Time passed.
Not slowly.
Not quickly.
But relentlessly.
Three full years slipped by after the night the Snowflakes were taken and returned—three years that reshaped everything.
Aster Snowflake Wynfall was no longer a fragile eleven-year-old who collapsed from mana exhaustion.
Astra Snowflake Wynfall was no longer the little girl who clung to his sleeve.
They were fourteen now.
Taller.
Stronger.
Sharpened by silence.
And far more dangerous than the world realized.
***
Snowflake Mansion stood unchanged atop its hill, white walls gleaming under the morning sun, but the atmosphere inside had matured.
The laughter was quieter.
The practice rooms were busier.
The training schedules were stricter.
Since the kidnapping incident, Arlienne Snowflake had made one rule absolute.
No public concerts until you turn fourteen.
No exceptions.
No negotiations.
Not for nobles.
Not for foreign kings.
Not for absurd sums of money.
And Aster had agreed.
Because that night taught him something crucial—
Music alone was not enough.
Strength was required.
Control was required.
And sound magic… had far more depth than he once believed.
***
Now, three years later, the world was stirring again.
Aster stood on the balcony of Snowflake Mansion, silver eyes narrowed as he watched the distant city of Vornis waking up.
Beside him leaned Astra, arms crossed, hair fluttering gently in the breeze.
"Hard to believe it's been three years," she murmured.
Aster nodded slowly.
"Feels longer."
Behind them, footsteps approached.
Lea Kingscrown—now thirteen—strode onto the balcony with confidence. Her posture was firm, her movements sharp, her body radiating the physical magic her family was famous for.
She grinned.
"You two look like old veterans."
Astra scoffed. "You say that like we aren't."
Lea laughed. "Fair."
Over the past three years, Lea had become more than an ally.
She had become a true friend.
After the kidnapping incident, Duke Leon Kingscrown had personally ensured that Lea trained alongside Aster and Astra whenever possible. Physical magic lessons. Combat drills. Endurance training.
Lea's body grew strong.
But Aster's mind grew sharper.
And Astra's control over sound magic became frighteningly precise.
***
Now, a letter lay open on the table behind them.
Stamped with royal authority.
Royal Academy of Vornis
An institution where the future elites of the kingdom were forged.
Magic theory.
Combat training.
Mana control.
History.
Strategy.
Politics.
Every noble child attended.
Some talented commoners too.
And now—
Aster and Astra were officially enrolled.
Lea punched her palm excitedly.
"Can you believe it? We're finally going to the academy!"
Astra tilted her head. "I wonder how long before people realize who we are."
Aster exhaled slowly.
"They already know."
And he was right.
Across the country, students were already arriving at the academy dorms.
Sons of dukes.
Daughters of marquesses.
Gifted commoners.
Foreign exchange nobles.
Whispers followed them:
"The Snowflakes are joining."
"The twins?"
"The singers?"
"The inventors?"
"The ones who embarrassed the palace?"
Excitement mixed with curiosity.
And fear.
Because everyone remembered:
The twins hadn't performed publicly in three years.
***
Inside Snowflake Mansion, preparations were underway.
The concert.
The one Arlienne finally approved.
The *first Snowflakes concert since the incident*.
Held not in the palace.
Not in the capital square.
But in a grand open arena near the academy—neutral ground.
Engineers adjusted sound amplification arrays.
New-generation Harmonia speakers were tested.
Recording stones glowed softly.
Aster walked through the stage area, inspecting everything carefully.
"These resonance plates need recalibration," he said calmly. "They'll distort low frequencies."
An engineer nodded frantically. "Yes—right away!"
Astra tested a microphone crystal, humming lightly.
The sound came out perfect.
Clear.
Warm.
Controlled.
Lea watched in awe.
"You two really changed," she said quietly.
Aster glanced at her.
"So did you."
Lea grinned, clenching her fist.
"Just don't make me cry with your songs again."
Astra smirked. "No promises."
***
That evening, Arlienne sat in the main hall, watching her children practice.
Her heart was full—and heavy.
For three years, she had protected them.
For three years, she had refused the world.
Now… she was about to let them step forward again.
"Aster," she said softly.
He turned instantly.
"Yes, Mama?"
She hesitated.
"…Are you ready?"
Aster didn't answer immediately.
He thought of the goddess's words.
The kidnapping.
The silence.
The training.
The nights spent pushing sound magic beyond music.
Then he smiled.
"Yes."
Astra stepped beside him.
"We are."
Arlienne closed her eyes briefly.
Then nodded.
"Good. Then let the world hear you again."
***
Night fell over Snowflake Mansion.
In the distance, lights glowed from the Royal Academy dormitories—students settling in, unaware of what was coming.
One week remained.
One week until:
- The academy officially opened
- Aster, Astra, and Lea entered as students
- The Snowflakes returned to the stage
And this time—
They weren't just singers.
They were innovators.
Combat-capable magic users.
Symbols of independence.
And somewhere in the palace, far away—
Queen Lura watched reports pile up on her desk.
Academy enrollment.
Concert announcements.
Crowd estimates.
Her fingers tightened slowly.
"…They're back," she whispered.
And this time—
The kingdom of Vornis
would not be able
to look away.
******************************
The Dawnforge Arena had not felt this alive in decades.
Built at the heart of the royal capital, the arena was a place reserved only for events of national importance—
royal tournaments, inter-kingdom duels, and moments that defined the history of Vornis.
And tonight—
It was filled not with warriors…
But with sound.
Aster stood at the center of the colossal arena, feeling the vibrations beneath his boots. The stone floor, engraved with ancient reinforcement runes, pulsed faintly with mana, designed to withstand catastrophic clashes between high-level mages.
Good, he thought.
If anything went wrong, this place could handle it.
Beside him stood Astra, calm and radiant, her silver-white hair tied neatly, eyes reflecting the sea of lights rising around them.
High above, the circular stands were completely full.
Every seat.
Every aisle.
Every stairway.
Even though tickets had been sold at high prices—far higher than any previous Snowflakes performance—people came anyway.
They came because this was not just a concert.
This was the Snowflakes' return.
Three years of silence.
Three years of rumors.
Three years of waiting.
And now—
The second Snowflakes concert was about to begin.
***
Arlienne Snowflake watched from a private, reinforced balcony, her hands clasped tightly together. Renting Dawnforge Arena had cost a fortune—but safety was priceless.
After the kidnapping, she had sworn never again to let her children stand unprotected.
Every entrance was guarded.
Every corridor warded.
Anti-teleportation arrays shimmered invisibly across the structure.
This arena was safer than the palace itself.
And tonight, her children stood at its heart.
"Do you think they're nervous?" Lea Kingscrown asked quietly, leaning against the railing beside Arlienne.
Lea was fourteen now—taller, stronger, her physical magic far more refined. She wore a simple academy cloak, but her eyes burned with excitement.
Arlienne smiled faintly.
"They've faced worse than crowds."
Lea nodded.
Below them, the audience buzzed.
Students from the Royal Academy filled entire sections—noble heirs, elite commoners, prodigies. Many had arrived just days earlier, expecting orientation and classes.
Instead, they were witnessing history.
Foreign nobles filled the high seats, whispering eagerly.
"So this is Dawnforge Arena…"
"They say the Snowflakes' sound magic can shake mana itself."
"My daughter begged me to come."
"I heard the boy invents magic devices as easily as breathing…"
Merchants, knights, scholars, and common citizens filled the remaining stands.
No one wanted to miss this.
***
Then—
A ripple of shock swept through the arena.
The eastern VIP gates opened.
And an old man walked in.
The crowd went silent.
Then exploded.
"No way—!"
"That's—!"
"Impossible—!"
A figure wrapped in flowing blue robes stepped calmly into view, leaning on a crystal staff shaped like a wave frozen in motion.
His presence alone made the air feel heavy with moisture.
Archmage Thalorien of the Tides.
The strongest water mage in the world.
Principal of the Royal Academy of Vornis.
A living legend.
Students shot to their feet.
Nobles bowed instinctively.
Even foreign dignitaries stiffened in awe.
"He came… to a concert?"
"As a fan…?"
Thalorien chuckled softly at the reaction, raising one hand.
"Sit, sit," he said warmly. "Tonight, I am not an archmage."
He looked toward the center of the arena.
"I am simply an admirer of talent."
Aster noticed him immediately.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…Astra."
She followed his gaze.
"…Is that really him?"
Aster exhaled slowly.
"So that's the academy principal."
Lea's voice echoed in his memory:
He once froze an entire sea to stop a war.
Aster smiled faintly.
Interesting.
***
The lights dimmed.
Mana torches extinguished one by one.
A hush fell over Dawnforge Arena—tens of thousands of people holding their breath simultaneously.
At the center of the arena, a single rune circle ignited beneath Aster and Astra's feet.
Sound-amplification arrays hummed—not crude stones like before, but second-generation Harmonia systems, redesigned entirely by Aster himself.
Runes layered atop runes.
Resonance balanced perfectly.
Zero distortion.
Aster lifted his mic-shaped crystal.
His voice carried without effort.
"Good evening, Vornis."
The arena erupted.
Cheers crashed like thunder.
Stomping feet shook the stands.
Mana rippled in waves.
Astra raised her hand, smiling.
"We are the Snowflakes."
The cheers doubled.
Aster waited—patient, composed—until silence returned.
"This is our second concert," he said calmly. "But more than that…"
He looked around.
"This is our return."
Something in his tone sent shivers through the crowd.
Astra continued:
"Tonight, we'll be performing our new album 'The Blues' —ten original songs."
Gasps.
Aster added, "And a few… old favorites."
The arena nearly exploded.
***
The first song began.
Soft.
Controlled.
A melody that flowed like dawn light across calm water.
Aster wove low-frequency harmonics beneath Astra's voice, using sound magic not as raw output—but as sculpted resonance.
The effect was mesmerizing.
Mana in the arena responded instinctively, stabilizing rather than surging.
Archmage Thalorien's eyes sharpened.
"…He's using sound to regulate ambient mana," he murmured. "At fourteen?"
The second song followed—stronger, emotional, filled with layered meaning about loss and resilience.
By the third song, people were crying openly.
By the fourth, they were singing along.
Old Snowflakes classics returned—refined, matured, perfected.
When a familiar beat dropped, the younger audience screamed.
"It's THAT song!"
"They changed it!"
"It's even better!"
Aster felt it clearly now.
Control.
No mana overload.
No strain.
No collapse.
He had grown.
***
Between songs, he spoke briefly—not to boast, but to connect.
"Sound is more than music," he said quietly. "It's vibration. Memory. Connection."
He glanced upward, toward the academy students.
"And soon… I'll be studying it even deeper."
Thalorien smiled knowingly.
"So that's his intention…"
***
The concert continued for nearly two hours.
Ten new songs.
Five refined classics.
One surprise encore.
And still, the audience demanded more.
But Aster raised his hand.
"This is not the end," he said. "It's a beginning."
Astra nodded.
"The Snowflakes are back."
The arena shook with applause.
As the lights slowly brightened, Arlienne covered her mouth, tears falling freely.
"They did it…"
Lea clenched her fists excitedly.
"They REALLY did it!"
Archmage Thalorien stood.
And the entire arena fell silent once more.
He bowed—deeply—toward the center.
"To witness talent like this…" he said calmly, "is why academies exist."
His gaze locked onto Aster.
"I look forward to teaching you."
Aster met his eyes.
And for the first time—
The world of magic truly opened before him.
Because music was only the surface.
Runes.
Engravings.
Resonance engines.
Hybrid magic stones.
Aster already felt ideas exploding in his mind.
This concert was not just a performance.
It was a declaration.
And Dawnforge Arena would remember this night—
As the moment the Snowflakes returned…
And the moment a new era of sound magic began.