[— One Hour Before the Event]
The grand hall was alive with preparation. Silver drapes hung from the high ceilings, golden lights cascaded down in streams, and enchanted crystal chandeliers flickered with a gentle radiance. A handful of second-years were busy levitating decorations into place while a couple of teachers gave final instructions.
The sound of shuffling footsteps drew their attention — and then he appeared.
Nex stepped in quietly, his black suit perfectly tailored to his lean frame. His messy white curls caught the light, forming a faint halo around his head. And when he lifted his gaze, his eyes — one violet like a distant star, the other golden like the rising sun — seemed to pull the whole room into silence.
For a heartbeat, no one moved.
Then whispers started.
"...Isn't he from the first years?"
"But why is he this early?"
"He looks… unreal."
"Like—like an angel."
Several girls decorating near the archway flushed crimson, one nearly dropping the enchanted lantern she was holding. The second-years had known the prodigies from the first-year batch — Lucas, Kaelith, Marcus, Ruby, Aria. But this boy… he was a surprise. An unpolished name they hadn't expected to shine so brightly.
One of the teachers blinked in recognition, a faint frown touching her lips. "You're Calder… aren't you? Nex Calder."
He smiled politely, not correcting her, not explaining further.
Just then, one of the decorators received a glowing message on his Aether Pad. He groaned.
"Professor! The pianist for tonight canceled… What do we do?"
There was a ripple of unease. Music was integral to the opening ceremony — without it, the entrance would feel incomplete.
Before the panic could spread, Nex spoke, his tone calm but certain.
"I'll play."
All eyes snapped to him.
"You?" The teacher blinked.
"Yes." Nex nodded once, stepping closer toward the grand piano set at the far side of the hall. His voice carried no arrogance, only quiet conviction. "Music… heals. Let me."
The teacher hesitated, but something about the way Nex carried himself — his steady presence, his warmth — silenced doubt. "...Very well."
Nex ran his hand gently across the polished surface of the piano, his reflection in the black lacquer strangely surreal. He remembered, faintly, voices from a world far gone.
"Nex, if you ever feel lost… play. Music heals."
His mother's laughter, his father's firm tone. The memory was blurry now, blurred by time and distance, but the warmth of it remained.
He exhaled slowly. Even if they aren't here… they gave me this. Something I can still keep.
He sat, flexing his fingers across the keys, the black and white tiles gleaming beneath the chandelier's light. For a brief moment, his golden and violet eyes softened, reflecting both the starry cosmos and the steady warmth of daybreak.
He pressed down, and the first notes echoed through the empty hall.
Soft. Gentle. Healing.
The room stilled. The teachers, the second-years, even the girls who had been whispering only minutes ago — all were caught in the quiet spell of the music.
Nex wasn't just playing notes. He was weaving the fragments of memory, pain, and hope into every chord.
And for a fleeting second, as his hair shimmered like a halo in the glow of enchanted lights, he looked less like a student — and more like a figure descended from the heavens.
The second-year girls blushed deeper, one of them murmuring breathlessly,
"...How can someone look like that?"
But Nex didn't notice. He only closed his eyes, letting the music flow through him, grateful — not for the attention, not for the whispers — but for the chance to remember.
The grand piano still hummed with the faint echo of Nex's music when he rose from the bench. The teachers and second-years were still caught in a daze, but he only smiled lightly, as if what he had done was nothing.
"Shouldn't we finish the decorations?" he said, his tone calm, almost playful.
One of the girls jolted back into focus, fumbling with a cluster of enchanted lanterns. "R-right! These have to be aligned at a perfect height, but the spell keeps flickering-
Nex tilted his head, then raised a hand.
The lanterns floated gently out of her arms, drifting upward with perfect balance as though pulled by invisible threads. One by one, they aligned themselves across the archway in flawless symmetry, glowing softly like stars arranged in the night sky.
The hall fell silent again.
"How… did you do that?" another second-year whispered, eyes wide.
Nex simply shrugged, a small, almost teasing smile tugging at his lips. "Just… making things easier."
Of course, they couldn't see it. The subtle vectors he conjured, weaving like unseen strings, tugging objects into place with precision. To them, it wasn't raw power — it looked like magic in its purest, most graceful form.
A stack of enchanted crystal plates began to wobble dangerously near the banquet tables. Before anyone could panic, Nex's fingers twitched — and the plates steadied themselves mid-air, drifting gently down as though caught by invisible hands.
Gasps filled the room.
He continued without a word, helping wherever the chaos threatened: ribbons twisting themselves neatly along the balconies, enchanted flowers arranging into flawless spirals, light-crystals adjusting until they illuminated the hall in a perfect glow.
To the others, it seemed like the hall itself obeyed him.
The teachers exchanged glances, a faint awe in their eyes. The students — especially the girls — were completely transfixed.
"He's… incredible," one whispered, cheeks flushed.
"Not just his looks… but the way he moves…" another added, staring as Nex guided a massive centerpiece into place with nothing more than a gesture.
But Nex didn't bask in the attention.
As he worked, his expression softened — a quiet appreciation glimmering in his eyes. Even in a new world… I can still build something beautiful.
When the last crystal was set and the chandeliers glowed like constellations, the hall looked like a scene from a dream. And standing at its heart, with white curls haloed in golden light and eyes that carried both starlight and sunlight, Nex looked like the one who had painted the dream into reality.