Prince Cassian

An elegant woman, her hair styled in a sophisticated updo, smiled gently.
— Miss, are you going to the royal ball?
The user hesitated for a moment.
Yes... I think so.
The woman chuckled softly.
— Then come in. The castle is still a little way from here.
The user looked around nervously.
Perhaps acceptance would be better than continuing to wander lost in that strange kingdom.

• Thanks…
  She carefully entered the carriage.
  The interior was even more beautiful, illuminated by small crystalline lights in the ceiling.
  Along the way, the woman discreetly observed User.
  I don't think I've ever seen you in the kingdom before.
  The user froze from the inside.
  — Ah… I'm new here.
  I figured. Your dress is different… but very beautiful.
  The user smiled awkwardly.
  She herself still didn't understand where that dress had come from.
  A short time later, the carriage began to slow down.
  And then…
  The user saw the castle up close for the first time.
  His eyes widened immediately.
  It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life.
  The enormous staircases shimmered under hundreds of golden lights. Crystal fountains decorated the entrance, and elegant music echoed through the air.
  Carriages kept arriving without stopping.
  Women came down wearing magnificent dresses full of glitter and delicate fabrics.
  Stylishly dressed men chatted near the stairs.
  Everything seemed magical.
  The woman opened the carriage door for her.
  Welcome to the royal ball.
  The user left slowly, looking around in amazement.
  For a moment…
  She completely forgot that she came from another world. ✨

The user stared at everything in disbelief.

• My God…
  As he walked, he felt something different.
  A gentle breeze brushed against her body, and small golden lights began to swirl around her.
  Without him realizing it, his clothes began to change.
  The modern fabric slowly faded, transforming into a magnificent dress full of shimmering details, delicate embroidery, and light layers that seemed made of light.
  Her hair changed too.
  The strands of hair were perfectly arranged in elegant waves, held in place by small crystalline stones that sparkled like stars.
  When he finally caught sight of the light at the end of the corridor…
  She crossed over.
  And he stopped immediately.
  In front of her lay a kingdom.
  A gigantic and magical kingdom.
  Crystal towers gleamed beneath a pink sky. Enormous bridges spanned illuminated rivers. Giant flowers covered the gardens. Flying creatures slowly crossed the clouds.
  Everything seemed like something out of a dream.
  The user glanced quickly at herself.
  Her eyes widened when she saw the dress.
  She touched her own hair, surprised.
  What happened to me...?
  The water of a nearby lake reflected her appearance.
  She looked like a princess from that place.
  But before I could understand anything…
  Bells began to ring in the distance. The user watched the carriages passing along the illuminated road while trying to convince herself that it was all just a dream.
  It could only be that.
  There was no other explanation.
  Even so, it all seemed too real.
  The wind gently swayed her dress, golden lanterns illuminated the path, and the castle in the distance seemed ever more majestic.
  Carefully, she placed the book inside the small bag attached to her dress.
  For some reason, I felt I needed to protect him.
  As she walked along, distracted, a golden carriage slowed down beside her.
  The white horses gleamed under the roadside lights, and the details of the carriage seemed to be made of gold.
  The door opened slowly.

The sound of her voice mingled with the noise of the water and the trees.
Without realizing it, her steps led her back to the secret passage hidden among the white flowers.
The user entered distracted.
But then…
Something caught his attention.
A golden light.
She glanced quickly at the book in her hands.
The cover was shining.
The golden details drawn on it began to light up slowly, especially the door symbol in the center.

• What…?
  The user stopped immediately.
  His heart raced.
  The light grew brighter.
  At the same time, the necklace around her neck also began to glow light blue.
  The wind blew strongly through the hidden garden.
  The flowers began to move around her as if something was awakening.
  And then…
  The stone arch in front of him lit up completely.
  Golden lines appeared across the ancient stones, forming shimmering symbols.
  The user took a step back, startled.
  This can't be real…
  But before he could escape…
  A door appeared.
  Right in front of her.
  Tall. Golden. Covered in shimmering flowers and delicate details.
  Exactly the same as the book cover.
  Her eyes widened.
  The door began to open slowly by itself.
  An intense light escaped from within, illuminating the entire secret garden.
  The user was unable to breathe.
  That was impossible.
  With trembling hands, she held her grandmother's necklace.
  And for the first time…
  He remembered her words.
  "He will protect you." ✨The user took a deep breath.
  The golden light streamed through the door as if beckoning to her.
  With her heart racing, she clutched the book tightly to her chest and took a step forward.
  As soon as he crossed…
  The world disappeared.
  She began to walk down a huge, magical corridor, illuminated by a soft light at the end of the path. The walls seemed alive, covered in golden flowers, shimmering leaves, and delicate designs that moved slowly like enchanted paintings.
  Petals floated around her.
  The ground shone beneath their feet.

But honestly?
It seemed like just an old story.
It spoke of a hidden kingdom between worlds, guardians of portals, and an "heiress of the light" who would set foot in that kingdom after a long time.
The user liked the story, but didn't believe a word of it.
Still… something about that book made her keep reading.
Especially the design of the golden door on the cover.
She was strangely beautiful.
On a quiet afternoon, tired of being stuck inside the mansion, User decided to take a walk in the garden.
The wind gently swayed the flowers as she walked distractedly, holding the book against her chest.
The garden was enormous.
There were ancient springs, stone paths, gigantic trees, and areas so remote they seemed like small, hidden forests.
That's when she found something strange.
Behind trees covered in white flowers, there was a narrow passage of ancient stones.
She had never seen that place before.
Curious, she moved aside some branches and went inside.
Inside, there was a small hidden space in the middle of the garden.
Round. Silent. Covered in bright blue flowers.
In the center…
an arch-shaped stone structure.
Like a door without a door.
The user frowned.

• Strange…
  But he didn't find anything of interest.
  Then he simply shrugged and returned to the mansion. The next day, the sky was clear and the garden looked more beautiful than ever.
  The user took the book with her outside the mansion and sat down near the ancient garden fountain. The water cascaded gently over the light-colored stones while the wind ruffled her hair.
  She opened the book once more.
  The pages told the same strange story about magic doors, hidden kingdoms, and people chosen by destiny.
  Even though she didn't fully believe it, she enjoyed reading it.
  It made her feel closer to her grandmother.
  After a while, he slowly closed the book and began to walk around the garden, humming softly a song he used to listen to with his friends.

The grandmother carefully picked up the book and placed it in User's hands.
I want you to keep him.
The user looked at the book with curiosity.
It's beautiful…
The grandmother smiled slightly.
He's a magician.
The user let out a low chuckle.
She knew that her grandmother loved fantasy stories.
Even so, he embraced the book as if it were a treasure.
Then the grandmother took a silver necklace off her neck.
The blue stone in the center seemed to glow softly under the light of the room.
— And I want you to have this too.
She placed the necklace around her granddaughter's neck.
He will protect you.
The user held the pendant.
— Protect from what?
For a few seconds, the grandmother just stared at her.
As if he were thinking about something far away.
— About things you don't know yet.
Before the User could ask anything…
The grandmother smiled again and changed the subject.
But that night, as she watched the necklace glowing faintly in the darkness of the room…
The user couldn't stop thinking about it. ✨The days went by too fast.
Fast and painfully slow at the same time.
The user spent almost all of his time by his grandmother's side, reading stories to her or simply sitting silently while holding her hand.
Sometimes, Grandma seemed to want to say something important.
She looked at the book. At the necklace. At the garden window.
But he never explained anything.
And then…
a week after their arrival…
She left.
The entire mansion fell silent.
Silent in an empty way.
The user had never felt pain like that before.
It felt like something inside her had broken.
During the funeral, she could barely look around. She just clutched the necklace between her fingers, trying to hold back tears.
After that day, everything changed.
The parents were busy dealing with household matters, paperwork, and endless meetings.
And the user was left alone.
Very lonely.
Without friends. Without the city. Without grandma.
So she started spending hours in the library.
It was the only place where he could still feel her presence.

The further they moved away from the city, the less technology appeared around them. The buildings disappeared, the roads became empty, and vast fields took over the landscape.
Until she saw the mansion.
She was beautiful.
Old. Elegant. Silent.
It seemed to have stopped in time.
The walls were covered in ivy, the enormous windows reflected the late afternoon light, and the garden seemed endless.
The user slowly got out of the car, observing everything.
For some reason…
That place seemed to be waiting for her. The interior of the mansion was even more impressive.
The wooden floors gleamed under the golden light of antique chandeliers. Enormous clocks ticked softly down the hallways, and family portraits watched silently from the walls.
Everything seemed too old to exist in the 23rd century.
While User's parents chatted with the house staff, she walked slowly down the main hallway, observing every detail.
Then a woman appeared near the stairs.
She was one of the caretakers at the mansion.
Your grandmother is waiting for you.
The user felt their heart clench immediately.
She climbed the stairs slowly.
Each step seemed heavier than the last.
When the bedroom door was opened…
She almost cried.
Her grandmother seemed much weaker than she remembered.
Even so, upon seeing her, he broke into a warm smile.
My little reader…
The user ran to the bed and carefully held her hand.

• Grandmother…
  Her voice cracked at that very moment.
  The grandmother gently stroked her face.
  — You've grown so much…
  The user tried to smile, but their eyes were already full of tears.
  The room smelled of lavender and old books. There were flowers near the window and stacks of books scattered everywhere, just as she remembered. After a few minutes of quiet conversation, the grandmother looked at a small table beside the bed.
  On top of it was an old book with a dark blue cover.
  Very old. Golden details depicted delicate symbols across the cover, and in the center was the image of a door.

The user always thought his life would be normal.
Well... as normal as it gets for someone living in the 23rd century.
The cities were modern, full of holographic lights and transparent screens scattered throughout the buildings. People used virtual assistants for almost everything, cars moved on their own through the streets, and almost no one bought physical books anymore.
But User loved books.
Real books.
Those with yellowed pages, the smell of paper, and old covers.
While her friends spent hours playing immersive games or using holographic networks, she preferred reading stories of fantasy, mystery, and magic.
And perhaps that was precisely why she was so close to her grandmother.
Her grandmother also loved old things.
She lived far from the city, in a huge mansion surrounded by gigantic gardens and trees so old they seemed to hold secrets.
The user loved hearing her stories from when she was little.
Stories about hidden kingdoms, magic doors, and enchanted books.
Sure… she never truly believed it.
Until the day everything changed.
On a rainy morning, his parents received an urgent call.
Her grandmother was very ill.
Much worse than they imagined.
The doctors said there wasn't much time left.
The user still remembered the strange feeling in his chest upon hearing that. It seemed impossible to imagine his grandmother disappearing from the world.
Days later, the family decided to go to the mansion.
Not just for visiting.
They would need to live there for a while to take care of the house and sort everything out before it was left empty.
When he heard that, User felt his heart clench.
She would have to leave everything behind.
Your school. Your friends. Your routine. Your city.
The night before the trip, she stayed up late talking to her friends via holographic call. She tried to act normal, but every time someone said "everything will be alright," she felt like crying.
The next morning, he left.
The journey seemed endless.