Chapter 2

Lily slowly blinked awake, her eyes adjusting to the soft golden sunlight pouring through the elegant blue curtains of her bedroom. The familiar scent of water lilies and dragonstone incense drifted in from the open window. A light breeze brushed her face, and the hum of distant spirit birds in the garden tickled her ears.

She sat up abruptly, her silver-black hair tousled and her thoughts swirling like a whirlpool.

LILY (groggy):
Wait… what? How did I get here?

Her eyes scanned the intricate décor of the Mizuyari Manor—crystalline lamps shaped like crescent moons, books stacked in neat piles on her desk, her combat boots tossed near the door like she had dropped them in a daze. She looked at the digital wall clock: 08:41 AM. She was back in the manor.

But the last thing she remembered was talking to Emrys in her room at HQ.

LILY (quietly):
Did I... dream that?

Just then, a soft knock came at her open door.

SHIZUKU (leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, wearing casual black robes with silver trim):
You’re awake.

Lily turned to face her father, blinking again in confusion.

LILY:
Dad? What… happened? Why am I back at the manor?

SHIZUKU (walking in, voice calm):
You passed out after the Emrys visit. Your energy was unstable. I brought you home myself—figured you’d rest better here than in the HQ barracks.

He placed a small tray beside her bed: fresh tea, buttered bread, and a few sliced Stardrop Apples.

LILY (taking the tea, still dazed):
You carried me? Like all the way from HQ?

SHIZUKU (raising an eyebrow):
Not literally. I summoned a dimensional gate. We’re only about 7 hours from Minamo, the capital, but still—it’s peaceful here. Quiet enough for your thoughts to settle.

LILY (murmuring):
So... it wasn’t a dream. Emrys really talked to me.

Shizuku sat at the edge of her bed, his gaze steady and thoughtful.

SHIZUKU:
I sensed his energy when I came to check on you. That wasn’t just a visit—it was a marker. You’re being watched now. In a good way.

LILY (quietly):
He said I was the “next beginning”.

SHIZUKU (smiling faintly):
He’s not wrong.

They sat in silence for a moment, only the sound of the breeze and the distant koi pond filling the room.

LILY (after sipping her tea):
Dad... what’s Minamo like? I've barely seen it since I was little.

SHIZUKU (tilting his head):
It’s overwhelming, chaotic, and beautiful. The beating heart of the universe. You'll be seeing it again soon.

LILY:
Why?

SHIZUKU (standing):
Because after this rest, we’re heading back to HQ. Then to the Starsea Sanctum. But first, I figured you deserved a moment… to feel normal.

LILY (smiling softly):
Normal's a weird word in our family.

SHIZUKU (smirking as he left the room):
Yeah, well, enjoy it while it lasts.

As the door closed behind him, Lily leaned back into her pillows, cradling the warmth of the tea, the memory of Emrys's voice echoing in her mind.

LILY (to herself):
A captain one day, huh?

She smiled.

LILY: Guess I better get ready for that.