Three days later, in the secret celestial dock beneath the Vaelthorn compound, Fedrick stood alone with the machine that should not exist.
Aurealis Myrrh.
The warship was a leviathan of stardust alloy, forged from the heart of a dead sun. Half weapon, half sentient artifact. Capable of traveling across universal ley lines, devouring planets, rewriting gravitational constants.
And it purred when he approached.
[Vessel Recognition Complete]
[Bond Initiation 100%]
Welcome, Sovereign Host.
The ship's AI voice was ethereal. Female. Soft, but ancient.
"Fedrick. I have waited across twelve dimensions. Will you command me?"
He reached out and placed his hand on the hull. Energy surged.
[System Upgrade Unlocked]
+Warp Engine Core Integrated
+Interstellar Spatial Law Assimilation
+Skill: Cosmic Jump
+Domain Unlocked: Stellar Tyranny (Dormant)
Power Level: Mortal Tier 3 → Skybreak Tier 1
He gasped. Stars moved behind his eyes. Literal stars.
[Universal Announcement Triggered]
"A Sovereign Has Taken Command of a Star-Class Vessel."
All Empires notified.
Nexus Council alerted.
[Tracking and Assassination attempts incoming: 8]
Fedrick smiled.
"Let them come."
Behind him, the warship's hull began to glow with scripture—runes in languages no mortal tongue could utter.
From his side, a quiet voice broke the hum.
"…You're insane."
He turned. Serenya. She wore her Moonveil Academy uniform. She must've slipped past the security perimeter.
"How did you—?"
"I've been watching," she said, refusing to look away. "You didn't even notice."
That pierced something in him. The System didn't register her as a threat, but his heart did something unpredictable. Uncatalogued.
[New Function Activated: Emotional Calibration]
Target: Serenya Nyelle
Reaction: Unknown
Effect: System Unstable (0.2%)
Fedrick winced.
Serenya raised an eyebrow. "Does your System always glitch when you talk to girls?"
He grinned. "Only when they're this pretty."
Her cheeks flared.
He turned back to the ship. "Come aboard. I want to show you something."
"…Why me?"
"Because when the stars scream my name," he said, "I want someone to remember the sound."