Morning did not come with sunlight, but with a soft purple glow that filtered through the ornate stained glass windows above her. The sky in Crystalia was no ordinary sky. It shimmered, tinged in lilac and obsidian hues, casting eerie but beautiful reflections that danced across the floor of her chamber.
Sayo sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The bed she awoke in was absurdly large, fit for royalty, draped with velvet sheets and silken canopies. Every corner of the room screamed elegance — from the silver-etched pillars to the intricate mural on the ceiling depicting winged demons soaring across a shattered sky.
She drew her knees to her chest. The events of the previous day clung to her like a second skin. The mocking faces of her classmates. The smell of burning incense during the prank ritual. The flash of crimson magic. And then — darkness.
Crystalia still didn't feel real. It felt like one of her anime dreams. A world apart from her misery. A world not meant for someone like her.
Then, there was him.
Kael.
She remembered the moment he'd caught her falling — his eyes aglow, his voice calm, his presence both terrifying and reassuring. No one on Earth had ever looked at her like that.
A knock came from the heavy door. She startled, instinctively pulling the covers up.
"It's me," came the voice — low, smooth, and unmistakably familiar.
Kael.
The door opened slowly, as if respecting her space, and Kael stepped inside with unhurried grace. He was dressed in a more formal robe today — a black coat with silver thread shaped like curling flames, clasped at the throat with a ruby brooch. A long, blood-red scarf draped over his shoulder. His hair, dark as obsidian, was tied back loosely, allowing his sharp features to remain visible — a strong jaw, narrow eyes, and lips that rarely smiled.
"I hope you slept well," he said, his voice calm as still water.
"I… did," she replied, surprised at how natural her voice sounded.
"You're probably hungry," he added, gesturing for her to follow. "Come. Breakfast is waiting."
She hesitated, then stepped out of the bed. She was still dressed in the flowing lavender nightgown the maids had given her the previous night — soft and light, unlike anything she'd worn on Earth. Her bare feet touched the cold floor as she moved toward him, heart pounding.
Together, they walked the palace halls.
The corridors were immense, grand yet silent. Columns carved from bone-colored stone rose to ceilings lost in shadow. Tapestries lined the walls — depictions of Crystalia's past: horned monarchs in crimson armor, angels weeping over burning cities, and winged demons dueling amid floating islands.
The silence between them was not awkward, but contemplative. As if both of them were afraid to break it too soon.
The dining hall opened like the heart of a cathedral. A long obsidian table stretched the length of the room, lit by floating crystal lamps that pulsed with soft red light. Bowls of glowing fruits and steaming platters lined the table. Sayo took a seat across from Kael, still unsure whether this was real or some fevered dream.
"You don't have to eat if you're unsure," Kael said, noticing her hesitance. "The food is tailored for mortals, but Crystalia's cuisine is… unique."
She picked up a piece of glowing white fruit and took a careful bite.
Sweet — unexpectedly so — followed by a floral aftertaste that lingered on her tongue. Then warmth. Like cinnamon. Her eyes widened, and she nodded slightly.
"It's… good."
Kael gave the barest trace of a smile. "I'm relieved."
She ate in silence. Kael, she noticed, did not eat. He merely watched — not in a predatory way, but as if studying her reactions.
Finally, she looked up. "Why did you help me?"
He didn't answer right away.
"When I saw you," he said at last, "I recognized something familiar. You looked… hollow. Like someone who'd forgotten what it meant to be looked at without judgment."
Her breath caught in her throat.
"My people saw my human mother as weak," Kael continued. "She died because she was born without horns. They called her a stain on the throne. She died before I could understand what she truly meant to me."
His voice remained steady, but Sayo could feel the buried pain in every word.
"I know what it's like to exist on the edge of two worlds," he said, his eyes locking with hers. "To be unwanted in both."
Sayo lowered her gaze. The lump in her throat returned.
"They always hated me too," she murmured. "Because I liked stupid things. Romance anime. Love stories. They said I was disgusting. Pathetic."
"No one who clings to love is pathetic," Kael said gently. "It takes more strength to dream than to destroy."
A long silence followed.
When she finally looked up, his eyes weren't cruel or amused. They were… warm. Something inside her began to thaw.
Later that afternoon, Kael guided her through the Obsidian Garden — the quietest place in the entire palace.
It was breathtaking.
Petals of midnight roses blanketed the cobbled pathways, and strange willows with silver leaves draped the grounds in dreamy shade. The air shimmered faintly, full of invisible magic. Pale-blue butterflies floated between the trees. A dark pond sat still at the center, its surface reflecting the sky like black glass.
"This is where I go when I no longer wish to wear the crown," Kael said, his voice softer now. "Here, I can just be… Kael."
Sayo crouched near the edge of the pond, trailing her fingers across the surface. It felt colder than water had any right to be.
"It's beautiful," she whispered.
"It's where I come to remember," Kael replied. "And forget."
They wandered for what felt like hours, speaking little. And yet, something had shifted. Sayo no longer felt like a lost outsider. She felt like someone seen.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a towering statue overgrown with thorny vines. The statue depicted a six-winged demon, screaming silently into the void.
"That's the Condemned Seraph," Kael said. "The first to betray the Demon Crown. He tried to sever Crystalia from Earth permanently."
"Why?" Sayo asked.
"Because he believed humans were poison," Kael replied. "He feared what would happen if the two worlds remained entangled."
"And now?" she asked.
Kael's voice darkened. "Now, Crystalia is on the verge of war. Factions rise. Trust decays."
Sayo stepped closer to him. "Then why bring me here?"
"Because maybe," he said, turning to her, "you'll remind me of what's worth saving."
As the sky deepened into shades of blue and indigo, Kael escorted her back to her room. The walk was silent, but it was a silence filled with meaning.
Once alone, Sayo stood at her balcony, gazing out at Crystalia. The stars above sparkled differently here — distant, sharp, and cold. She pressed a hand to her chest.
For the first time, the ache inside her no longer felt like a curse.
Maybe she didn't belong on Earth.
But maybe… just maybe… she belonged here.