The Ball of the Ancients required the involvement of Rae, Yungwoo, and Hangyeol. In the Solarian Empire, it represented the empire's long and layered history. Rae complained the entire time about the process of getting her makeup and hair done. Ambrose was off having a sleepover with his friends.
"Rae, come on, it's not that bad," Hangyeol said as he finished getting ready.
The staff at the beauty salon adjusted a few loose strands of her hair. Yungwoo was already asleep while they worked on him.
"You're so lucky that I'm stuck in this chair with no way to escape," Rae pouted as they styled her hair into soft curls cascading down her back. Her glasses were a deep black. She chose a gown of rich emerald green with gold accents, paired with green earrings that dangled freely from her ears.
"Oh, Yunnie, I wish we could dance again," Rae said as Yungwoo helped fasten her necklace.
"That's a question I've had for you," Yungwoo said quietly. "How do we have memories of you adopting Ambrose and you being married to Taeyun?"
"Well, time isn't straight or fixed," Rae replied. "It zigzags, loops, and crosses over itself." She smoothed the front of her gown. "But the reason you remember me adopting him is simple—the Goddess of Serene Change altered fate. So now, truly in everyone else's eyes, I am Ambrose's genuine mother."
"Okay," Hangyeol said, clapping his hands once. "Let's go be social and try not to kill anyone."
The capital planet of the Solarian Empire was warm, filled with farmlands and tropical regions. As the Wonderz trio rode toward the castle, they saw countless beings from across the empire—each wildly different from the next.
The Solarian Empire was the largest empire in the universe. After all, it was over three million years old. Some rulers lived far longer than others, their lives extended by divine intervention. With more than seven hundred planets under its rule, the empire governed the entire galaxy.
"All you need to do is be social and happy. You've got this, Rachael," Rae muttered to herself in a foreign language.
"I've got this. No worries," she said aloud, though her hands twisted together—nervous tics born of her ADHD.
"I don't got this," Rae whispered as anxiety tightened painfully in her chest.
"Wow, Mama," Hangyeol said as he and Yungwoo moved closer to her.
Yungwoo noticed she was spiraling. "Hey, Rae, look at me. You're going to be fine," he whispered, rubbing her arms. The scent of lilac and morning dew grounded her.
"I don't know if I can handle this," Rae mumbled, rubbing her hands together. "Me, at a big party, in a fancy-ass dress..." Her voice wavered. "What if they question Ambrose's safety? Or how long it's taking Taeyun to wake up, or—"
Her eyes, visible behind her glasses, grew misty with fear.
"Hey, Serenity," Hangyeol said softly, stepping in. His warm, spiced scent wrapped around her like a blanket. "Rachael, stop looking around and breathe with us. Slowly."
Rae matched their breathing. After a few moments, her heartbeat steadied, and the tightness in her chest eased.
"Okay, now, Rae—you are a fierce warrior, healer, mother, and person," Yungwoo said softly as he rubbed her arms, helping fix her gown and hair.
"You're going to be loved and adored as the Duchess of Elwood and the Madam Butterfly," Hangyeol said gently.
"Back to the new timeline—does this happen often?" Yungwoo asked as they waited for their turn to be announced.
YOU ARE READING
A Wandering Story
FantasyOne morning, a young woman awoke-still caught in the same endless cycle that had haunted her for lifetimes. Her day began as it always did: quiet, methodical, devoted to mending the broken world she currently called home. But then she heard voices-u...
