The forest was unnaturally still. Moonlight filtered through the towering trees, silvering the leaves and painting long shadows across the ground. Even the insects had gone silent—as if the night itself were holding its breath. Andromeda Ling’er stood at the center of a clearing, her white robe barely stirring despite the breeze. Above her, faint constellation patterns shimmered invisibly, responding to her presence. She had come here sensing a disturbance—something out of place, something not written among the stars.