Star felt warm when he finally regained consciousness.

It was not the burning pain that had ripped through his body like molten iron before everything faded to black . Most certainly not the cold grip of death. Just a gentle, soothing warmth that spread through every limb. It felt like waking from the deepest sleep of his life.

He opened his eyes slowly.

A Soft silver light filled the luxurious palace chamber, he very much recognised. The White curtains swayed in the night breeze, carrying the sweet scent of night-blooming flowers. For a long moment, Star simply lay there, staring at the ceiling, letting reality settle in.

He was alive.

His body felt surprisingly strong. The poison was gone. They probably got the Red Rose, he thought ... oblivious to the fact that there were other agents at play.

Star sat up and touched the golden restriction bracelet on his wrist. The cold metal reminded him immediately where he stood. Still trapped. But somehow he didn’t feel powerless, this time he could feel his mana flow freely. The invisible wall that had blocked his magic had been let down an inch.

Then the memory came, the last of what he remembered before he lost consciousness..

He gasped and sat up immediately.

"Jezebel," he whispered.

Nothing.

He tried again, voice firmer. "Jezebel."

Still nothing.

Star closed his eyes, heart sinking. Had he lost her forever? He swore he heard her talking!

Then something stirred.

A tiny spark deep in his mind, A familiar taunting presence.

Star held his breath.

[My, my... You sound absolutely miserable, darling.]

Relief crashed over him like a wave. His eyes stung with sudden tears as a shaky laugh escaped his lips.

"Jezebel."

[There you are.]

Her voice was weak, but it was hers. The same elegant voice that Teased him.

Star pressed a hand to his chest, smiling through the tears. "You came back. I thought... I thought I lost you for good."

[I was never truly gone. Just buried under that cursed bracelet and other restrictive chains. It took everything I had to reach you again.]

He leaned back against the pillows, savoring her presence. The loneliness that had haunted him for many days finally lifted.

"I missed you," he admitted quietly. "More than I realized."

Jezebel gave a soft laugh, though it carried clear exhaustion.

[I missed you too, darling. Those many days of silence was rather starting to bore me.]

Star wiped his eyes. "Tell me what happened. How am I still alive?"

[The stars aligned in your favor this time. Prince Lirien nearly burned down the Red Mountain to retrieve the Crimson Rose. Elara poured her life force into you with a skill called Eternal Bloom Transfer. But the real key was your own stubborn will. It triggered a small resonance with Divine Glamour and opened up a path for you, helping your body fight the poison from within.]

Star let out a long breath. "So I survived by being too stubborn to die?"

[Pretty much. You really do love walking the edge, don’t you?]

He smiled faintly. But the smile faded quickly as he looked at the golden bracelet again.

"Can you remove it now that you’re back?"

A short pause.

Then a familiar system window flickered at the edge of his vision.

[System Alert: Attempting Bypass Protocol]

The golden letters appeared for less than a second before cracking violently. The window shattered like glass and vanished.

Jezebel clicked her tongue in annoyance.

[Negative.]

Star’s shoulders dropped. "Of course."

[Do not lose hope yet. I am still heavily restricted, but I can speak. That is already progress.]

He traced the bracelet with his fingers. "Can you at least tell me what this thing really is?"

Jezebel went silent again. He felt faint pulses through their connection as she examined it. The process was clearly difficult for her.

When she spoke again, her tone was serious.

[I have good news and bad news.]

"Bad news first."

[The bracelet is far stronger than I first thought.]

"How strong?"

[Strong enough to restrain lesser gods.]

"Jeez, isn’t that rather crude for little Ol’ me"

[You can say that again]

Star stared at the innocent-looking gold plaited metal on his wrist. It suddenly felt ten times heavier.

"Can you run an appraisal on what it’s made out of?"

[I can do that, please standby]

Ding!

[It was created by fusing three ancient artifacts together. Each one is powerful enough to be a national treasure. Combined, they form something truly terrifying. Skills, system access, even Divine Glamour. Everything is locked down tight.]

Star let the words sink in. The despair hit hard, but he pushed it down quickly.

"Then I will find a way to break it," he said quietly.

Jezebel’s soft laugh carried a hint of pride.

[That is the spirit I know. We will take it one step at a time, darling.]

"What’s the good newss?"

But before she could respond, a soft creak came from the door. Elara entered quietly, holding a tray of cleaning equipment looking rather tired but strangely happy?.

Her silver-blonde hair was loosely tied back, and dark circles sat under her eyes.

"Star," she breathed, rushing to his bedside and dropping the tray on the floor, gently. "You are finally awake. I was so worried."

Star sat up and pulled her into a hug. "Elara... thank you. I was told of what you did. You gave me your life force. I don’t know how to repay that."

Elara hugged him back tightly. "You do not need to repay anything. We are in this together. Seeing you open your eyes makes everything worth it."

"How much did you give up"

"Nah! Don’t worry about that. Eight years of life is certainly little sum out of my thousand years of elven life. Although as you can see i am still recovering i am fine"

Star gasped, he forgot How long elven life was, he really hoped to pick an immortal skill from somewhere in the future. Immortality seemed fun.

They sat together on the edge of the bed. Elara glanced at the bracelet.

"Has it loosened at all?" she asked.

Star shook his head. "Not really. But I can feel a little more strength in my body now. That’s something."

Elara smiled faintly. "Good. Rest well. Lirien has been pacing like a caged beast waiting for you to wake up."

Star blushed, "really?"

The door opened again just then, Prince Lirien stepped inside. He looked exhausted. His long hair was messy, and fresh healing scars marked his arms, obviously from the Red Mountain. The moment he saw Star sitting up, pure relief washed over his face.

"Star," he said, voice rough. He crossed the room quickly and pulled Star into a tight embrace. "You are awake. Thank the gods."

Star leaned into the hug, playing his role perfectly. "I am here because of you. You went to the Red Mountain for me. You risked everything. Thank you, your Highness."

Lirien pulled back and cupped Star’s face with both hands. His silver eyes were softer than usual. "please, call me Lirien. That’s fitting for a man who saved my life."

Star’s lips quivered, but not because of the sentiment but because he somehow found the term "man" degrading.

"I am yours for the service, Lirien" Star said gently, looking up at him. "I am yours."

Lirien’s thumb brushed Star’s cheek. "I loosened one restriction on the bracelet while you were unconscious. It should feel less painful now. Consider it my gift for your sacrifice."

Star felt a small spark of hope. "Thank you. Truly."

The door suddenly creaked open and shut, Elara had quietly excused herself from the scene Awkwardly and who was to blame her?

Lirien stayed with him for a while, talking quietly about the journey and how close he had come to losing everything. Star listened attentively, offering soft comfort and praise. When the prince finally left to handle kingdom matters, Star felt both tired and satisfied.

**

Star stood alone on the balcony of his quarters, the cool night breeze of Silverveil brushing against his skin. The glowing capital stretched out below him like a sea of stars, beautiful and deceptively peaceful. The golden bracelet on his wrist caught the moonlight, a constant, elegant reminder of his cage.

He leaned against the railing, breathing in the night air.

"So... tell me the good news, Jezebel."

The System’s voice returned after a brief pause, elegant and teasing as always, though still carrying a hint of strain.

[Good news, darling? You survived death itself. That’s quite the achievement, even for you.]

Star’s lips curved into a small, tired smile. "I know. But I need more than that. Tell me everything."

Jezebel hummed thoughtfully.

[Very well. Your desperate will to live triggered something deep within Divine Glamour. A hidden path has been unlocked. Your first true evolution.]

Star’s grip tightened on the railing.

"What is it called?"

[Blooming Awakening.]

The name sent a shiver down his spine. It sounded... right.

[To complete it, you must harvest ten SSS-rank skills at once. Not over time. Not gradually. Ten, simultaneously, through resonance. The bracelet makes this nearly impossible right now, but the path is open. When the conditions are met, your transformation will begin.]

Star exhaled slowly, mind racing.

"One and a half months," he murmured. "There’s a royal gala then. The biggest event of the year. If I can get Lirien to trust me completely before that... if I can convince him to remove this bracelet..."

He trailed off, the plan forming sharper in his mind.

Jezebel’s voice turned sly.

[You’re thinking of using the gala as your stage.]

"Yes," Star said quietly. "I’ll be the perfect consort until then. Attentive. Loyal. Irreplaceable. I’ll make him lower his guard. Make him see me as a friend, not just a prize. And when the bracelet comes off..."

His voice dropped to a cold, icy whisper that cut through the night air.

"Annihilate them all."

The words hung in the silence like a death sentence.

Jezebel let out a low, delighted laugh.

[Noted]