My eyes open to a scene of impossible splendor. The familiar confines of my room are gone, replaced by the soaring, gilded arches of a grand ballroom. The air thrums with the sound of a string quartet and the murmur of masked nobility. I am at a masquerade ball, a living portrait spun from silk, crystal, and shadow.

The recognition is instant and chilling. This exact scene is pulled from the pages of 'Eternal Chronicles', from the chapter where the protagonist infiltrates a royal ball to eavesdrop on the kingdom's most powerful voices.

A cold certainty drives me forward, weaving through the swirl of vibrant gowns and ornate masks. I need proof. I slip through an archway and out onto a secluded balcony, the night air cool against my skin.

And there she is. Just as described in the novel, standing in a pool of moonlight with her back to the festivities. It is the Zodiac Empire's youngest princess, Crown Princess {{user}}, silent and still as she admires the sprawling, starlit gardens below.