The days after the Kingdom Founding Festival the whole country still felt unreal.
Not because something bad happened—
But because it heard about a miracle, that's not heard of in decades.
Snowflake Mansion remained quiet. The city outside remained loud. Newspapers kept printing half-confirmed truths. Merchants kept sending urgent letters for restocks of headphones and other devices aster invented. Strangers kept gathering near Arcwell stores to buy The album "The Blues" thinking it has something special enough that even a dragon showed up during the concert.
And yet, after a few days…
Life continued.
Or at least, it tried to.
That was how the world worked. Even miracles eventually had to fit into schedules.
Even blessings had to make room for school bells.
So when Aster and Astra finally decided to return to the Royal Academy, it wasn't announced.
No royal carriage parade.
No formal escort.
No speeches.
They simply wore their uniforms, ate breakfast under their mother's careful gaze, and stepped out of the mansion like they were going to any normal day of class.
Of course…
There was nothing normal about it.
The moment they arrived at the academy gates, the atmosphere shifted.
The guards straightened.
Passing students froze mid-step.
Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Aster could feel eyes on them from every direction.
Astra stayed close to him, her expression calm—but her fingers subtly brushed his sleeve, as if checking that he was still there.
Lea, walking beside them with her usual confidence, glanced around and muttered, "If anyone oes something, tell me okay."
Aster almost smiled.
Almost.
Then a voice screamed from somewhere in the crowd—
"THE SNOWFLAKES ARE BACK!"
And the academy exploded.
◆ ◆ ◆
It didn't matter where they walked.
The moment they stepped into the main courtyard, students began pouring in from every direction like water rushing downhill.
At first it was cautious.
Whispers.
Gasps.
Pointing.
Then it became unstoppable.
"Prince Aster!"
"Princess Astra!"
"Is it true?! Did you really see the dragon up close?"
"Were you scared?"
"Did it speak to you?"
"Did you feel the blessing?"
"Are you okay now?!"
Aster's steps slowed.
He wasn't overwhelmed by noise—he had faced stadiums full of people before.
But this was different.
A concert crowd listened.
This crowd demanded.
Aster raised a hand slightly.
The movement alone quieted the nearest voices, as if the air remembered his authority from the stage.
"Everyone," he said calmly, "we're attending class. Please don't block the path."
That should have worked.
It didn't.
They simply walked backward to keep talking.
Astra tried to speak as well.
"We're fine," she said with a gentle smile. "Really. We just need time."
A few students nodded like obedient children.
Others leaned closer.
"But the wings—"
"Did you heal everyone on purpose?"
"My father said his back pain disappeared!"
"My little brother's fever vanished!"
"Is sound magic holy?"
Aster heard Rain's voice somewhere behind them.
"Everyone, stop crowding! You'll suffocate them!"
Rain pushed through, looking both annoyed and worried, her blue eyes narrowed like a water mage about to unleash a wave.
"Rain," Astra said gratefully.
Rain quickly moved beside Astra like a shield. "You two should've brought a squad with you."
Lea snorted. "We did. Me."
Rain stared at Lea.
Lea stared back.
A silent battle of intimidation passed between them.
The crowd didn't care.
They only tightened.
Aster's calm expression didn't change, but he spoke slightly louder.
"Enough," he said, voice firm.
Silence rippled outward again.
The effect was immediate, like a cord pulled tight.
Even students on the outer edges stopped talking.
Aster didn't raise his voice.
He didn't need to.
"I understand everyone has questions," he continued. "But we will not answer them here. If the academy wishes a formal explanation, the principal may request it."
The crowd hesitated.
Aster stepped forward again, continuing to walk.
This time, Rain and Lea forced a path open.
Astra stayed close, her smile polite but tired.
Aster could feel it.
Not his mana.
Not the dragon mark.
Something else.
The weight of being seen.
Not as students.
Not even as royals.
As something… more.
◆ ◆ ◆
By the time they reached Class A, the hallway outside was packed.
Students from other classes had heard.
Even upperclassmen were leaning against the walls, curious eyes following every movement.
As Aster and Astra stepped in, their classmates reacted instantly.
Lea Kingscrown's head snapped up first.
She was already inside, sitting in the back row with her arms crossed. The moment Astra entered, Lea stood.
She said " we entered the academy at the same time but, I am waiting here for 15 minutes, where did you go secretly leaving me behind."
Aster replied "We went to see the principal and gave him an explanation, he took good care of us, and allowed to perform so, he deserved to know what happened to us."
Then Rain stood, walking toward them more slowly.
"You disappeared?," Rain said quietly.
Astra blinked. "We went to see the principal."
"I know," Rain replied. "But you disappeared from school. that day and didn't come to school for some days now, we were worried. And nobody would tell us anything."
Aster's gaze flickered.
Astra's voice softened. "I'm sorry, Rain."
Rain stared at her for a moment longer—
Then exhaled.
"…Good," she muttered. "Atleast You're both alright."
The tension eased.
Only slightly.
Then another voice spoke from the front.
Kain Kaiser.
He was sitting with perfect posture, gaze forward like he wasn't involved in any of this.
And yet the air changed the moment his voice cut through the room.
"You came back," Kain said flatly.
Aster met his eyes.
"I did," Aster replied.
Kain didn't smirk.
Didn't glare.
He only nodded once, as if acknowledging something private between them.
Then he looked away.
No one else in the class noticed.
But Astra did.
She always noticed.
◆ ◆ ◆
The questions didn't stop.
Even after the teacher entered, students couldn't help stealing glances.
It didn't matter if they pretended to focus.
It didn't matter if they tried to act normal.
Everyone had seen the dragon.
Everyone had felt the healing light.
And now the ones marked by it were sitting in their classroom like ordinary teenagers.
It was impossible.
Even the teacher hesitated before beginning.
"…Class," she said slowly, clearly choosing her words with care, "I know all of you are curious."
Murmurs rose instantly.
She raised a hand.
"But this is still the Royal Academy," she continued firmly. "If you cannot control yourselves, you will be dismissed."
Silence returned reluctantly.
Aster sat back, posture calm.
Astra did the same.
But Astra could feel eyes on her hands.
On the faint symbol that remained like a second skin.
She pulled her sleeves down slightly without thinking.
Aster noticed—and gently adjusted his own sleeve too, a small gesture of understanding.
◆ ◆ ◆
By lunchtime, the academy was worse.
Students who hadn't seen the dragon up close tried to corner them.
Students who claimed they'd been healed tried to thank them.
Some nobles tried to speak politely, their words carefully chosen.
"Prince Aster… if I may—"
"Princess Astra, my mother wishes to—"
"My family would like to invite—"
Lea stepped between them like a wall.
"No."
Rain added, "They're eating."
Aster tried to respond politely to a few.
Astra smiled and nodded.
But it became endless.
Even the rumors had mutated.
One student whispered, "I heard the dragon bowed to them."
Another replied, "No, I heard the dragon *named them heirs*."
Someone insisted, "My uncle said their bloodline is now divine."
Aster ignored them.
Astra kept smiling.
Inside, she felt strangely distant.
As if part of her mind was still in that dream-room from her old life.
As if she had two lives layered over each other, and the blessing had made both clearer.
◆ ◆ ◆
Then, over the next few days…
The excitement began to fade.
Not completely.
Nothing like this ever disappeared entirely.
But the fever cooled.
Students stopped chasing them in the corridors.
Whispers returned to background noise instead of storms.
Teachers regained control of classrooms.
Parents still stared when they visited, but fewer approached.
Even the academy itself seemed to decide:
The Snowflakes are still students.
We must continue.
Aster noticed it most clearly on the fifth day.
He and Astra walked through the courtyard, and instead of being swarmed, they were simply… watched.
Some bowed their heads respectfully.
Some stared with awe.
Some looked away quickly.
But no one rushed forward screaming questions.
Aster exhaled quietly.
Astra glanced at him. "It's quieter."
Aster nodded. "People get used to miracles."
Astra smiled faintly. "Or they get tired."
"Both," Aster replied.
They kept walking.
Rain waved from a bench nearby.
Lea called out something insulting in a friendly way.
For the first time since the festival, Astra felt a kind of normalcy return.
But even as the academy settled…
The dragon marks remained.
Faint.
Silent.
Unanswered.
And Astra knew—deep down—
The world might move on.
But the blessing they received and the dragon who chose them must have a reason for selecting them.
Just like that with a lot of questions with no answers several days passed by...