Unexpected Encounter
Beneath the artificial sky of Astraeus Interstellar Academy, millions of stars drifted beyond the crystal dome like rivers of light flowing endlessly across the universe.
The cosmos overhead wasn't real. And yet, somehow, it felt far more real than the world the Academy had created.
Lyraeth had always believed that Sky Gardens was the only place in Astraeus where silence never felt empty.
The floating sector was suspended between the Observation Decks and the Orbital Transit Lanes. A massive crystal dome separated it from the Academy's carefully engineered night sky.
But tonight... Even the stars couldn't bring her peace.
She sat alone on a crystal bench floating a few inches above the ground. Soft streams of light pulsed through its transparent surface with every subtle movement.
Glowing vines wrapped themselves around towering silver pillars as though bolts of lightning had been frozen in time. Bioluminescent flowers slowly bloomed and closed, almost as if they were breathing along with the Academy itself. Tiny luminous insects drifted through the air, leaving delicate trails of golden and violet light behind them.
Normally… This place always calmed her. But not tonight.
Leaning against the crystal bench, Lyraeth stared beyond the dome.
Her long black hair flowed down to her waist, shimmering beneath the artificial starlight.
Her fair skin and deep brown eyes usually reflected quiet composure, but tonight an unmistakable restlessness lingered within them. Her delicate features, small nose, and soft facial contours made her one of the most admired cadets in the Academy.
Her academy's standard midnight-blue residential tracksuit shimmered faintly, silver energy threads woven through the fabric glowing with every passing second. She had accidentally left the matching jacket back in the Residential Wing, allowing the cold night breeze to brush against her shoulders. She barely noticed.
Minutes slipped by.
Sky Gardens was almost deserted. Only the distant hum of maintenance drones and the quiet vibration of the Academy's life-support systems disturbed the silence.
Old memories drifted through her mind. She was so deeply lost in thought that she failed to notice anything around her.
Then...
Footsteps.
Her eyes immediately turned toward the sound.
A boy walked into the garden. He didn't glance around. He didn't hesitate. He walked as though the place already belonged to him.
Eventually, he stopped beside a towering crystal structure before collapsing against it with a heavy breath, as though gravity had suddenly doubled— for him alone.
Something about him changed the entire atmosphere in an instant.
Lyraeth's fingers instinctively tightened around the edge of the bench.
He wasn't like the other cadets. Not even close.
His short black hair was messy, as though he hadn't bothered fixing it for hours. Sharp features, a strong jawline, and deep gray eyes made him appear far older than his age. He wore the Academy's black residential tracksuit, the matching jacket resting loosely over his shoulders. Even in the academy's standard hostel attire, he looked nothing like an ordinary cadet.
Beneath the artificial starlight, his broad shoulders and imposing presence made him seem more like a battle-hardened soldier than a student.
But the strangest thing wasn't his face.
Dark metallic markings glowed beneath his temples and along his neck. They pulsed. Again. And again. As if something imprisoned beneath his skin was desperately trying to break free. Something dangerous.
Lyraeth's first thought was—Who is he?
His name was Kaelor. But Kaelor never even noticed her. He seemed completely trapped inside his own world.
For a few seconds... Everything remained still.
Then suddenly— He grabbed his head.
"Ahhh..."
Pain twisted across his face. It looked as though someone had driven a hammer straight into his skull. His breathing became ragged. His entire body stiffened violently. The metallic markings around his temples flared uncontrollably, their light becoming so intense that even the surrounding illumination seemed to distort.
The crystal vines trembled. The air changed. Heavy. Oppressive. Wrong.
Lyraeth immediately sat upright. Something was terribly wrong.
Kaelor's breathing grew faster. His jaw locked tightly as though he were fighting agony beyond human endurance. His fingers dug into his hair. His entire body began trembling uncontrollably.
For one brief moment... Even the space around him seemed to ripple. As though reality itself refused to accept whatever was happening.
Then… He forced himself to stand. Barely maintaining his balance.
Without thinking… He staggered directly toward Lyraeth.
Her heart skipped a beat. Before she could react—
Thud.
Kaelor dropped his head directly into her lap.
"W-What?!" The scream almost escaped her lips. Her entire body froze. "W-Who are you?!"
She looked around in panic. The garden was completely empty. No teachers. No students. No security guards.
Only she... And an unconscious-looking stranger resting comfortably in her lap.
"Hey! Get up!" she shouted, caught somewhere between fear and anger.
But Kaelor merely groaned in pain. His eyes remained tightly shut. It didn't even seem like he realized what he had done.
Lyraeth's heart pounded wildly. Oh, stars... Why does this always happen to me?
Then... She looked at him properly. And paused. "...Although..." she thought. "He is ridiculously handsome."
A second later she mentally smacked herself. Lyraeth! Focus on the situation!
Then Kaelor spoke in a weak voice. "Please… Whoever you are… Massage my head. It hurts…"
Lyraeth stared at him in complete disbelief. "Excuse me?”
“You're lying in my lap, and on top of that, you're giving me orders? First of all—get off!”
Kaelor didn't respond. His brows remained tightly furrowed as another wave of pain shot through him.
So Lyraeth raised her voice. "Are you seriously trying to take advantage of a girl who's all alone? If I report you to the High Chancellor, you'll be walking around with your Transfer Certificate by tomorrow morning!"
Then she folded her arms. "Do you even know who my father is?"
Kaelor let out another pained groan. "Oh, for stars' sake..."
Keeping his eyes shut, he muttered irritably, "Would you please stop talking… and just massage my head?"
"Can't you hear me?" he added, his tone sharper now.
Lyraeth blinked. "...He's scolding me?"
A nervous thought flashed across her mind. Is this guy... some kind of psycho?
But looking at him more carefully… He genuinely looked like he was in unbearable pain. Her fear eased slightly. She let out a long sigh.
"Fine… I'll help you. But tomorrow… I'm dragging you straight to the High Chancellor's Office."
Very cautiously, she placed her hand on his head. The moment her fingers gently pressed against his hair— Everything changed.
Kaelor released a deep breath. As though the entire weight of the universe had suddenly disappeared from his shoulders. The tension in his face slowly melted away. The dark metallic markings beneath his skin began fading. Their violent glow settled into a calm, steady pulse.
The suffocating pressure hanging over Sky Gardens vanished. The trembling crystal vines became still once again. Even the wind seemed to calm.
Lyraeth's eyes widened. "W-What...? What is happening?"
For the very first time... The hard lines on Kaelor's face softened. It was almost as though something deep inside him had recognized the sensation. Safe. Warm. Familiar.
A few quiet moments later… Without opening his eyes… He whispered softly,
"...Grandma..."
Lyraeth's hand froze. "...What?"
A second later he murmured again,
"Grandma... Can you sing me a lullaby?"
Lyraeth felt as though her blood pressure had dropped straight to the floor.
"First you force your way into my lap. Then you make me massage your head. And now you're calling me Grandma?"
She quickly touched her own cheeks.
"Do I really look that old? Did I wear too little makeup today? I'm only seventeen! Am I already getting wrinkles? No... Please no... If that's happening... I might actually die."
But one look at Kaelor's exhausted face made it impossible for her to refuse.
Taking a deep breath, she nervously began singing.
"The light is dim... The night is dark… Sleep well my little star... Ohhhhhhoooooo".
Kaelor immediately opened one eye.
"...What was that?"
Lyraeth frowned.
"A lullaby! My mother used to sing this to me. I don't know any others. So you'll have to make do with this one."
Kaelor silently stared at her for a few seconds. Then he asked,
"Was that a lullaby... or a ritual to summon a system error?"
Lyraeth's jaw dropped.
"Excuse me?! I'm not some professionally trained holo-vocalist!"
"Good. No one deserves to suffer through that."
Then, without another word... He comfortably settled his head back into her lap.
Lyraeth's eyes twitched.
"Oh, really? You're lying in my lap... You called me Grandma... And now you're insulting me too? If you want some melodious lullaby, then go somewhere else"
"Get up!" she snapped. "Right now!"
Kaelor slowly lifted his eyes toward her. He didn't say a word. He simply looked at her.
Lyraeth immediately fell silent.
"...Fine." she grumbled.
She resumed massaging his head.
A tiny, satisfied smile appeared on Kaelor's face. "That's better. Don't sing. Just keep doing this."
Lyraeth looked helplessly toward the artificial sky.
Oh, stars... This is officially the worst night of my entire life. Why did you send this boy into my life?
Even so... Her fingers continued moving gently through his hair.
Time passed.
After a while, One of her legs went numb. Then the other. Soon even her lower back began aching.
Meanwhile, Kaelor looked as though he was the king of the universe, peacefully enjoying the finest sleep imaginable.
Lyraeth silently grumbled to herself. "I'm one of the most popular girls in this Academy. If anyone sees me massaging this arrogant idiot's head... my reputation is finished."
Minutes drifted by. Then even more minutes. Sky Gardens became quieter than ever.
At some point, Kaelor's breathing became perfectly steady. Whatever storm had been raging inside him... had completely disappeared.
Lyraeth didn't even realize when exhaustion finally caught up with her. Her eyelids slowly grew heavier.
Kaelor fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. Still resting in her lap.
Not long afterward, Lyraeth leaned back against the floating crystal bench. One of her hands still rested gently on his head.
Neither of them noticed the exact moment sleep claimed them both. They simply... Fell asleep beneath the endless artificial stars.
Hours later...
Morning light filtered softly through the crystal dome.
Kaelor was the first to wake. He didn't move immediately. Instead, he simply lay there. Listening. Feeling.
Silence. Real silence.
For the first time in years... the storm inside him was gone. Completely.
Carefully, he took hold of Lyraeth's wrist, making sure not to wake her. Slowly, he lifted her hand away from his head... and gently placed it back into her lap.
Lyraeth remained fast asleep.
Kaelor looked around. Then his eyes returned to her.
The cold morning breeze made her shiver slightly even in her sleep. He watched her quietly for several long moments.
Then…
Without saying anything, he slipped off his black tracksuit jacket and gently draped it over Lyraeth's shoulders.
Still asleep... Lyraeth instinctively pulled the jacket closer around herself.
A faint smile appeared on Kaelor's lips. His gaze lingered on her peaceful face for one last moment.
Then... He quietly looked away.
Without making the slightest sound, he stood up. And before the Academy awakened... He silently walked out of Sky Gardens.
