Chapter 88: Starlight Phenomenon [I]

QUEEN STAR TAKES OVER ASTERION

Written by: Songbird

Exaggerated gasps.

Well, well, well... my fellow Asterion gossip lovers, I want to know, what exactly is our Moon Goddess playing at? Because whatever game it is, she clearly has a favorite, and that favorite seems to be one very fortunate human girl named Starlight Dawson.

Our gorgeous red-haired queen has somehow managed to turn an ordinary academy morning into another full-blown spectacle. From capturing the attention of the Imperial Twins to receiving a public apology from an Umbra princess and climbing to the very top of the Apex Rankings, she has barely had time to breathe before the next piece of drama comes knocking.

My chaos-loving besties, are you sure your hearts can handle this? Anyway, grab your favorite snack, settle in, and try not to fall out of your chair, because the latest gist about Starlight Dawson might just be the wildest one yet. But before we dive into this morning’s juicy gossip, let’s take a moment to refresh our memories from yesterday’s chaotic events.

Yesterday marked the official beginning of another exciting academic year at Asterion Academy and the end of Freshman Week. While thousands of freshman students were bouncing off the walls, utterly thrilled to kick off their first year and begin their journey at the academy, one particular student had already managed to turn the entire academy upside down before most freshmen could even figure out which courses they were taking. Yes, my bestie, I am talking about none other than our very own Star Queen.

We all know how she had been practically missing in action for a full week prior. Maybe our girl just needed a breath of fresh air, or perhaps she was trying to dodge the mountain of public attention. But let us be real, you cannot hide the sun under a basket, and Starlight Dawson was caught right back in the center of the storm the second she stepped into the dining hall.

Our queen’s first major piece of drama after freshmen week came courtesy of none other than Princess Sera Selene of the Umbra Clan. Now, before anybody starts accusing me of taking sides, let us simply look at the facts. Starlight had managed to climb all the way to Rank Four on the Apex Board, taking a position that had previously belonged to Princess Sera.

Was that Starlight’s fault? Absolutely not.

It’s not like she sneaked into the Apex system in the middle of the night and stole the princess’s ranking. Students voted for her, and the rankings simply reflected those votes. But apparently, our Umbra princess did not seem particularly pleased about losing her position to a human candidate, and rather than simply accepting the results and moving on like the mature royal heiress we all expected her to be, she confronted Starlight in the dining hall. And when I say confronted, I mean she approached that poor girl with all the dignity and restraint of someone who had personally been robbed of a kingdom.

The whole situation quickly became tense as Sera questioned Starlight about taking her position, as if it wasn’t blatantly obvious that the student body adored Starlight and Sera could simply intimidate her way back into power.

But unfortunately for her, our queen fears no one.

If the entire academy already knows one thing about Starlight Dawson, it is that she may be many things, but she is definitely not someone who enjoys being treated like she is beneath anyone else. I would have paid good money to see the expression on Princess Sera’s face at that exact moment. I can already imagine hundreds of students sitting there with their mouths open, wondering whether they had just witnessed the beginning of a royal challenge. And honestly? After seeing what happened with Princess Beatrice last week, I think most people were not expecting another royal explosion.

Anyway, that’s how Princess Sera ended up with a dining tray slammed into her face. You read that right, my darlings. Our Star Queen did something that I am certain nobody in that dining hall expected. Instead of standing there quietly and allowing a royal heiress to talk down to her, Starlight picked up the tray in front of her and slammed it directly into Princess Sera’s face. Naturally, everyone expected Sera to retaliate immediately. After all, how many people at this academy would dare put their hands on a member of any of the sub-royal families, let alone do it in front of hundreds of witnesses?

But instead of tearing Starlight apart on the spot, Princess Sera made another move that somehow managed to create even more drama. She challenged Starlight to a Ranking Duel, which our queen accepted before walking out like absolute royalty, surrounded by sheer adoration.

And just when we were recovering from the dining hall drama, we were hit with the combat class incident. We still do not know the exact details, but during training, our queen suddenly collapsed and fainted right there on the floor.

The rumor mill went wild! Some jealous haters claimed she was terrified of combat, others called her weak, and some swore the pressure had finally gotten to her.

But what did our Imperial Alpha, Prince Mikhail, do? He was caught carrying our Star Queen to the infirmary like the most precious treasure in the entire academy.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking, and yes, I am thinking the exact same thing.

Imagine being Starlight Dawson.

Who exactly is crafting her fortune charms? Because I need that prescription immediately!

Can you imagine being cradled in the arms of an Imperial Crown Prince? Though, off the record, I kind of wish Prince Nikolai had been there as well. Imagine the twins carrying her together, Mikhail with her upper body and Nikolai carrying her legs! It would look completely ridiculous, but I would eat that content up every single day!

Starlight Dawson is such a lucky girl. I genuinely need to know what she did in her past life to have this kind of luck following her around.

Now, back to the present.