The heavy velvet curtains of the royal suite were drawn tight, but the scent of ozone and starlight still lingered in the room like a fading memory. When Riha's eyelids finally fluttered open, she didn't see the familiar shadows of her canopy bed. Instead, she was met by the steady, silver-glow of her brother's eyes.
Xaris was sitting in a chair pulled close to her bedside, his long black coat draped over his shoulders. He looked remarkably relaxed for a man who had nearly leveled a floating arena the day before.
The Star's Warning
"Good morning, little fox," Xaris said, his voice a low, resonant hum. "How are you feeling? Your mana core was so dry it was practically screaming when I brought you back."
Riha sat up slowly, her muscles aching but her mind sharper than ever. She looked at her hands, feeling the faint thrum of the Void returning to her veins. "I'm fine. I just... I didn't realize how high the ceiling was."
Xaris chuckled and leaned forward, his expression turning serious. "I looked through your files while you were out. You've accumulated quite a collection of treasures, Riha. Your technology, your synchronized spirits, your strategic mind—you have potential that most beings in the Orion Belt would kill for. But let's be honest with each other."
He gestured to the window, toward the sprawling, high-tech capital she had spent five years building. "Don't you think that staying here and managing this kingdom will stunt your growth? You've built a masterpiece, yes. But a masterpiece is a cage if you never leave it. To truly reach the Galaxy Level, you have to travel. You need to live your own adventure, not just manage the lives of others."
Riha remained silent, absorbing his words. She looked at the city she loved, but for the first time, she saw it as a starting line rather than a finish line.
"I actually ran into those two 'suitors' of yours in the hallway," Xaris added with a smirk. "Helios and Kaelen. It turns out they are my juniors from the Intergalactic Academy—though they were always too busy with their princely duties to learn anything useful. They told me about their 'interest' in you."
His silver eyes flashed with a possessive, cosmic light. "I told them I wouldn't be handing you over to them. You are mine—not as a possession, but as the only person in this family worth competing with. I told them you were far out of their reach."
He stood up and walked to the balcony, looking up at the sky where a single moon was still visible in the early morning light. "The moon is the only thing I love, Riha, because I am a star. But stars are distant. If you want to reach me, you have to become stronger. You have to burn as bright as I do."
He turned back, a genuine, proud smile crossing his face. "I like that cunning little brain of yours. I accept your challenge. I will continue to be the most powerful being in existence, but I'll be waiting. Let's meet again in the Council of Universal Stronghold. Don't make me wait another fifteen years."
Riha met his gaze, her crimson eyes burning with a renewed fire. "I will reach the stars by myself, Brother. I won't just meet you at the Council; I'll be sitting at the head of the table. But for right now..." She gave a small, weary smile. "I just want to have a good time with my family while the festival lasts."
A Room Full of Rivals
No sooner had the words left her lips than the door to her suite burst open. A parade of worried faces flooded into the room.
"Riha! You're awake!" Lyra cried, rushing to her side with a tray of revitalizing elixirs.
Helios strode in right behind her, crossing his arms and huffing. "You really overdid it, you know. Fighting all of us at once? That was just reckless vanity." He leaned in, a teasing glint in his golden eyes. "Though I suppose I can forgive it since you looked quite impressive before you fainted."
Kaelen stood by the door, his teal eyes cool but relieved. "Your technique was... adequate," he said, his voice lacking its usual bite. "But your mana management is sloppy. You need to improve your circulation if you intend to face your brother again without ending up in a coma."
Riha laughed, the sound bright and clear. She looked at her friends—the people she had fought for, the people who had stood by her. "I'm fine, everyone. Truly. It was a good lesson."
She chatted with them for a while, listening to the gossip from the third day of the festival. Helios teased her about her "bathrobe encounter" with Xaris, which had apparently leaked to the palace staff, while Kaelen discussed the thermal efficiency of the new ice-stadium.
The Missing Healer
After a few minutes, Riha frowned, scanning the room. "Where is Nalani? She's usually the first one here when I'm injured."
The room grew slightly quiet. Lyra looked up from her notes. "She was here for hours last night, Riha. She healed your mana channels and made sure your core was stable. But then she seemed... distracted. She said she had something to attend to and went somewhere toward the South Gardens."
"The South Gardens?" Riha's eyes narrowed. "That's where the dignitaries from the Snake Islands are staying."
She looked at Caspian, who was standing at the edge of the room. "Caspian, go look for her. Nalani isn't the type to skip a celebration, especially not when I've just woken up. Something feels... off."
Caspian nodded, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his sword. "I'll find her, Master. If that Serpent Prince is involved, I'll bring her back before he can even blink."
As Caspian slipped out of the room, Riha felt a cold prickle at the back of her neck. The festival was reaching its peak, her brother was challenging her to conquer the stars, and her suitors were finally showing their true colors—but in the shadows of the Snake Islands' camp, a different kind of game was beginning.
The Empress was back on her feet, but the "Villainess" in her knew that the peace of the morning was just the eye of the storm.