The Rosenfeld Grand Library remained silent.
Outside the towering stained-glass windows, snow continued its endless descent from the northern heavens. White flakes drifted past ancient stone walls, settling upon rooftops, statues, and dragon-carved battlements.
Inside—
Knowledge slept within countless shelves.
Thousands of books.
Thousands of years.
Countless lives distilled into pages.
And among them—
Kel sat alone.
The thick volume Chronicles of Constellations: The Beginning rested closed upon the table before him.
Its ancient pages had left him with more questions than answers.
A sign of a worthwhile book.
The morning sunlight had gradually shifted across the library floor.
Hours had already passed.
Yet Kel remained.
Because tomorrow night—
His constellation awakening would begin.
And for perhaps the first time since returning to Rosenfeld Estate, genuine curiosity occupied his thoughts.
His gaze drifted toward another shelf.
Constellation Theory.
Constellation Development.
Celestial Pathways.
Awakening Studies.
Dozens of books rested there.
Eventually his fingers stopped upon one title.
The Celestial Professions and Their Resonances
A practical book.
A famous one.
Written nearly four hundred years ago by an Imperial Scholar.
Unlike historical texts filled with legends and mysteries—
This one focused on application.
Professions.
Growth.
Compatibility.
The relationship between constellations and careers.
Kel pulled the book from its shelf.
The cover felt worn.
Frequently read.
A good sign.
Then he returned to his seat.
Inside his mind—
Sairen immediately spoke.
"Now this sounds boring."
Kel opened the book.
"Only because you don't read."
The Guardian laughed.
"I am an ancient being."
"Exactly."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Ancient beings never read instructions."
For several moments—
Sairen remained silent.
Then laughed loudly.
"Fair."
Kel began reading.
The first chapters covered basic principles.
Constellations did not directly determine professions.
That was a common misconception.
Rather—
Constellations amplified certain qualities.
Certain ways of thinking.
Certain talents.
The profession came afterward.
The alignment merely made growth easier.
One page particularly caught his attention.
"The Sword Path favors those whose constellations embody resolve, conquest, guardianship, or destruction."
"The Arcane Path favors those aligned with knowledge, mystery, creativity, and understanding."
"The Scholarly Path favors observation, memory, analysis, and innovation."
"The Leadership Path favors responsibility, ambition, charisma, and vision."
Kel slowly turned the page.
Interesting.
Because most people misunderstood constellations entirely.
Many believed a constellation decided their future.
This book argued the opposite.
A constellation merely reflected who someone already was.
"Which makes sense."
He thought quietly.
"The stars answer understanding."
The words from the previous book resurfaced immediately.
Inside his mind—
Sairen spoke.
"You're connecting the books."
"Naturally."
"Most people don't do that."
Kel smiled faintly.
"That's why most people read without learning."
The next chapter contained something even more interesting.
A ranking system.
Not of constellations.
But of synchronization.
The degree to which a person embodied their constellation.
The author described five major stages.
Recognition.
The awakening.
The moment a constellation acknowledged a person.
Resonance.
Learning to draw power naturally.
Understanding one's celestial path.
Manifestation.
The ability to project constellation authority into reality.
Embodiment.
Becoming a living symbol of the constellation.
And finally—
Ascension.
The mythical realm.
The stage achieved by the Twelve Gods.
Kel slowly reread the page.
Several times.
"Interesting."
Inside his mind—
Sairen hummed.
"You already knew that."
"The names, yes."
Kel tapped the page.
"The details differ slightly from the game."
The Guardian became quiet.
Because she knew what he meant.
There were still things this world knew that Destiny never fully explained.
Kel's gaze drifted toward the highest rank.
Ascension.
The realm of gods.
The realm of beings who became constellations themselves.
Then naturally—
His thoughts shifted toward powerful people he knew.
His father.
Duke Aktaris.
The Slaughter Dragon.
Kel leaned back slightly.
Thinking.
"Father should be at late Manifestation."
Perhaps early Embodiment.
Difficult to judge.
The Duke rarely revealed his full strength.
But considering his achievements—
His authority—
His reputation across the continent—
Anything lower would be impossible.
Inside his mind—
Sairen spoke.
"Your father is terrifying."
Kel nodded.
"He is."
"Most people fear dragons."
A pause.
"I think dragons should fear him."
That nearly made Kel laugh.
His thoughts moved elsewhere.
The Emperor.
The ruler of the Empire.
A man who controlled dozens of kingdoms and noble houses.
Someone who maintained authority despite powerful Dukes and Grandmasters existing throughout the continent.
"Likely Embodiment."
Perhaps close to Ascension.
Not necessarily through combat.
But authority itself carried power.
Leadership.
Influence.
Destiny.
Those things mattered.
Then came another figure.
The Headmaster of Aetherial Institute.
The commoner-born mage.
Kel remembered his lore.
Remembered his achievements.
Remembered stories from Destiny.
"Definitely Embodiment."
Perhaps among the strongest non-divine individuals alive.
A genius.
A monster disguised as a scholar.
Inside his mind—
Sairen laughed.
"You sound excited to meet him."
"I am."
"Rare."
"Powerful people are usually interesting."
The Guardian remained silent.
Because unfortunately—
Kel wasn't wrong.
His thoughts drifted toward another name.
Reina Asheville.
A faint smile appeared.
Two years ago—
She had been a struggling knight.
Now she was a Matriarch.
A ruler.
A creator of one of the most revolutionary sword manuals in recent history.
"Recognition."
Perhaps early Resonance now.
Not enough time had passed for more.
Yet her future potential was enormous.
Then Landon.
"Resonance."
Without question.
The man constantly pushed himself.
Then Aria.
Kel thought quietly.
"Recognition approaching Resonance."
A talented noblewoman.
Hardworking.
Capable.
Perhaps more capable than she realized.
Inside his mind—
Sairen suddenly asked:
"And what about you?"
The library became silent.
Kel stared at the page.
Then slowly looked toward the window.
Snow continued falling.
The world remained quiet.
"I don't know."
It was the truth.
Because unlike everyone else—
His situation was abnormal.
Wildly abnormal.
He possessed memories from another life.
Knowledge from the future.
The bloodline of dragons.
The title of Dragon Emperor.
The authority of countless dragons.
And now—
A constellation awakening awaited him.
Which meant traditional logic might not apply.
Inside his mind—
Sairen spoke softly.
For once.
Without teasing.
"Do you think one constellation will answer?"
Kel understood the implication immediately.
Some rare individuals attracted multiple constellations.
Not many.
But it happened.
The Guardian continued.
"Because honestly..."
A pause.
"You don't fit neatly into one path."
Kel closed the book.
Slowly.
Thoughtfully.
She wasn't wrong.
He was a swordsman.
A mage.
A researcher.
A ruler.
An alchemist.
A strategist.
A dragon.
And somehow—
Still a fifteen-year-old boy.
"I suppose we'll find out tomorrow."
The Guardian laughed softly.
"That's what worries me."
Kel raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
Sairen's voice carried ancient amusement.
"Because normal awakenings are predictable."
A pause.
Then—
"You stopped being normal a very long time ago."
Silence followed.
Kel looked once more toward the snowy northern sky visible through the stained-glass windows.
Somewhere beyond those clouds—
Beyond daylight—
The eighty-eight constellations waited.
Watching.
Patient.
Ancient.
And for the first time—
Kel found himself genuinely wondering.
Not which constellation would answer him.
But whether the heavens themselves were prepared for whatever answer they would receive in return.
The thought lingered.
And somehow—
Even the endless silence of the library seemed unable to provide an answer.