"Where did you see them?" I asked softly.
Elira blinked at me, the glowing constellation lines along her arms pulsing faintly, like they were responding to my voice.
"They were singing," she whispered. "Not with words. With feelings. Like… sorrow. But also wonder."
I stared into her eyes—violet irises now threaded with starlight.
There was no doubt. This wasn't some strange mana awakening.
This was cosmic. Alien.
Something deep inside her blood had been triggered.
Something not even the System could classify—at least, not entirely.
System Notice: Unknown Anomaly Detected – Genetic Resonance Pattern [Elira.VAEL-7]
Warning: Non-Frame interference has altered latent potential.
Note: Possibility – Proto-Starseed? Access: LOCKED
Suggested Action: Observe and protect.
I dismissed the alert. For now, Elira didn't need to be overwhelmed by any of this.
But I'd seen that phrase once before.
Starseed.
In the Conclave archives.
A being born not just with mana—but with access to the raw architecture of the multiverse.
I brought her to the Observatory Tower, where the skies were clear, and asked her to focus.
She sat cross-legged, eyes closed, humming.
After a few minutes, a glyph appeared above her palm—a symbol of three spiraling stars, orbiting a single point.
The moment it formed…
System Interface Interference Detected
Adjusting Local Frame Synchronization...
Error: Cannot override. Permission Denied by Entity: Elira.VAEL-7
I didn't panic.
But I stared in awe.
My sister had just overridden part of the Frame.
Without a system. Without training. Without even trying.
"Brother," she said softly, "I think I can hear… machines. In the sky. Ones that haven't come yet."
I swallowed hard.
"She's hearing ships from the future," I muttered. "Or possible timelines."
The implications hit me like a flood.
If I could protect her…
If I could guide her through this…
Elira wouldn't just be a princess. She would become something else entirely.
A nexus between our world and the stars.
But I didn't have time to explore it fully.
Because that evening, a messenger arrived at the gates of Vaelstrom.
Not a human.
Not even a soldier.
A clockwork knight, powered by steam and runes, bearing the symbol of a long-dead empire:
The Crimson Dominion.
They had been silent for centuries.
No records. No movement.
Only myths.
And yet, this automaton bore a parchment sealed in bloodwax.
I opened it under my throne's sigil light.
"To the Prince of Stars,
You have trespassed against the sacred veils of time.
We remember the Frame.
We remember the girl.
And we remember what was taken from us."
"Return the Starborn child. Or war shall return to your skies."
—High Executor Varn, Crimson Dominion
I stood there a moment, letting the fire burn in my chest.
They knew.
And they wanted Elira.
New Global Threat Identified: Crimson Dominion – Techno-Arcanist Empire (Reawakened)Status: Hostile
Action Required: Prepare Defense Strategy / Investigate Dominion Vaults / Begin Shipyard Acceleration
New System Alert: Frame Tier II Unlocked – Activate Y/N?
I didn't hesitate.
Yes.
Tier II Frame Unlocked – Core Evolution Begins
New Abilities Gained:
• Frameforge Protocols – Design and construct sci-fi weapons, drones, or mechs based on mana-infused blueprints
• Node Spawn – Deploy autonomous system nodes for defense, research, and control over terrain
• Command Override – Temporarily suppress enemy systems or magical tech in local range
Stat Boost: +10 Free Points (Assigned: Strength +3 / Agility +2 / Mana +5)
New Interface Style: Frame Vanguard UI Activated
I closed the scroll.
Looked to the stars.
Then turned to Elira and said:
"We're going to build you a ship, sister."
"One that can fly between stars and pierce the veil of time."
"And if they want to steal your light?"
"They'll burn in it."