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Lilith Crescent. The name alone carried enough weight to reshape the political landscape of any room it was spoken in.
Night Empress. Eastern Domain Ruler. One of four Undying Realm masters in the Ancient Kingdom. The woman who had crafted Original Cards two thousand years ago and risen to become the defining power of her millennium. Every governor, every academy dean, every association president in the Eastern Region answered to her, directly or indirectly.
The Night Palace, her home, was a converted Dimensional Plane, reshaped by her own power into a private domain that existed outside the normal spatial framework of the world. The other three Undying rulers maintained similar residences. At their level of existence, the mortal plane was too fragile to live in comfortably. One careless release of power could crack a city.
"Come sit." Lilith's tone with Selene was gentle, almost maternal. After years of mentorship, the Night Empress treated Selene less like a student and more like a daughter. In the entire Ancient Kingdom, only Selene and the Supreme held the privilege of entering the Night Palace freely.
"Master, the reconstruction materials for Circe are complete." Selene settled beside Lilith and handed over a Storage Card. "Governor Ashford was very accommodating. The Glacial Wellspring is all here."
Lilith's spiritual sense swept through the Storage Card in an instant. Her red eyes curved with satisfaction. "You've done well. This is more than enough. Circe's reconstruction can begin immediately."
The tension Selene had been carrying for days finally eased.
"Master, the entrance exam period is approaching." Selene chose her words carefully. "I'd like to leave the Night Palace for a while, if you don't mind."
"Of course." Lilith nodded without hesitation. "You're still a guest instructor at Celestial Academy. It makes sense to be present during the exam season."
She thinks I'm going back to the Academy. Selene caught the assumption and didn't correct it. The truth was more complicated. She wanted to go to Ashenvale. She wanted to see Luke Mercer with her own eyes. And she wanted to evaluate whether taking him as her first student was feasible.
None of which she was ready to explain to her master just yet.
"Actually," Lilith added, and Selene felt her stomach drop, "I think I'll join you."
"What?"
"It's been a while since I visited Celestial Academy. The exam season is always interesting, and I wouldn't mind seeing the current crop of students." Lilith's tone was light, conversational. As if the most powerful person in the Eastern Region casually deciding to attend a school event was perfectly normal.
Selene's internal alarm bells went haywire. If the Night Empress accompanied her, sneaking off to Ashenvale to investigate Luke became infinitely more complicated. Lilith would notice her absence immediately. And if Lilith asked why she was interested in a satellite city student, Selene would have to explain, and then the Night Empress would probably want to see Luke herself, and then Selene's plan to be his first mentor would evaporate overnight.
"But Master," Selene made one last attempt, keeping her voice steady, "don't you need to focus on Circe's reconstruction? And you mentioned wanting to craft a new Original Card afterward. Won't leaving interrupt your schedule?"
"Silly girl." Lilith reached over and tapped Selene's forehead with one finger, a gesture so casual and affectionate that it contrasted absurdly with the cosmic-scale power behind the hand doing the tapping. "Reconstructing a card isn't as time-consuming as you think. Not for me."
The quiet confidence in those words reminded Selene, yet again, of the gap between her master and everyone else. Selene had spent years pushing the Arcane Hawk to Simurgh. Lilith was talking about reconstructing a Twelve-Star card like it was a weekend project.
"As for the new Original Card," Lilith continued, "I have a direction, but I'm missing a spark of inspiration. Staying cooped up in the Palace won't help with that. Sometimes you need to step outside to see clearly."
She smiled. It was the smile of someone who'd lived two millennia and learned that the best ideas came from unexpected places.
"I have a feeling this trip will bring something interesting."
"Is that so?" Selene managed a weak smile, already mourning her carefully laid plans.
What Selene couldn't see was what was happening behind Lilith's peach-blossom eyes. The Night Empress had spent centuries reading people. Selene's behavior today was slightly off. The timing of the request. The careful phrasing. The way she'd steered the conversation away from specific destinations.
Something had caught Selene's interest during this trip. Something she wasn't sharing.
Lilith didn't press. She didn't need to. Whatever it was, she'd find out soon enough. Patience was a skill you mastered long before your second millennium.
Her cherry lips curved upward just a fraction more.
This should be entertaining.
-----
Ashenvale. Card Master Association. Branch President's office.
"You want me to do what?" Nina Ashby stared at Harrison Cole as if he'd just asked her to set the building on fire.
"Process Luke Mercer's upgrade from standard member to elite member." Harrison's expression was perfectly neutral. "Effective immediately."
Nina's brain performed several rapid calculations, all of which returned error messages.
A Card Master who had joined the Association less than a month ago. Bypassing the standard examination. Direct enrollment by the branch president's personal authority. And now, before the ink on his membership card had dried, a promotion to elite status.
She had spent five years climbing from standard to elite. Five years of completed missions, accumulated merit points, peer evaluations, and annual reviews. And she had been considered fast.
"President Cole." Nina's voice was carefully controlled. "Are you certain?"
"If I weren't certain, would I be asking you to handle it personally?" Harrison replied with the serene calm of a man who knew exactly what kind of reaction he was provoking and didn't care.
"This isn't a big deal. Process the upgrade."
Not a big deal?!
Nina's jaw worked silently. Five years. Five years of her life. Blood, sweat, and more paperwork than any human being should ever have to endure. And this student, this kid, had achieved the same status in less time than it took most people to memorize the Association's filing system.
She took a deep breath. Professionalism. She was a professional.
"Understood, President Cole. I'll have it processed by end of day."
She turned on her heel and walked out of the office with measured, dignified steps. The moment the door closed behind her, her composure cracked.
Give me back my five years.