Location: Liria – Day 91 in Atheria
A soft bell chimed through the wind.
Not a warning.
Not a clock.
But the first invitation.
Mirae stood atop a smooth stone platform near the floating lake, her hands glowing with magic as golden lanterns floated into the sky like silent fireflies.
"It's time," she called.
And the entire valley of Liria stirred.
---
The Idea Was Simple
"Let's have a celebration," Yoori had said one evening.
"A festival?" Baek had asked, skeptical.
"Yes," Mirae added. "But not for harvest, or war, or gods."
"Then what?" Jihae had said.
"For being alive," said Jiwoo.
---
Festival of Still Stars
They named it in the spirit of their land:
> A day to pause.
A day to smile.
A night to remember that peace exists… and is worth celebrating.
The system recognized the declaration.
> [New Festival Registered: Still Stars – Annual Cycle Day 91]
[Kingdom Morale Boost: +15%]
[Atmospheric Harmony Detected: 98%]
And the preparations began.
---
No Gold Required
Everything was gifted.
Food from gardens. Music from wandering bards. Enchanted lanterns powered by spirit wind. Paintings, carvings, even floating paper boats with tiny messages.
Not a single coin exchanged hands.
Yet behind it all, Jiwoo's 999 centillion gold flowed quietly through the system—powering hidden enchantments, stabilizing the skies, and sending comfort to every corner of the valley.
Nobody knew.
That was how Jiwoo wanted it.
---
The Celebration Begins
As the sun dipped behind the hills, Liria came alive.
Mirae's floating candles traced constellations above the fields.
Children danced with leaf-spirits along soft music pathways.
The lake glowed blue as silver fish leapt through rings of light.
Solace and Sena set up a skyglass projector, showing memories of blooming flowers and flight spells captured from adventurers who'd passed through.
No speeches.
No rules.
Just joy.
---
Then the Sky Shifted
A cool breeze swept over the lake.
And then—
a sound.
Not thunder.
Not wind.
A note.
Long. Slow. Melodic.
The stars themselves… sang.
Baek looked up. "That's… not an illusion."
Jiwoo stepped forward. The system buzzed softly.
> [Anomalous Weather Event Detected: Harmonic Storm]
[Type: Non-lethal | Rarity: Legendary | Cycle: Unknown]
[Cause: Atmospheric Mana Resonance with Peace Beacon]
The sky above shimmered like crystal.
Clouds formed in spiral patterns.
And the song deepened.
A storm… composed of music.
---
They Didn't Run
They didn't raise shields.
They didn't call for cover.
Instead, Jiwoo raised his hand—and light magic danced from his fingers, capturing the sound.
He smiled.
"They're responding to us," he said. "The world itself."
The Festival of Still Stars had not gone unnoticed.
Atheria was listening.
---
Dancing in the Rain
Raindrops began to fall—but they glowed like moonlight, soft as mist, each one creating a gentle chime as it touched the earth.
No wet clothes. No storms.
Just sound.
Music.
The bard who'd once arrived blind now stood beneath the sky, tears on his cheeks as he strummed a tune in harmony.
A small girl spun beneath the glowing droplets, laughing.
The lake mirrored the sky, stars and all.
---
Jiwoo's Reflection
He watched from the hill, the original eight beside him.
No guards.
No banners.
Just heartbeats.
Just peace.
"This is real," he said. "We didn't imagine this."
Sena nodded. "It's not a kingdom anymore."
"It's a sanctuary," Jihae said.
"It's home," whispered Mirae.
---
The System Responds
> [Liria: Sanctuary Tier 3 Achieved – Recognized by the World]
[Festival: Still Stars Registered in Aetheric Lore]
[Atmospheric Shift: Mana-Stable Zone Created]
[New Trait: Inviting Harmony – Spirit Presence Increased]
> [World Attention: 11.3%]
[Political Interest: Minimal]
[Trade Interest: Moderate]
[Hostility: Zero]
And beneath all this:
> [Primary Account: 999 Centillion Gold Remaining]
[Daily Expenditure: ~112 million]
[Sustainability: Eternal]
Jiwoo closed the panel.
And smiled.
---
A Gift from the Sky
As the storm faded, a final sound rang—a pure note like crystal.
From the clouds descended a single silver feather, glowing softly.
It landed in Jiwoo's palm.
> [You Have Acquired: Feather of the Sky Requiem]
A gift from the world itself, given only to those who bring joy without asking.
Can summon a Songstorm once per lifetime. Or never, if simply kept.
Jiwoo looked at it.
And tucked it into a wooden box with no lock.
He didn't need to use it.
Not now.
---
Ending Scene – Lanterns and Laughter
The lanterns floated upward long into the night.
The last bard played a final tune.
Children drifted to sleep beneath glowing trees.
And Jiwoo, under the stars, whispered to himself:
"May this never be forgotten."
Then he opened a hidden setting in his system:
> [Enable: Eternal Memory Mode – Archive Every Peaceful Day]
Saved to personal soul-log.
No expiration.
And so, the Festival of Still Stars was remembered by the world…
…exactly as it was.
---