The 7 Ruby Trinity

The halls of Aetherion buzzed like thunderclouds at sunrise.

Whispers spread through every tower, study hall, and dueling terrace:The sky had changed.The constellations had realigned.The Grand Order was watching again.

In the center of campus, the Celestara Bell — a massive artifact of stardust, crystal, and ancient time — chimed exactly thirteen notes. The air around it shimmered as headmistress Veloria Thorne, a celestial being draped in cosmos thread, appeared on a floating platform above the amphitheater.

Her voice was velvet laced with starlight:

"Students of Aetherion… by decree of the Grand Order Court of Judgment… you are invited to attend this century's Kala's Zoric Ball."

Gasps erupted. Even Ayshia's breath caught.

"On the eve of the twin moons' alignment," Veloria continued, "the stars will burn in the sacred colors of the Founders: Grand Master Kala, Void Goddess Virtue, Isarosa of Beauty and Birth, Hecron of Death, and Tyrin of Imagination."

The sky above the school began to shift.

Swirls of gold, obsidian, pearl pink, eclipse blue, and dreamglass violet exploded across the heavens like oil dropped into water. Each student was surrounded by a soft glow.

"Your Zoric color will be chosen by your soul. Not your status. Not your realm."

Ayshia looked down. Her hands shimmered in celestial magenta and nebula gold — the same tones of her grandmother Ryoba's ancestral markings.

Ni-ki, standing on a nearby terrace, turned his hand over slowly… watching as crimson-black mist swirled up his arm. He didn't react, but his fingers curled into a fist.

"Your color," Veloria said, "is your truth. It is what you control, what you resist… and what you are destined to become."

Behind her, a massive tapestry unveiled itself mid-air — a star map with names and swirling patterns.

At the very top read:KALA'S ZORIC BALL — ENTRY PAIRS BY RESONANCE AND CONVERGENCE

The crowd fell dead silent.

"You will not choose your partner," Veloria smiled faintly. "The stars will."

💫 In the Dorm Tower Later That Night…

The girls stood in front of the floating name scroll, wide-eyed.

Ayshia: "They're assigning us partners… by magical compatibility?"

Flora: "This is like a matchmaking spell wrapped in a prom."

Lucy (reading ahead): "Oh gods."

Techna: "Don't say it. Who did I get?"

Lucy: "Jay."

Techna: "No."

Lucy: "Yes."

The scroll glowed:

Zoric PartnersAyshia Starlight ⇄ Ni-kiBloom Emberhart ⇄ JungwonStella Frostmoor ⇄ SunghoonFlora Mossveil ⇄ SunooLucy Goldthorn ⇄ HeeseungTechna Sandrune ⇄ JayErza Delmare ⇄ Jake

Bloom whistled low. "That's… a setup. The universe ships us."

Ayshia's eyes stayed locked on the scroll.

Ni-ki. Again.Always Ni-ki.

Was it coincidence, or cosmic memory?

🌌 Meanwhile, in the Rareblood Wing…

Ni-ki stared at his pairing like it had burned his name onto his skin.

Heeseung leaned back against the window, his cloak reflecting eclipse blue. "She's not what you expected, is she?"

Ni-ki didn't answer.

Jay crossed his arms. "We're being paired off like royal puzzle pieces. Kala's legacy all over again."

Jake raised a brow. "Or maybe fate just remembered what the world tried to forget."

Sunghoon smirked. "Guess we'd better find formalwear."

📜 Announcement Scroll (floating in every hallway):

Kala's Zoric BallDate: Twin Moons EveTime: When the Veil OpensAttire: Your Soul-Chosen ColorLocation: The Starlight Cathedral, Realm Border of Imagination & JudgmentRequirement: One shared dance. One shared truth. One sealed promise.

As the sun set, each girl stood at her window.

Stars glowed above — not random, but forming constellations that looked suspiciously like pairs.

Ayshia whispered to herself, "Why does it always come back to him?"

And across the campus, as if connected by an invisible thread, Ni-ki whispered,

"Why do I always feel like I already lost her?"

END OF CHAPTER