Ruby was all smiles while the carriage she rode was going back to her home. On the other hand, her knight, Rita, who sat in front of her, looked troubled.

"Let me make things clear, Miss," Rita said. "Are you and Miss Aurora planning to go on a trip to another kingdom?"

"Yes," Ruby said.

"But this was so sudden!" Rita exclaimed. "And I'm included in it somehow?"

"Well, duh," Ruby said, as if that was the most natural thing. "I personally wanted to go with just the two of us. But who else was going to protect us if things got dangerous?"

Rita sighed. "I get it, miss," she said. "But such a decision, I think you should discuss this with your father first."

"That's why I'm going home," Ruby said.

"No, you already made that decision," Rita said. "Even if he said no, you would do it anyway."

Ruby smiled. "As expected of my dependable knight, you know me so well."

"I'm not happy," Rita said, though she was obviously happy, "but I will do what I can for you, Miss."

"Yes," Ruby said. "That's what I expected from you."

Soon, they arrived at Stoneheart Mansion. The building was beautiful, with walls made of sturdy stone decorated with elaborate carvings, and the windows adorned with colorful stained glass that glowed in the sunlight. The mansion's vast grounds were well-manicured, with beautiful gardens, fountains, and statues that added to its luxurious atmosphere.

But Ruby ignored them all and immediately entered the mansion, followed by Rita.

"Welcome back, my cute daughter!" Marquess Stoneheart said as he saw his daughter enter his room.

"Hey, Dad!" Ruby said. They hugged each other. "Anyway, I planning to go on a trip to another kingdom with a friend, so give me money," Ruby said.

"Oh, that sounds like fun--wait, what?" Her father was confused.

"Oh, right, I had some questions," Ruby said, ignoring her father's confusion. "Do you know about ancient magic?"

"Yes, I know about it," Marquess Stoneheart said, "but let's slow down a little. What is it about going to another kingdom?"

"Nothing much," Ruby said. "Magic academy's classes were on pause right now, so it's a good time to do it, right?"

"I see, that might be true but--"

"Anyway, Dad, ancient magic," Ruby said. "Tell me about ancient magic."

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"Alright, but why do you suddenly want to know about it?" Marquess Stoneheart asked.

"Why not? It sounds cool. Just tell me already!" Ruby pouted.

"Well, it was magic that was already extinct," Ruby's father said. "Or so people thought. But I believe my father, your grandfather, could use it."

"Really?" Ruby said, excited. "Tell me more!"

Marquess Stoneheart nodded with a smile. "Your grandfather, when he was alive, was well known for having skin as hard as diamond. Only a few people could actually hurt him. It's kind of unfortunate how such a tough guy like him passed away because of sickness."

"Then you know how to do it?" Ruby asked.

"Unfortunately, no," he replied. "I only heard him talk about it once. When he was young, your grandfather took a trip to the Dwarf Kingdom and found the lost Earth Magic there. That's when he learned the ancient magic that makes you invulnerable."

Ruby was pretty excited. A skin as tough as diamond? If she could learn it, she could be Aurora's shield, while Rita could be their sword. It was just perfect!

While this trip was supposed to go to the Valoria Kingdom, the Dwarf Kingdom was nearby. So Ruby might be able to convince Aurora to take a quick side trip there. She just needed to ask her later.

"Now let's talk about you going to another kingdom--" her father tried to say, but Ruby cut him off.

"Don't worry, Dad, I've already planned everything," Ruby said. "You don't need to do anything. Just give me some money."

"But--" her father started, but Ruby cut him off.

"I'm tired, I want to rest in my room for now. Talk to you later," Ruby said.

Her father sighed. "Alright, you can rest for now. Let's talk again later at dinner."

***

At the same time, Aurora was also going home, riding in a carriage with Lyra.

"So why did you suddenly want to go home, miss?" Lyra asked. "I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, but it seems like you have a lot to do at the academy, so it's kind of weird that you decided suddenly to go home."

"I guess I didn't tell you yet," Aurora said. "I was planning to go to the Valoria Kingdom with Ruby. I'm going home to ask my father for permission."

"What? You're going on a trip?" Lyra said, looking excited.

Why are they all so excited about the idea of a trip? Aurora thought. It's not even for fun.

"Before you get the wrong idea," Aurora said, "I won't take you with us."

Lyra immediately looked disappointed. "Why not?" she asked. "Did I... make a mistake somewhere?"

"No, that's not it," Aurora replied.

"Then why...?" Lyra asked, with teary eyes.

Aurora sighed. "It was for your own good," she said.

"What does that mean?" Lyra asked, clearly not accepting that reason.

Aurora looked out of the carriage, thinking for a moment before making a decision.

"If you really want to know," Aurora said, "we weren't going there for fun. It was actually a dangerous place--please keep it a secret from my father. And anyway, if I take you there..."

"Yes?" Lyra said.

Aurora just gave her a smile.

"What?" Lyra said, confused. "Why are you just smiling at me?"

"Do I really need to say it?" Aurora suddenly looked sad.

"Oh." Lyra's face turned pale. "You didn't mean...?"

"Please just stay here and support Serena, okay?" Aurora said. "You're important to me."

Lyra gulped. "I... I understand, miss."

Aurora looked relieved. "That's great."

Aurora didn't exactly lie to Lyra, so it should be fine. Technically, at least. And to begin with, she was worried about her if she took her along. If things went wrong, Lyra was the most likely one to end up dead.

So in a way, it was a prediction of the future.

A few moments later, Aurora reached her home. She immediately met her father in his office.

"You're back," Viscount Starlight said, standing near the window and looking back at her.

"Yes, I'm back," Aurora said with a smile.

"Great, let's have a little chat," Viscount Starlight said, sitting back in his seat.

Aurora nodded, walked closer, and grabbed a nearby chair before sitting on it gracefully.

"So how was the academy?" her father asked. "I heard that you started to get close to Prince Casper since that time he asked to meet you."

"Yes, a little," Aurora said. "But it was strictly just business. It was nothing more than that. I just needed his help for the future I saw."

Her father nodded. "So that's how it is," he said, kind of happy. "Anyway, my talk with the king turned out to be easier than expected. Probably because he was sick. I can't really blame him, finding his own son trying to kill him must have hurt him mentally a lot. But thanks to that, he didn't ask too many questions."

"That's great," Aurora said.

Her father nodded. "Enough with that. There must be a reason why you decided to go home suddenly. What is it? What happened?"

Aurora then started telling her father about Nova's nightmare. But she modified it so it sounded like she was the one seeing it. Then she told him about some characters from the game she needed to meet, especially the huntress, making it sound like they were the key to stopping the nightmare. Even though Aurora couldn't be sure of anything she said.

Aurora smiled bitterly. She was getting so good at lying that it was starting to scare her.

Her father nodded his head with a concerned look. "If that's what you need to do, then I have no reason to stop you. But it could be dangerous--"

"Don't worry, we will take Rita with us," Aurora said. "I believe she was the best knight around, we will be safe."

"Indeed, her reputation seems amazing," Viscount Starlight said. "But if you need help, just remember to ask."

Aurora nodded. "Thank you, I will. But right now, I just need your permission to go there."

Viscount Starlight sighed. "Alright, you can go. But please be careful."

***