I wandered aimlessly, pacing back and forth in a deserted corridor. The marble statues on either side struck various incomprehensible poses, their expressions resembling someone who had been constipated for seven days.

"...'Sincerely'? Really? Wouldn't that sound too weird?" I sought advice from Justitia Snow, but the pure white wolf's reply was as unhelpful as his reign.

People often said that every emperor of Snow was nothing more than a simple-minded brute, so maybe I should consult someone else.

"I think you'd appreciate a more logical, meticulous approach." Erebus Nyx gazed down at me with wise, penetrating eyes. "And it has nothing to do with you being a Nyx, of course. No stereotypes involved!" His expression didn't seem to buy my excuse. "Ah, forget it, I didn't say anything!"

Deciding not to continue arguing with wolves clearly out of touch with the younger generation's social circles, I resumed my little adventure, wandering aimlessly through the area.

Entering a certain exhibition hall, I immediately recognized the enormous symbol of the Tree of Life, intricately carved to dominate the entire ceiling space.

The trunk, branches, pathways, and radiating roots were all inscribed with the Latin names of various taxonomic groups. I couldn't pronounce any of them, but pretending to understand was still cool. Something like this: "Canis lupus," I recited in an imagined scholarly tone, secretly relishing the exaggerated satisfaction.

The most striking exhibit, though, was the massive skeletal structure hanging from the ceiling--a type of fish, perhaps? With some curiosity, I moved closer, passing by a few yellowed ancient books left open and something that resembled... teeth.

Interesting. Were fish really that big back in the day?

When I stood directly beneath the massive skeleton, I noticed something unusual--it wasn't a fish. What I had mistaken for fins were actually distinctly homologous structures of limb bones. And that looked like a scapula.

Moreover, the vertebrae's segmentation pattern, with fused sections... I counted them and confirmed that it was a mammal, some kind of mammal I had never seen or even heard of.

Even though only the bones remained, standing this close, I could still sense the majesty and grandeur of the creature when it was alive. I reached out my hand, opened my consciousness, and felt the lingering memories within, listening to the deep songs that once roamed the endless depths of the ocean. For a moment, I was stunned by the ancient chanting--a voice that spoke directly to the soul, resonating in the deepest hollow within.

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Was this one of our common ancestors, a member of a lineage that has long disappeared in the tides of evolution? Why have I never encountered knowledge of such a magnificent creature? How much have I overlooked simply because of my ignorance? Could it be that this specimen is so ancient that it was lost in the sea of information? But since it's preserved here, it must mean...

"Are you lost?" A voice behind me startled me, breaking my train of thought. I quickly realized that the speaker had concealed his presence from my consciousness circle's detection.

Trying to appear composed, I turned around and saw a pure gray wolf from the Gray faction, staring at me expressionlessly, his gray eyes appearing particularly cold.

Once my mirror circle neutralized the interfering wave pattern, I understood why I hadn't sensed him.

"Uh..." I scratched the back of my head, trying to put on my most innocent expression. "I was looking for the banquet hall." I hoped my lie wouldn't be too obvious. "Trying to secure a good spot before the ball starts."

"You're way off from where you need to be." He moved past me, bringing with him a sense of oppressive pressure. "Let me show you the way."

"Thank you so much!" I said in a respectful tone, adopting a submissive posture.

But as the gray wolf placed his hand on my shoulder to guide me out of the exhibition hall, I detected a cold, strange sensation.

Probing wave! It was an active probe, using an consciousness field to envelop the target and gather information. Unlike the directional wave, it couldn't just be neutralized.

I quickly retracted my consciousness field, hiding myself while continuing to walk as normally as possible. Fortunately, Qana had made me practice this many times.

"You know the ball isn't open for entry yet, right?" He said in a flat tone.

"Oh, but I thought maybe I could queue up?" I grinned foolishly, forcing myself to ignore the icy sensation flowing down my spine, pooling at the tip of my tail. I was almost trembling.

"Don't be silly, the queue doesn't open until an hour before the ball." The cold sensation faded as the gray wolf seemed to relax a little, patting my shoulder. It seemed he hadn't found anything.

"Worth a try?" I tilted my head in response.

"Opportunities to act foolishly should be seized while you're young." He shrugged, setting the route on my terminal, then stood at the hall's entrance, watching me leave.

It wasn't until I turned the corner that the heavy pressure from those gray eyes disappeared. I immediately leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.

That cold sensation... It was like mercury, seeping deep into my body, trying to strip my soul away. But I had hidden myself too well; he couldn't reach me.

It seemed I had unwittingly wandered into some kind of restricted area, glimpsing a secret that the psychics didn't like to share.

But why was it displayed so openly if they didn't want everyone to see it? It probably meant that I had subconsciously bypassed some sort of defense mechanism.

But I was certain that sending out a probing wave now would be a very foolish decision, so I immediately headed in the direction away from that exhibition hall.

After this unexpected event, I decided to end my little adventure and take the opportunity to act foolishly.

I removed the terminal from the strap on my arm, opened the five-thousand-word draft of my invitation, and hit send.