Reina_D

"To escape the weight of a name that never felt like hers, she hid her stars behind a mask."

In a world where the powerful dominate and the weak are discarded, Celeste has every reason to shine. As the daughter of one of the realm’s most powerful families, and the sole wielder of Zodiac Constellation Magic, she could rule empires.

But all she wants is freedom.

Tired of being judged by her lineage, her power, and her face, Celeste disguises herself as plain and powerless. She joins Astralis Institute—the elite academy for magic users—not to rise, but to vanish. A nobody. A background name. A girl no one expects anything from.

Then Auren crashes into her world—loud, brilliant, maddening. The academy’s golden boy with fire in his veins and kindness in his smile. His dream? To become the strongest and protect those he loves.

Hers? To never need protection.

Forced to partner up during trials that test not just strength but secrets, their clash becomes a storm of tension, emotion, and slow-burning attraction.

But the stars she's buried begin to stir... and so does her heart.

Can she remain unseen when the stars themselves are calling her name?

Constellations in Disguise

The next day, the Trial Grounds felt heavier. The second round had begun, and the atmosphere sizzled with expectation. Only the strongest remained now, and the magical barriers around the arena were reinforced with thick runes, glowing in pulsing light.

The field had shifted overnight—now a broken valley with uneven terrain, jagged cliffs, and pools of energy scattered throughout. The perfect place for chaos.

Lyra stepped forward once more, her eyes scanning the rocky ridges of her new battlefield. Her opponent was a girl known for manipulating gravity spells—an unusual and formidable match-up.

As the bell rang, Lyra summoned a great feline beast—a spectral lion roaring into existence. The moment gravity shifted around her, she dropped to her knees—but instead of yielding, she clenched her jaw and activated her light magic. A flash of light lit the whole arena and her opponent was on the ground.

She stumbled back, panting. That had been close.

Rhydan's match looked more like a demolition zone. His opponent—a shield bearer with high defense—stood tall behind a fortress of magic.

He raised both hands and brought them crashing down. A wave of explosive force cracked the field in two. The audience shielded their eyes from the dust and rubble.

The barrier around the arena trembled as Rhydan unleashed his ability to destroy constructs. Magic or not, the shield shattered like glass.

Kael walked onto a field bathed in moonlight, the arena dimmed specifically for his match. His opponent was agile—able to become invisible using light reflection.

He stood still for a moment, then let the darkness swirl around him like ink in water. "I don't need to see you to end this," he said coolly.

He vanished into the dark—and reappeared behind his enemy, binding them in tendrils of shadow before they even realized.

Valric faced off against a dual-blade wielder who relied on speed and deception. The battle was fast—blades flashing, water streaming through the air.

Valric adapted, shifting from offense to defense, weaving waves to slow the other fighter's movements. Then he twisted the moisture in the air to form jagged ice and launched them in a storm.

His opponent couldn't dodge them all.

His challenger tried to trap him in a maze of crystal barriers, aiming to reflect his fire back at him. But Auren didn't play defense.

He slammed his foot down, summoning a fire-dragon from the pit of the arena. The beast tore through the crystal maze and surged forward.

A single, earth-shaking roar ended the fight.

The third round was even fiercer. Each of the five boys and Lyra faced new, stronger opponents. Iris Elowen breezed through with flawless wind manipulation, elegant and deadly. She danced on air, blades of compressed wind slicing through her enemies.

Another girl, Zira Emberlyn, with power over sound and pressure waves, destroyed her challengers by disorienting them until they collapsed.

Leonel Vaess, the charming senior from the ball, crushed his opponents with raw force—earth magic enhanced by strength spells. A formidable contender.

But Celeste? She remained on the sidelines, watching, her lips drawn in a quiet line.

Her parents sat in the audience—smiling politely, though their eyes were cold.

But no one knew what fate had in store.

Chapter 30 – Storms of Fire and Shadow