"Do you always have to do that, Your Majesty?" Javier asked, his voice filled with helplessness.
The Emperor of Gandis leaned back on his throne with a grin.
"What is life without a little entertainment, Javier?"
Javier let out a long sigh.
"Your Majesty..."
"Javier."
Another sigh escaped the old knight.
"...Dimitri."
"Now that's the spirit!" Dimitri laughed before giving Javier a hearty pat on the back.
Bam!
Javier staggered forward, barely managing to keep his footing.
"You know," Javier said while rubbing his aching shoulder, "you're already of marriageable age."
Dimitri groaned dramatically.
"Must we have this conversation again?"
"You're the Emperor of Gandis."
"I know."
"The empire needs an heir."
"I know."
"Then why—"
"I'm still young!"
Javier stared at him in disbelief.
"Young?"
"I'm barely over a hundred years old," Dimitri said proudly. "I've got at least another thirty years before I start thinking about marriage."
"Dimitri!"
"I said I'll think about it."
"When?"
"In thirty years."
Javier felt another headache coming.
The surrounding servants wisely remained silent, pretending not to hear the conversation.
Dimitri suddenly stood.
"Anyway, I'll go check on Magnor."
"Your Majesty, wait—"
Before Javier could finish, Dimitri disappeared in a flash of golden light.
"...That insufferable man."
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Javier slowly walked out of the throne room.
"I swear he'll be the death of me one day."
---
Valeria Empire
The Crystal Palace
Far to the north, where mountains touched the clouds and snow covered the land year-round, stood the magnificent Valeria Empire.
Unlike the militaristic Gardenia or the lively Gandis Empire, Valeria was renowned for its scholars, magicians, and spirit tamers.
At the heart of the empire stood the Crystal Palace.
Upon an elegant throne carved entirely from translucent crystal sat an incomparably beautiful woman.
Her long silver-white hair cascaded behind her like a waterfall, while her icy blue eyes remained calm and unreadable.
She was the Empress of Valeria.
Selene.
A servant knelt before her.
"Your Majesty, the Gardenia Empire has officially invited every major power to the naming ceremony of the imperial twins."
Selene remained silent.
After several moments, she finally spoke.
"Interesting..."
The servant lowered his head even further.
"Prepare my entourage."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I shall attend personally."
The servant's eyes widened slightly.
"As you command."
After he departed, Selene slowly looked toward the clear blue sky visible through the palace's open ceiling.
"So..."
"The children born beneath those strange heavenly signs..."
"I wonder what kind of future awaits them."
---
Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.
The Gardenia Empire had never been livelier.
The capital overflowed with merchants, nobles, adventurers, scholars, and visitors from every corner of the Melika Continent.
Decorations covered every street.
Music echoed through the city.
Food stalls filled the air with delicious aromas.
People laughed as they celebrated the birth of the imperial twins.
Inside the Royal Palace, preparations had reached their final stage.
The grand ceremonial hall had been specially prepared for the occasion.
Its ceiling stretched hundreds of meters high, supported by enormous marble pillars engraved with ancient runes.
Crystal chandeliers illuminated the hall like countless stars.
The lower floor accommodated nobles and distinguished guests.
Above them, magnificent balconies had been reserved exclusively for emperors, empresses, kings, queens, and legendary experts.
Everything had been arranged perfectly.
Then...
ROOOAAARRR!!
A deafening roar shook the heavens.
The festive atmosphere instantly came to a halt.
Dark clouds gathered overhead.
Within them, an enormous serpentine silhouette moved gracefully.
The crowd gasped.
"It's... it's a dragon!"
The massive sky-blue Western Dragon descended majestically through the clouds.
Each beat of its wings stirred powerful gusts of wind across the palace grounds.
Standing proudly upon its back were three women dressed in elegant white robes embroidered with silver patterns.
As the dragon approached the palace, the three women stepped forward simultaneously.
Without hesitation...
They leaped.
Instead of falling, they gracefully floated toward the ground.
The crowd erupted into excited whispers.
"It's Empress Selene!"
"The Frost Empress herself!"
"She's even more beautiful than the rumors said!"
Selene landed softly without making a sound.
Her expression remained calm and emotionless.
She looked toward the dragon.
Without exchanging a single word, the beast lowered its head respectfully before releasing one final roar and disappearing back into the skies.
A royal attendant immediately announced,
"Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Selene of the Valeria Empire!"
Moments later...
Another powerful aura swept across the capital.
This time, a gigantic golden eagle soared through the sky.
Unlike the elegant arrival of Valeria's Empress, the eagle carried a man who appeared completely relaxed.
He was lying on its back...
Yawning.
His golden hair danced in the wind while his attendants looked utterly exhausted.
"It's Emperor Dimitri!"
The eagle descended.
Dimitri lazily jumped off before landing effortlessly.
He stretched his arms.
"I should've slept a little longer."
One of his attendants buried his face in his hands.
The royal attendant announced loudly,
"His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Dimitri of the Gandis Empire!"
As time passed, rulers and dignitaries from numerous kingdoms and empires arrived one after another.
By noon...
The ceremony officially began.
The Emperor and Empress of Gardenia entered the grand hall carrying their newborn children.
Everyone immediately stood.
The Emperor offered a brief apology.
"I thank you all for honoring our invitation. Forgive us for keeping everyone waiting."
The guests nodded politely.
The Empress smiled gently as she held the twins.
One child curiously looked around with bright eyes.
The other quietly slept, completely unbothered by the bustling crowd.
Though born together...
Their personalities already seemed vastly different.
Soon, nobles and rulers stepped forward to present their gifts.
Rare herbs.
Legendary weapons.
Ancient cultivation manuals.
Treasures beyond the dreams of ordinary people.
The Emperor accepted each one with a nod while the Empress thanked every guest with a warm smile.
Finally...
Dimitri stepped forward.
With a flick of his wrist, a glowing pearl appeared.
It radiated intertwined streams of black and white energy that continuously revolved around one another.
Gasps echoed throughout the hall.
"The Day and Night Pearl!"
"A legendary artifact!"
"They say it harmonizes opposing energies!"
The Gardenian Emperor's usually calm eyes flickered with surprise.
Silently, he sent Dimitri a telepathic message.
'Thank you.'
Dimitri simply smiled.
'Think nothing of it.'
Then Empress Selene stepped forward.
With a graceful wave of her hand, two beautiful crystals floated into the air.
One glowed crimson like the heart of a volcano.
The other shimmered icy blue like eternal winter.
Even while sealed within her aura, traces of intense heat and freezing cold leaked into the surroundings.
"The Flame Heart Crystal!"
"And the Eternal Frost Crystal!"
"Both are high-tier elemental treasures!"
"The Valeria Empire is truly generous."
Selene inclined her head slightly.
"I hope these gifts will aid the children on their journey."
The Emperor accepted them respectfully.
"My gratitude."
The celebration continued for three days and three nights.
Songs filled the palace.
Warriors sparred.
Scholars debated.
Children played.
For many, it became one of the greatest celebrations of the century.
On the final day, before all those gathered, the Emperor proudly announced the names of his children.
"My daughter..."
"Shall be known as Alya."
"My son..."
"Shall be known as Ethan."
Thunderous applause echoed throughout the palace.
Many believed they had witnessed the birth of future legends.
No one realized...
That far away...
In a forgotten forest...
Another child was fighting for the right to live.
A child whose destiny would one day become intertwined with that of Alya and Ethan.
And thus...
The story of The Mysteries of Gaia truly began.