time.
the same result.
The being slowly stared.
...Impossible.
Ignisia crossed her arms.
No.
You just made one mistake.
The being looked confused.
What mistake?
Ignisia's dragon aura slowly expanded around her.
Flames and stars moved together.
You walked toward my family.
Silence.
Then the pressure vanished.
The distortion across the sky disappeared.
The cracks closed.
The stars returned.
Everything became peaceful again.
As if the interruption had never happened.
Ignisia brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
Then looked toward where the being had been.
Leave my husband alone.
You might have been alive.
Silence.
Then.
Kaelignis jumped into the air.
MOM WAS COOL!
Lyra nodded furiously.
That was amazing!
Umbrythra tilted her head.
New conclusion.
Mother is terrifying.
Elyrion raised her hand.
Agreement.
Veyloria looked at Ignisia.
Then nodded once.
...Cool.
Ignisia immediately froze.
Her eyes widened.
Did...
Did Veyloria compliment me?
Veyloria looked away.
...
No.
Nearby, Kael looked at Ignisia calmly.
You reacted quickly.
Ignisia looked at him.
Then smiled.
Of course.
And for the rest of the evening.
the Empire returned to peace beneath endless stars.