Many years later， when Kaos traversed time and returned a thousand years to the period of the First Holy Emperor War—grasping Apiril’s hand just as she clung to life by a thread—he would recall the very beginning， that moment when Apiril first reached out to him. It was the origin of everything. The warmth that touched his fingertips was the first point of light in his memory.
—Foreword
“Time for bed， my sweet，” the mother’s gentle voice urged the wriggling child lying in bed.
“Mom， I want a bedtime story. I’ve read so many tales already—I want something brand-new， exciting， extraordinary， and unbelievable!” The child blinked curious， wide eyes， prompting the mother’s affectionate smile. She carefully retrieved an old diary from somewhere， opened the worn title page， and began in a soft voice，“This is a story about the Starbeings...”
Starbeing Era 2275， Katalev Nock City
“Big Sis An， look! From up here， Nock City looks like a white lotus blossoming on the snowy plains， standing tall amid this frozen land.” Alice couldn’t hold back her excitement.
“What’s the matter? Have you never seen snow before? Look how thrilled you are.” Apiril gave a slight smile， raising a cup of hot chocolate to her lips. Behind her， a pair of slender white wings quivered gently. Alice pressed her face against the transparent window， where the fierce wind outside met the cabin’s warmth， forming quick-frosted patches on the glass.
“Argh， now I can’t see anything!” she muttered with a small pout. Then， as though remembering something， she lightly swished her tail and sidled up behind Apiril， mumbling，“But still... I’m a bit worried.”
Apiril， noticing her unease， spoke calmly，“Don’t be afraid; I’m here. All we need to do this time is find the Star Key hidden underground. Tony’s senses for the Star Key have always been spot-on. Try not to overthink it.” She attempted to ease Alice’s concerns.
“But...this is Nock City， the capital of Katalev. Are we really sure there’s no trouble?” Alice’s brow remained furrowed with worry.
Apiril spread her wings and gently ruffled Alice’s fiery red hair， her gaze soft.“The more discreet we are， the better. With just the two of us， we won’t draw too much attention. I understand your concerns， but trust me， nothing will go awry on this mission.”
Famed for its pristine whiteness， Nock City’s architecture was as pure as the surrounding snowdrifts， blending seamlessly with the swirling snowfall. Standing atop a towering structure， Alice marveled at the countless Gothic spires piercing the sky. Unmanned drones zipped overhead， maglev trains coursed through the city， and Starbeings strolled leisurely beneath the snowy skies， forming a tranquil silver tapestry.
“Alright， let’s go down.” Apiril took hold of Alice’s hand and gave a gentle tug. The two leapt from their high vantage point， and Apiril’s white wings unfurled to deliver a graceful landing.
“Ah!” Alice let out a sudden yelp.
“Got burned， did you?” Apiril teased lightly， nodding toward a nearby manhole cover.“The streets here run on geothermal channels， so each cover emits heat for residents’ comfort. Don’t be so startled. Come on， we still need to find Federico.”
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Before long， they arrived at a spacious plaza whose center was dominated by a huge ice sculpture—an imposing statue of a regal woman.
“Wow， Big Sis An， look! That statue is gorgeous!” Alice stared at the majestic figure with near reverence.
“That is the most famous ice sculpture in Nock City’s Red Square， built to commemorate their queen—Yekaterina Skadi， often called the‘Ice Empress.’ Legend says her power was Absolute Zero.” Alice listened in awe. Apiril， however， snorted dismissively.“Huh， big deal. My own electromagnetic power is way more useful，” she remarked.
They chatted as they walked， and Alice suddenly seemed to remember something. Blushing slightly， she asked，“Big Sis An， may I ask you something before we start the mission? Why are you so determined to find the Star Key?”
Apiril paused， her expression darkening， as though recalling memories she would rather not face. Alice， worried she had gone too far， quickly shook her head.“Sorry—I didn’t mean to pry...”
Apiril gently waved it off.“No， it’s alright. Maybe it’s just the pursuit of a dream—one I’m no longer sure is real. I don’t know if I’m chasing the Star Key for someone else or for some phantom from a thousand years ago. But I’m longing to uncover my own origins...to find my birth mother. To me， that would be closure. And if you want a more down-to-earth reason—my salary is pretty high.” She ended with a wry smile. Though the two stood close， there seemed to be a deliberate distance between them. After a moment of silence， Alice lowered her eyes， trailing behind Apiril， her little tail swaying， uncertain whether from the cold or from nerves.
All of a sudden， Apiril asked，“What about you? Don’t you have something you can’t let go of? Someone you absolutely have to see， or something you can’t live without?” She lightly kicked at a clump of snow， sending it scattering through the air.
Alice watched the snowflakes drift down， remembering something that brought tears to her eyes.“I... I do want to see someone. But I know I never can again.” Her voice trembled with indescribable sorrow. Apiril offered a slightly playful grin， as though trying to lighten the mood.“Hey， who knows? Maybe if you got your hands on the Holy Star Crown， you really could bring him back. After all， it’s said to be a relic that can grant any wish.” She spoke half in jest， as if reluctant to dwell too deeply on the topic.
Just then， a glowing red dot began flickering on the holographic display on Apiril’s wrist. Distracted by her thoughts， Alice accidentally bumped into a burly Angela local. The collision loosened her thick coat， momentarily revealing the distinct heart-shaped tip of her Capra tail.
“A Capra， huh? Watch where you’re going!” The muscular man scowled and spat something in the local dialect. Passersby， seeing Alice’s tail， began whispering among themselves. Flustered， Alice hurriedly apologized.“S-sorry， I don’t understand your language...”
Without missing a beat， Apiril yanked Alice behind her.“Why apologize? And you all—what are you staring at?” She promptly drew her sidearm， a spirit weapon called“Thunder Shadow，” arcs of violet electricity dancing around her. Startled， the onlookers quickly backed away， and the muscular man muttered a few curses before stomping off.
“Big Sis An， there are so many people here. You can’t just draw your spirit weapon! If the Executor Guard notices...” Alice whispered anxiously.
Apiril sheathed Thunder Shadow with a casual shrug.“Relax. Unless I actually use it， they won’t make a fuss. And even if we do end up wanted， I’ve got ways to handle that.” Then， eyeing Alice’s tail， she added，“Better keep it hidden. Ever since the First Holy Emperor War and what Tempest did back then， people still haven’t gotten over their resentment toward the Capra. Sure， times have changed， but hearts don’t change so easily.”
Alice nodded quietly， tucking her tail back under her coat. Looking up at the grayish-white sky， she let the whirling snowflakes melt on her cheeks， each droplet like a cold， fleeting tear.
Rounding a corner， they spotted an old man in tattered clothes huddled against a wall. He seemed completely out of place in such an advanced era. As Apiril stepped forward， the old man suddenly grabbed her wrist， eyeing her with a strange， piercing gaze—like a sorcerer searching her face for hidden clues. Apiril， annoyed， shook him off， but he spoke first:
“Oh... I see now. You must be her daughter， right? No doubt about it. I remember seeing you when you were so small， I even held you in my arms. Apiril... that’s your name， isn’t it? How many years has it been since then? Ever since humanity’s era ended， my old bones simply can’t keep pace with you Starbeings. My longtime friends and I have drifted apart—our endless lifespans made us forget even death， and we lost ourselves along the way. Me， I’m just a coward. I failed to stop an old friend from going astray， failed to protect the one I loved most. Now I’m left like this， a bitter old shell of regret.”
It was unclear if he was speaking to Apiril or merely muttering to himself.
“What are you talking about? How do you know my name?” Apiril’s face went rigid with suspicion.
Alice frowned and tugged Apiril’s sleeve.“Big Sis An， ignore this crazy old man. Let’s go.”
They turned to leave， but his faint voice reached their ears:
“Fate plays cruel jokes... Your mother would be so glad to see how you’ve grown...”
When they looked back， he was gone. Alice noticed Apiril trembling.“Big Sis An， you... you’re crying?” Only then did Apiril realize that tears were already streaming down her cheeks， freezing into tiny crystals in the biting wind.