Chapter 100: The Familiar Bonding-3.

"Oh, you all finally came," a smooth, cheerful voice called out, snapping everyone out of their trance.

Heads turned, eyes lifted—towards the massive tree.

High up on one of its thick branches, a girl sat with familiars all around her. A small blue bird perched on one shoulder, chirping softly.

On the other, a furry little creature—like a squirrel but with glowing white fur—nestled close.

In her lap sat a white cat, fluffy and elegant, with a pink ribbon tied to its tail. The cat looked annoyed, hissing softly as more familiars tried to get closer to her.

And at the center of it all—her.

Her long magenta hair flowed like liquid starlight, glowing under the soft golden sky.

Each strand shimmered, ending in soft sparkles like stardust drifting through the air. She wasn’t in her usual school uniform.

Instead, she wore a simple but stylish white shirt, thin black ribbon straps crossing over her shoulders.

Her black jeans fit perfectly, and black boots reached just above her ankles, giving her a quiet edge.

A silver bracelet wrapped neatly around her wrist, shining faintly like diamonds. Around her neck hung a small azure gem on a fine chain—simple, but elegant.

Yet none of that—none of the clothes, the shine, or the magic—could even come close to her eyes.

Her eyes...

Twin stars. Brilliant magenta with star-shaped pupils that sparkled with mystery, mischief, and charm.

They held the kind of beauty that made the world feel still for a moment. Like time itself paused just to admire her.

’God, she’s so gorgeous.’

My breath caught. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her, no matter how much I tried.

There she was—Vidalia De Astra.

The Jewel Forged From Starlight.

The one I had only seen behind a screen, my favorite character in the game.

And now, she was real. Alive. Breathing. Smiling.

And even more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.

Swirl.

The air shimmered gently around her as she floated down from the branch, not stepping, not jumping—simply gliding.

Like the stars themselves had gathered beneath her feet, holding her gently in their arms.

Tiny lights—silver, gold, and soft violet—danced around her, swirling like dust caught in sunlight mixed with different patterns.

Her long magenta hair drifted with her movement, trailing behind like a veil of starlight.

Everyone fell silent. Even the familiars for a moment, stilled.

She didn’t float fast—just slow enough that every second she descended felt magical. Like a dream you didn’t want to wake up from.

When she landed, her boots touched the grass without a sound. The lights around her faded, like they were bowing and returning to the sky.

And there she stood with Grace, and confidence.

"Welcome to the Bonding Grounds," she said, her voice calm and filled with a quiet joy. "I hope you’re all ready."

No one spoke. They just stared.

Because at that moment—she didn’t look like a student.

She looked like a goddesses that had descended on mortals land.

(Author- Yeah this last line is only his thinking. Cold heart my ass, MF had lost it.)

******

Illiana finally stepped forward, breaking the silence that had held the group in quiet awe.

"Vidalia," she called out, her tone composed but edged with surprise, "what are you doing here?"

The question hung in the air, grounding everyone back to reality.

Vidalia turned toward her, a calm smile tugging at her lips.

"Oh, Professor Illiana, hehe." she said warmly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as the small squirrel on her shoulder squeaked softly.

"I came here yesterday. I asked Madam Neila for permission."

Illiana raised a brow. "Yesterday?"

The old woman in question, Madam Neila, stepped forward slowly with her cane tapping the grass.

She gave a soft nod. "Yes, that’s right. She came to me yesterday and asked if she could visit the grounds early," she said. "She said she wanted to... reconnect and also watch the first year’s bonding ceremony. "

"Reconnect?" Illiana repeated.

Vidalia nodded. "This place here seems special. I come here sometimes... just to sit for a while, talk to the familiars, and feel the flow of mana. It helps me focus."

’Liar, meow.’ The words of the white cat rang in her mind.

’Oueit.’ She said.

She gently patted the bluebird on her shoulder and continued. "And it’s peaceful."

Professor Luther whispered behind Illiana, "Only someone like her could get permission to enter a sealed ritual ground a whole day early."

Zankeil chuckled under his breath, stroking his beard. "Hmph, let the girl be. The familiars seem to love her."

Indeed, the familiars—some glowing, some large, others tiny and skittering—gathered around Vidalia like flowers turning to the sun.

Even the white cat with the pink ribbon, still sitting lazily in her hands narrowed its eyes smugly at the new arrivals as if saying: you’re late.

Illiana sighed, though not with irritation. "Next time, at least let me know beforehand. It startled the others."

Vidalia tilted her head with a soft laugh. "My apologies, Professor. I just didn’t want to get in the way. Hehe."

As she spoke, her eyes flickered briefly across the students. And for a second—just a second—her gaze met Azhriel’s.

Then she looked away.

The students behind Illiana slowly began to relax again, the awe melting into excitement.

They were in the Bonding Grounds. The Ritual would soon begin and they were looking at the most powerful second year representative in front of them.

"Damn, she’s so beautiful," Kevin muttered, eyes wide as he stared at Vidalia with awe.

"Stop gawking, it’s creepy," Alicia said, stepping a little farther away from him with an annoyed glance.

"Hey, that’s rude! I’m not gawking—I’m an artist appreciating beauty," Kevin replied, hand dramatically over his heart.

"Beauty, my foot. You’re just being a creep," Elizabeth said, her voice sharp and cold as she gave him a glare.

"Ugh, my heart... my poor heart can’t take such cruel words!" Kevin cried, pretending to fall over as he held his chest.

While Kevin acted like a fool, Raymond leaned toward Samuel and whispered, "Wow... she’s really strong."

Samuel nodded. "It makes sense. She’s a prodigy, you know? It is said that she will be the one to break Illiana’s record of being the youngest Divine." He glanced at Azhriel. "Right, Azhriel? What do you think?"

But Azhriel didn’t respond.

Everyone turned toward him. He was staring at Vidalia, still and silent, completely lost in thought.

"Hey, buddy? You there?" Raymond called out.

Azhriel blinked, finally snapping out of it. "Ah—y-yes. I’m listening," he said quickly, catching his stumble and clearing his throat.

His voice sounded calm, his face unreadable. But that tiny stutter didn’t go unnoticed.

Samuel raised a brow at Azhriel’s rare fumble, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "You sure, man? Looked like you were zoning out there for a second."

"I was just... evaluating," Azhriel said smoothly, quickly recovering. His voice settled into its usual calm, expression unreadable again. "She’s powerful. That much is obvious."

"Haah~ Look at you, acting all composed when even your soul looked like it left your body," Kevin teased, wagging his finger. "Don’t think we didn’t notice you staring."

"I wasn’t staring," Azhriel replied flatly.

"You were totally staring," Alicia deadpanned.

Raymond chuckled, nudging Azhriel lightly in the shoulder. "It’s alright, no shame in admiring someone that strong—or beautiful."

Azhriel didn’t reply, instead turning his gaze back toward Vidalia, who was now stepping lightly across the field toward the sacred tree.

The familiars parted for her, as though recognizing her presence. Her magenta hair shimmered gently under the golden sunlight, dancing with every movement she made.

The small blue bird on her shoulder let out a soft trill, like a flute.

"She’s really something..." Elizabeth muttered softly, almost to herself. "But that pressure... she’s definitely more than she looks."

"You all can feel it too, right?" Alicia asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "Yeah, it’s subtle and controlled. But that’s what makes it scary."

As the group continued watching, Vidalia turned her head slightly—just slightly—and her eyes swept once more across the crowd of students.

Her gaze lingered for half a breath longer in Azhriel’s direction, and then... she smiled.

Not a wide smile. Just a soft playful, knowing curve of her lips—like she saw something no one else could.

’Don’t think, I didn’t saw you staring.’ That was what that look told Azhriel.

Azhriel stiffened, but didn’t look away.

"I think she recognized you," Raymond whispered beside him.

"I’ve never met her before, except once." Azhriel replied quickly like lightning.

"Well, she sure looked like she has," Samuel added, a slight grin forming. "Maybe a past-life thing? Fate? Romantic entanglement across timelines?"

Chloe placed a hand on her chin dramatically. "I see... So she’s the secret goddess of starlight, and you’re the fallen blade reborn to protect her! Aha, It all makes sense!" She spoke joining Samuel.

Alicia sighed. "You’ve been reading too many trashy novels again."

"You people are seriously weird," Elizabeth said, rubbing her temple.

And yet, none of them could deny it—Vidalia De Astra didn’t just look like someone important.

She felt like someone who had walked straight out of a dream... and into their lives.

And for Azhriel, who had once only known her from the screen of a game, the moment was anything but ordinary.

Even if his face remained calm—his heart quietly pounded hard.

*******

[A/N- Don’t blame me. It was his POV, Azhriel is the one who wrote it, not me. Though if you ever encounter his POV expect some(three Chapters long) glaze.]