Beneath A Sky of Stars

Lieutenant Clara Elais Realonda is one of the finest aces in her infantry, a fearless soldier known for her mastery of guns and swords, and for the cold, beast-like ferocity she unleashes on the battlefield. Behind her exceptional skill, however, lies a woman deeply scarred by loss. The death of her sister left Clara hollow, distant, and slowly losing interest in the life she once knew. She buried her grief beneath discipline and duty, convincing herself that numbness was easier than pain.

But on Christmas Eve, after an unexpected first encounter with Major Abraham Sidero Lovelace, something in Clara began to shift. For the first time in years, the walls she had built around her heart seemed to crack. In Abraham's presence, she felt a strange sense of freedom, an unfamiliar warmth that stirred emotions she had long suppressed. Though small and unexplainable, his presence became the first spark that made Clara believe she could still feel, heal, and perhaps find her way back to herself.