It was the same dream I had been having every night this week. The same dream I had been having on and off for the past couple of years.

I was standing in the middle of a forest I had never been in before; it didn’t seem to be any of forests here at home. The trees brightened the night sky with the firelight of the inferno that consumed it. I could feel the heat upon my skin as if I were seated before a hearth but amplified a thousand fold.

Around me stood several men and women dressed in armor that seemed foreign yet... familiar to me. Their armor wasn’t Imperial Guardian issue, at least… it didn’t seem to be to me. But the colors… Each man and woman wore familiar colors – the colors of my house: obsidian and gold. Something else about their armor stood out to me: the mon emblazoned upon the center of their cuirasses was a crimson ryuu consuming its own tail; while the ryuu had represented House Veros for eighty generations, I had never seen it in such a configuration before – it was always rampant against the deep black of our house’s armor, uniforms, and apparel.

I couldn’t tell the exact number of people who surrounded me. It could’ve been hundreds, maybe even thousands. We all stood shoulder to shoulder with one another, looking up at something in the night sky.

A black frigate hung like a wraith in the sky above us, brightly illuminated by the inferno blazing hot around us. The stern of the ship faced us, with its cargo hold open. I was barely able to make out four people standing before the hold’s landing ramp, looking down at us.

My ears filled with a mixture of the fire that roared around us and voices of the warriors around me. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but not because of the fire around us. They were all speaking in a language that was quite alien to me, and I couldn’t even begin to try and guess at what it could be. Although I couldn’t understand what they were saying, I knew they were cheering, and in great triumph at that.

Where were we? Who were these people who wore my family’s colors? What were they celebrating?

The dream always ended before I could find out.

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The smell of smoke, foreign chanting, and the hum of the frigate’s engines always followed me back into reality whenever I woke. It hadn’t been jarring since the nights I first experienced the dream. Even then, I couldn’t fully say they were jarring as I’ve always had vivid, borderline lucid dreams since I was a child. The curiosity that always came after the dream never ceased, and constantly followed me throughout the day, which I was sure it would today as well.

I continued to lay in bed, my eyes focusing on the earth-colored ceiling above me as I slowed my breathing and anchored myself in reality.

The cold sweat that stuck to my skin and bedclothes was an old friend I always welcomed at this point. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in, and held it for a moment before exhaling ever so slowly.

The serenity I was using to ground myself was quickly shattered by light knocks I heard at the entrance of my bedchamber. I was able to tell who was knocking by the pattern of knocks alone.

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“Sirah-sama?” Three more light knocks followed. “I’m awake, Keiko-san!” I called out to her, traces of sleep deepening my voice like it always did in the morning.

The purple washi papered fusuma at the head of my room slid apart slowly, as Keiko poked her head in.

“Good morn, mi’lady.” Keiko greeted me, bowing her head. “And good morning to you.” I greeted in return, slowly sitting up. I waved her in.

Keiko stepped into the room, sliding the doors behind her closed.

Keiko was a young woman about the same age as myself if I remembered correctly; as I had seventeen years of life in this universe, I was quite sure she had been alive in this universe just as long, if not, only slightly longer than myself. She was short compared to myself, her head just reaching my shoulder whenever we stood with one another.

“It is good you are up,” She began. “Lord Veros requested me to wake you.”

My eyes drifted over to the chronometer seated upon the small platform to my right. I squinted some until I was able to make out that it was 0400.

By Amaterasu, it was early! I would usually be able to sleep in for another hour or two before my day would usually start. A summons must’ve been attached to Keiko’s early wake-up call.

A low groan would leave my lips as Keiko swiped her hand over a panel next to the entrance to illuminate my room. I brought a slender mocha colored hand up to shield my eyes while they adjusted.

“My father sent you?” I asked, curious.

Keiko nodded as she turned to face me. “He wants you awake and dressed immediately.”

I raised a thick brow at that. “Full dress?”

She nodded as she moved over to an ebony colored armoire nearby. “Ceremonial.”

I hung my head at that. Of course he wanted me in ceremonial dress; he knew how much I detested wearing furisode. I sighed. “Did he say why?”

Keiko shook her head. “No, milady. He just made it clear that it was urgent.”

I wordlessly nodded. Something was definitely up, and it was enough to kick my lord father into serious gear.

My father, Kōshaku Edan Veros, was a compassionate, hardworking, even-tempered man who did not take himself overbearingly serious. But when a situation absolutely called for it, he was the exact definition of stern. And whatever was going on: it had every single ounce of my father’s attention.

I pushed the sheets off myself and rose to my feet slowly, stretching my arms above my head as I did so. I released a long yawn as she stretched my limbs awake, attempting to will them to catch up with my mind.

I turn in time to see Keiko approaching me with my furisode, hakama, obi, zōri, and gaff.

I could feel my cheeks heat up as I saw the gaff laying on top of the formal wear and grabbed it immediately.

My eyes connected with Keiko’s briefly before turning away, feeling the heat within my cheeks burn hotter. “I… I can do that part myself.”

She simply bowed before turning away.