While Angel was heading towards the direction of the inn Lady Thornweald provided, she was amazed by the unique and unfamiliar things that surround her. The street is paved with glowing runes, shifting like living script beneath her feet. Every step she takes makes the symbols flare softly, reacting to her presence—something they shouldn't do for ordinary people. She saw people flying on unicorn like creature who wore white royal-like-military's clothes different from people who were on the ground near around her.
"SPLASH"
"Oh I am so sorry young lady." An old tall woman in her mid forties replied in a worrying voice.
Behind her was a decent looking building named Moonwell Inn.
"That's the place I was looking for. Is there any empty room I can stay here for a while?" As Angel asked the old woman in a cheerful way."
Yes there is... "The old woman's voice softened, and then she brushed a few droplets of water from Angel's cloak." Come in, dear. You must be feeling quite cold."
The old woman led Angel toward the reception desk.
She pushed open the wooden door, and a warm wave of heat rolled out—firelight, cooking spices, and the faint shimmer of Aether lamps lining the walls. Inside, the Moonwell Inn felt alive. The air hummed softly, reacting to the Aether coins stored behind the counter.
"We've got one room left on the second floor," she said, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "Cozy little thing. Faces the moonwell spring out back. Travelers say the water helps them sleep."
Angel nodded, relieved. "How much would it be for a few nights?"
The woman tapped the Aether Reader on the counter. The runes flickered awake, swirling in a soft blue spiral.
"For you? A single Pulse per night," she said. "But…" Her eyes narrowed—not unkindly, but curiously. "Your presence is making the Reader act strange."
Angel glanced down. The Aether Reader's glow had intensified, pulsing faster, brighter, almost like it was excited.
"That's… not normal," the woman murmured. "Aether doesn't react like that unless someone has strong magic. Or a strong lineage."
Angel swallowed. "I—I don't know anything about that."
The woman studied her for a moment, then smiled as if deciding not to pry. "Well, whatever it is, you're welcome here. Let me fetch the key."
She turned toward the wall of hanging keys—each one embedded with a tiny Glimmer shard—and selected one that glowed faintly in her hand.
"Room 7," she said, placing it gently into Angel's palm. "If you need a bath drawn or a meal sent up, just ask. And… if anything strange happens with the Aether in your room, call me immediately and one more thing I'll send some to bring you some warm clothes."
Angel blinked. "Strange?"
"Oh yes," the woman said with a chuckle. "Moonwell Inn has a habit of revealing and preying into people's things. Especially to those who are new to this place. If you want know about some things, just come to the dinning hall downstairs. I am quite sure that you will find quite some useful info."
She stepped back, gesturing toward the staircase.
"Go on, dear. Settle in. The night is young, and the moon is full."
Angel nodded, clutching the key a little tighter than before. The old woman's words lingered in her mind—revealing and preying into people's things. She wasn't sure if that was meant to be comforting or a warning.
Still, she offered a small smile. "Thank you… I'll come down later."
As she climbed the wooden staircase. A faint bluish glow seeped from the lanterns lining the hallway, their Aether cores swirling lazily inside the glass.
Room 7 waited at the far end.
When Angel slid the key into the lock, the Glimmer embedded in it flared—bright, brighter than it should have—and the door clicked open on its own.
A soft breeze brushed past her, carrying the scent of moonlit water.
The room was simple but warm: a small bed, a wooden desk, a round window overlooking the moonwell spring behind the inn. The spring shimmered with pale silver light, rippling even though there was no wind and the bright silver moon that was 4x the size of the Earth's moon surrounded by millions of colorful stars and two or three different planets which was visible even by the naked eyes,
The moment her foot crossed the threshold, the Aether lamps in the room brightened all at once, reacting to her presence like startled fireflies.
"…That's amazing," she whispered.
The lamps pulsed again—once, twice—then steadied, as if recognizing her.
A faint hum filled the air, almost like a heartbeat.
Angel swallowed hard. "What's… happening?
Angel set her bag down, took a breath, and moved toward the window, drawn to the silver light. Then she took a long sigh. "Huhh... I don't what's happening. Everything is so weird... what if I'm just imagining things, maybe I'm just sleeping. Ok let's do it.
" 3...2...1... Aaah... It hurts. I guess it's all true.
As she closed her eyes and stood still and lifted her hand close to her face and slapped her cheeks as hard as she could. Angel walked backward and fell on her bed feeling all tired and lonely. Then she thought to herself...
"I wonder where Scarlet's is right now, but wherever she is, I hope she's alright...
I wonder if anyone would be worried by my disappearance back home. It makes me sound quite rude and ungrateful but what's true is true. I have a never seen my parents or heard of them except my grandfather who rarely visited me and talked to me. Many people would to think that he is such a kind loving grandfather but he is not, the only think he cared about was his business, money and who would be his next successor that inherit all his wealth and his underworld business. Later on when I was 10 years old, I found out that I had two older brother and sister but they didn't seem to welcome my presence. The only person who seemed to care a little bit about me was my butler James Ryne who was very annoying yet very competent and was an old dude probably around mid thirties and single. I am 100 % sure that he got rejected because of his annoying personality. Everything was so boring and therefore I left home at the age of 16 and transferred to a new country and a new school to start my new life. Grandfather was a bit annoyed when he found out that I left home and then he limited my bank balance only up 4 million. Well I couldn't do anything about that and then I bought an apartment near my school which was only 20 minutes far with the help of James who did all the paper work. Then I met Scarlet, Scarlet was the only right decision I made in my whole life."
"Huh... I don't what is happening right now but it doesn't seem that bad. Maybe I can start a new life full of adventure and on my way I'll also look for scarlet. But first I'll need to know more about this world."
"Grrrr..."
..."Right I should eat some food first. Existential crises later."
She splashed some cold water on her face to feel refreshed. The water was very cold, once again letting her know that very thing is real.
A soft knock echoed through the quiet room.
"Um… Miss? The clothes Madam Rossa prepared for you."
Angel turned around and headed for the door. When she opened it, a young girl stood there clutching a folded bundle like it was treasure.
"These are for you," the girl said, eyes flicking up to Angel's face before darting away again. "Madam said they'd fit your… um… aura."
Aura? Angel wasn't sure what that meant, but she accepted the bundle anyway.
Once the girl hurried off, Angel set the clothes on the bed and unfolded them piece by piece.
A sleek, shadow‑black tunic. A deep forest‑green mantlecoat with a high collar. Charcoal trousers. Knee‑high boots polished to a soft shine.
And then she noticed the runes.
Thin lines of icy blue light traced along the coat's edges, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.
"…Whoa."
Angel brushed her fingers along the glowing lines. The runes warmed under her touch, responding like a living thing.
"…Okay. That's not normal," she whispered.
Her stomach growled again, louder this time.
"Right, Angel-Elviana Food first. Magical fashion crisis later."
She grabbed the pouch Lady Thornweald had given her — still heavy with Glimmers, Pulses, and even a few Heartstones. Angel didn't know how to use them properly, but she knew one thing:
It was was way too much money for a stranger to hand out.
Still… Lady Thornweald seemed nice. And elegant. And rich. And definitely not suspicious at all.
…Probably.
She tightened the belt, squared her shoulders, and stepped out into the hallway. The wooden boards creaked under her boots as she descended the narrow staircase. their Aether cores swirled lazily inside the glass once again.
The inn was small, cozy, and a little worn. A few travelers sat scattered around the room, talking quietly over their meals.
No one paid her much attention—until the runes on her coat flickered.
A few rough‑looking men sat at the tables, their eyes drifting toward her the moment she stepped off the stairs.
Not at her face. Not at her coat.
At the pouch on her hip.
Angel didn't notice. But the innkeeper did.
Madam Rossa's smile stretched a little too wide as Angel approached the counter.
"Well, don't you clean up nicely," Rossa said, eyes flicking to the glowing runes. "Those clothes suit you."
Angel smiled politely. "Thank you. I was hoping to get dinner… and maybe some information?"
"Of course, dear," Rossa said sweetly — too sweetly. "Sit anywhere you like. Since you are new here, your first meal's on the house.
Elviana's eyes widened.
"New? How can you be so sure that I'm new here. Don't you think I might be visiting this place after a long time?"
Rossa froze for half a heartbeat.
It was tiny—barely a flicker—but Elviana caught it.
Rossa paused. Just a fraction of a second. Then her smile returned, smooth as butter.
"Well, young lady-"
"Elviana Sylvene. My name's Elviana Sylvene and I am definitely not a lady. I am only 16 years old"
Well Lady Sylvene, in here children who have turned 16 years old. They are an adult. As I was saying Ashglen isn't the kind of place people visit," she said, voice light. "Anyone who leaves usually doesn't come back. And anyone who stays long enough learns to keep their head down."
"People here remember faces. And yours? I would've remembered and when I look at your face, I see something different about you. Looking at their surrounding like they have never seen anything like this before. That is definitely not a behavior of someone accustomed to this place "
Elviana nodded slowly. "I see."
Rossa leaned forward, lowering her voice.
"You want information, Miss Sylvene? Fine. I'll give you the basics."
She leaned in, lowering her voice so only Elviana could hear.
"Ashglen sits on the outer edge of the Lumerine Sector. And the Lumerine Sector… sits on the border of something most people pretend doesn't exist."
Elviana blinked. "What do you mean?"
Rossa's smile thinned.
"The Umbral Expanse."
The name alone made the nearby men shift uncomfortably.
Elviana frowned. "I've never heard of it."
"Good," Rossa said. "Most people haven't. The Empire doesn't like the word spreading. Makes them look weak."
She wiped her hands on her apron, voice dropping even lower.
"The Umbral Expanse is a landmass beyond the Aether storms. Bigger than all eight kingdoms combined. Older than the Empire. And far, far more dangerous."
Elviana swallowed. "And Ashglen is… close to it?"
"Too close," Rossa muttered. "Close enough that strange things drift in. Close enough that Aether behaves wrong. Close enough that the Empire refuses to invest a single coin here."
She gave Elviana a pointed look.
"Which is why nobles don't come here and even If they come it would be quite unusual."
Elviana stiffened. (And why someone like Lady Leviniaa Thornweald showing up in Ashglen is… unusual.) Unusual how?"
Rossa shrugged. "Depends. Some nobles come to hide. Some come to hunt. Some come for information. Some come to make deals they don't want traced or sometimes just to check on us."
She tapped the counter again.
"And some come because they're looking for something."
Elviana's breath caught. "Looking for what?"
Rossa smiled slowly.
"That, Lady Sylvene… depends on how much you're willing to pay.
"Thud.."
"Here is twenty Glimmers. as Elviana handed over the Glimmers frustrated."
Rossa's smile widened as she swept the twenty Glimmers off the counter with a little too much enthusiasm.
Elviana raised an eyebrow. "…You look awfully happy for someone talking about world‑ending danger."
Rossa coughed. "Ahem. I simply appreciate a customer who pays well."
Elviana groaned. "Just—just tell me the thing before I regret paying you."
Rossa cleared her throat, slipping back into her "mysterious informant" persona.
"Right. The Umbral Expanse. The Empire's biggest secret and biggest headache."
Elviana leaned in, spoon halfway to her mouth.
Rossa lowered her voice.
"Most people think the Expanse is dangerous because of monsters. Or storms. Or the land itself."
Elviana nodded. "That… sounds reasonable."
"Oh, it is," Rossa said. "But that's not the real problem."
She paused for dramatic effect.
Elviana blinked. "Rossa. Don't do the dramatic pause thing."
"It's important!"
"You're milking it."
"I am building suspense."
Elviana sighed. "Fine. Continue."
Rossa leaned even closer.
"The real danger of the Expanse is that it's not empty."
Elviana froze. "…What?"
"Ruins," Rossa whispered. "Structures. Cities. Entire complexes older than the Empire. Older than the kingdoms. Older than anything we can date."
Elviana's eyes widened. "People lived there?"
"Yes, people still lives there. Their population is not that much but yes. But their situation is much worse then us."
Elviana's spoon clattered into her bowl.
Rossa smirked. "Now you're reacting properly."
"I—what—how—" Elviana sputtered. "You can't just drop that like it's normal gossip!"
"Oh, trust me," Rossa said. "This is the mild version."
Elviana stared at her. "There's a worse version?"
"Oh yes," Rossa said cheerfully. "Much worse."
Elviana buried her face in her hands. "What would have happened if I had kept on wandering the streets?"
" Hmmm... You would've definitely been kidnapped and sold for a high price."
Elviana got a chill down her spine and was shivering.
"D-Don't scare me like that."
Rossa chuckled loudly.
"I was just messing with you. Don't take it seriously. Then she said in a serious tone... But do be aware of nobles, they don't just come here by accident. "
Elviana calmed down and started to think very hard.
"Nobles... Lady Thornweald. People like her don't come here for no reason.
"....Then why did she?"