Veil Of Stars.

The morning light seeped through the cracks in the cave, casting a golden hue over the rough stone walls. Aron groaned as he forced himself up, feeling like he had barely slept. He rubbed his temples, his white hair an absolute mess, and let out a sigh that could rival a man who had seen too much in too little time.

Across from him, Livia was sprawled out like a starfish on the wooden floor of the hut, her pink hair sticking up in odd angles. Zane, on the other hand, was dramatically clinging to a blanket, muttering something about bears in his sleep. Zander, as expected, sat perfectly composed by the door, arms crossed, eyes sharp even in the early hours of the morning.

The small, energetic menace known as Tayo was already awake, standing by the entrance of the cave, completely unfazed by their collective suffering. His bright eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked at the group of exhausted newcomers.

"Well, you all look terrible," Tayo said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Tayo," Aron deadpanned. "Exactly the encouragement I needed to start my morning."

Tayo grinned. "You're welcome! So, do you guys wanna come to my village?"

Zander tilted his head slightly. "Where is this village of yours?"

Tayo puffed out his chest, as if preparing to drop some extremely important knowledge.

"It's in Yilt Empire, the Greatest Empire of the MoonVale Realm!"

Aron blinked. MoonVale Realm?

His scientist brain immediately went into overdrive, but instead of processing this newfound information with grace, his lack of morning energy got the best of him.

"Wait," Aron said, rubbing his face. "How many empires are in this MoonVale Realm?"

At his question, Tayo's expression twisted into something akin to horrified disbelief. He blinked at Aron, then at the others, then back at Aron, as if he had just asked whether water was wet.

Then, with a sharp exhale, Tayo shook his head like a disappointed teacher dealing with the dumbest student in class.

"…Are you guys stupid?"

Silence.

Zane clutched his chest dramatically. "Emotionally… damaged."

Livia let out a loud snort, slapping Zane on the back. "He's just a kid, Zane, don't take it personally."

"I take everything personally," Zane muttered.

Aron narrowed his golden eyes at Tayo. "Excuse me, but we're not from around here. We didn't exactly get a handbook when we arrived."

Tayo tilted his head, then gave another long suffering sigh, like he was a world-weary old man trapped in a child's body.

"Fine, fine. I guess I'll have to teach you common sense."

Zander pressed his fingers against his temple, clearly holding back a sigh.

Tayo sat on a nearby rock and dramatically clapped his hands together, as if about to lecture a group of clueless kindergarteners.

"Alright, listen up, you bunch of clueless wanderers," he began. "This world is called Zelor, and it has Nine Realms. Each Realm is ruled by an Authority—which is basically the ultimate ruler of that Realm."

Aron leaned forward, clearly interested. "Authorities? You mean like emperors or kings?"

Tayo's face immediately scrunched up in absolute disappointment. He looked at Aron the way one would look at a fool who had just declared the sun was made of cheese.

"…You poor, poor soul," Tayo murmured with a pitiful shake of his head.

Aron instantly regretted speaking.

Livia and Zane burst into laughter.

Zane wiped a fake tear from his eye. "Oh man, Aron, I think you just lost 50 IQ points in Tayo's eyes."

Aron shot him a glare. "Shut up before I personally make sure you never wake up tomorrow."

"Scary," Zane whispered dramatically.

Tayo ignored their bickering and continued, "Authorities aren't just kings or emperors. They're above that. They're literally the masters of their specific Realm. The emperors and kings? They serve under the Authorities. They don't even come close to their power."

Aron tapped his chin. "So, these Authorities… what exactly do they do?"

Tayo smirked, enjoying his role as the superior intellect in the conversation.

"Each Authority controls their Realm and maintains balance. Think of them as the guardians of existence. Without them, their Realm would collapse."

Zander frowned slightly. "You mentioned Nine Realms, but only Nine Authorities? Are they the only ones?"

At this, Tayo's playful expression dimmed slightly. "No," he said quietly. "There were others."

Silence fell for a moment before he continued.

"There used to be twelve Authorities. Nine still have their Realms, but three…"

Tayo hesitated. His fingers curled slightly.

"Three Authorities lost their Realms during the Great Catastrophe 900 years ago."

That got everyone's attention.

"Great Catastrophe?" Livia echoed, frowning. "What happened?"

Tayo's usual cheeky expression had faded, replaced by something more serious.

"Nobody really knows the full story," he admitted. "But the world was nearly torn apart. The three Realms that got destroyed? Their Authorities had no home left. So, now they reside in the Void."

"The Void?" Aron repeated. "What is that, exactly?"

"It's…" Tayo hesitated, then sighed. "It's hard to explain. It's like a place that exists between everything. A Domain that isn't really a Realm, but it still… is."

Livia frowned. "And those three Authorities still live there?"

Tayo nodded. "Yeah. They each have their own Domain in the Void. But those Domains aren't like normal Realms. They exist on their own, separate from everything else."

Aron exhaled. "So, let me get this straight. The world has nine Realms, each controlled by a super-powerful Authority. But three other Authorities had their Realms destroyed and now rule over weird, detached Domains in the Void?"

Tayo grinned. "See? You're not completely hopeless."

Aron narrowed his eyes. "Wow. Thanks."

Zane patted Aron's back. "Don't worry, buddy. We'll get you a Zelor for Beginners textbook soon."

Aron resisted the urge to strangle him.

Tayo hopped off his rock, clapping his hands again. "Alright! That should be enough basic common sense for now. Let's head to my village before another Baan decides to eat us."

Zander nodded. "That's our best option. We need information, food, and a safe place to regroup."

As they started their journey toward the village, Zane walked beside Aron, a sly grin on his face.

"So, Aron," Zane began. "On a scale from one to ultimate shame, how does it feel to get lectured by a ten-year-old?"

Aron side-eyed him with the intensity of a thousand suns.

"…Keep talking, Zane. Just keep talking."

Zane chuckled. "I will, buddy. I absolutely will."

Zander pretended not to hear anything. Livia was already planning more jokes.

And Tayo?

Tayo walked ahead, still shaking his head like a disappointed parent.

"Idiots," the kid muttered under his breath.

Aron sighed again.

It's not his fault, and it's not like he was the only one being lectured so why is he being pointed out?!

The dirt path leading into the village of Yilt was lined with simple but well-built wooden houses. Farmers and merchants bustled about, carrying baskets of produce or chatting among themselves. It was peaceful—too peaceful considering they had nearly been eaten alive by a Baan just hours ago.

Aron exhaled. For once, a place didn't look like it wanted to kill them. That was progress.

As they approached the center of the village, an old woman in an elegant dark green gown walked toward them. She carried herself with authority, her piercing silver eyes scanning them like a seasoned judge in a courtroom.

Tayo perked up immediately. "Chief Saya!"

The old woman's stern gaze softened as she looked at Tayo. "You're late," she said, crossing her arms. "Your mother was worried."

Tayo grinned. "It's fine! I was just getting Olven Berries for her."

Chief Saya raised an eyebrow. "And in the process, you dragged home four strangers?"

Tayo pouted. "They were being chased by a Baan in the Old Temple."

Chief Saya's expression darkened instantly. "The Old Temple?" Her gaze turned sharp as she looked at Aron and the others. "What were you doing there?"

Zane, in his usual brilliant ability to reveal all their secrets, opened his mouth.

"Oh, you see, we're not from this world and—"

Before he could get another word out, Livia clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Haha, what Zane meant to say is that we were lost in the forest for two weeks, totally suffering, and we just so happened to find the Old Temple! And then the Baan chased us, and we met Tayo, and well—here we are!" Aron said quickly, forcing a completely innocent smile.

Chief Saya stared at them for a long moment. Aron prayed to every celestial body in the universe that she bought the lie.

Finally, she sighed. "Hmph. I suppose that makes sense."

Zane, still muzzled by Livia, mumbled something about betrayal.

Then, out of nowhere, Chief Saya's entire demeanor changed.

She narrowed her eyes and asked the strangest question imaginable.

"…Are you all single?"

Silence.

Zander, ever the confident and straightforward soldier, immediately moved to nod—

But before he could, Aron's survival instincts kicked in.

"No! Not at all! We are all deeply in love and already married."

Chief Saya's hopeful expression instantly collapsed into disappointment.

Livia barely contained a snort of laughter behind them, while Zane made a strangled noise that sounded like he had just been emotionally betrayed.

"Really?" Chief Saya said, her voice dripping with disappointment. "There's only one girl in your group. Are you all… married to her?"

Aron's mind raced. He glanced at Livia, who was already smirking like she was about to cause trouble.

Then, with all the grace of a true traitor, she pointed at Zane.

"I'm married to this guy."

Zane's soul shattered.

His eyes widened, his entire being questioning all his life choices. "WAIT. SINCE WHEN?!"

Aron gritted his teeth, deciding that if Livia was throwing him under the bus, he wasn't going alone.

With a sharp, pained smile, he grabbed Zander's arm and pulled him closer.

"This is my lover."

Zander stiffened.

Zane gasped dramatically.

Livia silently wheezed.

Chief Saya let out a long, deep sigh, as if the weight of the world had just crushed her spirit.

"Unfortunate," she muttered. "Truly unfortunate."

Aron had never felt so judged in his entire life.

"Tayo!" Chief Saya barked. "Take them to the vacated house in the far western part of the village. They can stay there."

Tayo huffed. "Fine."

And just like that, their group was escorted away, leaving behind Chief Saya—who looked like she had just lost a bet.

The house they were given was… functional. It was small, but not terrible. It had four rooms, a kitchen, and a rickety table with mismatched chairs.

As soon as Tayo left, the room exploded with noise.

Zane was the first to snap.

"OKAY," he said, throwing his arms in the air. "WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL WAS THAT?!"

Livia grinned. "You're my husband now, Zane. Accept it."

"LIVIA, NO."

Zane clutched his head like he had a migraine. "How did I—when did—WHY ME?!"

"Because you're the funniest option," Livia said simply.

Zane gasped in betrayal. "You married me for comedic value?!"

Aron, still standing beside Zander, sighed. "You should be grateful, Zane. At least your marriage isn't a lie built purely out of desperation."

Zander finally turned his head to look at Aron, his scarlet eyes sharper than usual.

"…So. Lover?"

Aron's soul left his body.

Livia cackled.

Zane, somehow recovering from his emotional crisis, grinned. "Yeah, Aron. Lover?"

Aron glared at both of them. "Listen. I had to act fast. She was about to set us up for disaster."

Zander tilted his head slightly, clearly amused but not saying anything.

Livia leaned on Zane, mocking him dramatically. "Oh, my darling husband, do you think we should invite Aron and his lovely 'lover' for dinner?"

Zane whimpered. "Please don't make this worse."

Aron massaged his temples. "I hate both of you."

Zane looked at Zander. "And you? How do you feel about your sudden promotion to Aron's life partner?"

Zander simply shrugged. "It got us out of more questioning. No issue."

Zane snorted. "Wow. Romance at its finest."

Aron groaned into his hands. "I hate this entire situation."

Livia grinned. "Welcome to married life."

After an hour of arguing, Zane lamenting his fate, and Livia relishing in chaos, they finally settled down.

Zander, ever the responsible one, started cleaning weapons at the table. Aron sat beside him, mentally regretting every decision that led him here.

Zane, looking dead inside, rested his head against the wall. "So. We're married now."

Livia smirked. "Better get used to it, honey."

Zane physically recoiled.

Aron, feeling just as exhausted, looked at Zander. "For the record, I'm not actually your lover."

Zander nodded. "I know."

"…Just wanted to clear that up."

Zander tilted his head slightly, his scarlet eyes glinting with amusement.

"But," he said smoothly, "you did say it pretty confidently."

Aron stared at him.

Zane perked up. "Oh? Are we finally getting to the confession arc?"

Aron threw a cushion at him.

Livia laughed.

Aron told them to shut up and that they will thank him later when he confirms his doubts. 

From the start the old woman Saya, had been giving him that same danger feeling he felt earlier, but when she mentioned marriage, that feeling was at it's strongest and he made up the lie.

He don't regret it but he find it weird why that woman will be so interested in their marriage and why is it giving him dangerous feeling?