By the time the sixth sun rose, we'd finally made it to the Blue House gates.

  I stopped walking and just... stared.

  The gates were huge. White, clean, with blue veins running through them like glowing cracks. They looked like what I'd imagined heaven's gates would look like—if heaven had a color scheme.

  Of course it's blue. Everything here is blue.

  Athushar drifted forward, and I watched as something weird happened. Hands started forming from the celestial's body—like water deciding to become fingers. Athushar raised one of these new hands and snapped.

  The gates swung open.

  Okay, that was cool.

  Inside was a garden. Blue flowers everywhere, lesser spirits floating around like they were putting on a show, and—wait, were those bugs? They looked like insects, just... not Earth insects. More wings. More shine. More blue.

  Even the bugs match the aesthetic. These celestials don't mess around.

  We walked through, and the Blue House got bigger the closer we got. The spires twisted up like frozen flames, windows everywhere, bridges connecting things at random heights. It was impressive.

  It was also a lot.

  The front doors opened before we reached them, and Sky came out.

  "Welcome, Blue Luminary," Sky said, doing that bow thing. "Welcome, Yuuki."

  "Hey, Sky." I gave a small wave.

  Behind Sky, more celestials appeared. A lot more. They lined up along the entrance hall walls, all glowing, all watching.

  Great. An audience.

  Athushar didn't acknowledge them—just floated forward. I hurried to keep up, very aware that I was the only one here who wasn't made of light.

  The inside of the Blue House was exactly what you'd expect. Blue walls. Blue light. Blue everything. The architecture was all curves and organic shapes, like someone had grown a building instead of constructing it.

  They really committed to this whole thing, huh.

  ? The naming convention extends to Athushar's offspring as well. ?

  What do you mean?

  ? Sky. Cobalt. Teal. All blue variations. The pattern likely continues. ?

  I looked at Sky's eyes. They did look like a clear sky—lighter blue, softer.

  So they're all named after shades of blue?

  ? It appears so. ?

  That's either very organized or very boring.

  At the end of the hallway, Cobalt was waiting with another celestial I didn't recognize. This one was a darker blue—like denim fabric.

  "Blue Luminary," Cobalt said. "Your chambers are prepared."

  "Spruce and Berry have gathered your preferred provisions," the other celestial added.

  "Thank you, Denim," Athushar said.

  Called it.

  ? Pattern confirmed. ?

  Yeah, yeah.

  The room they took us to was ridiculous.

  Not bad ridiculous. Just... big. Way too big. The cottage had been cozy, small, comfortable. This room could fit like fifty people and still feel empty. There was some furniture—couches, a table, some other stuff I couldn't identify—but it all looked lost in the space.

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  This is what a Luminary's actual home looks like. The cottage was Athushar slumming it.

  I sat on a white couch with blue trim. Athushar took what was basically a throne. Cobalt and Denim stood by the walls like bodyguards.

  "Denim," Athushar said.

  "Yes, Blue Luminary."

  "Has preparation been completed?"

  "Partially. The garments are finished. The cutter has not yet arrived."

  Cutter?

  My brain immediately went to bad places. Knives. Tests. Something unpleasant.

  "Athushar," I said, trying not to sound nervous, "what does a cutter do?"

  "They will address your hair."

  Oh.

  A barber. They mean a barber.

  I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

  ? Your concern was understandable. ?

  Shut up.

  Now that Athushar mentioned it, I actually noticed my hair. It was long now—past my shoulders. And still white. I'd been ignoring it, mostly, but it was definitely a thing.

  The memory hit me before I could stop it.

  First morning in Sphere.

  I woke up groggy, brain still half-asleep.

  Ugh, did May check my messages? We still need to work on that research presentation—

  ? Yuuki. ?

  I opened my eyes.

  Wrong ceiling. Wrong smell. Wrong everything.

  ? You seemed to have forgotten where you are. ?

  Right. Died. Different world. Got it.

  I sat up and noticed my hair immediately. It was touching my shoulders. That was wrong—I always kept it short.

  And when I pulled a strand forward to look at it—

  White.

  What the hell?

  I touched it. Felt it. Soft, silky, nothing like my normal hair.

  I didn't notice this yesterday.

  ? Yesterday was overwhelming. You missed details. ?

  This isn't a detail, AI. My hair changed color.

  I wanted to ask Athushar about it. But then I remembered—amnesia act. Someone with no memories wouldn't know their hair used to be different.

  So I kept my mouth shut.

  I snapped back to the present.

  Big room. Throne-sitting celestial. Upcoming evaluation that would determine my freedom.

  Focus.

  "You have more questions about the Prism," Athushar said.

  "Yeah." I sat up straighter. "What's it actually like? Is it just the Luminaries, or are there going to be a bunch of other celestials watching too?"

  The idea of hundreds of blank eyes staring at me made my skin crawl.

  "Attendance is restricted," Athushar said. "Only the six Luminaries and selected attendants."

  "Okay, that's better."

  "You wish to know the evaluation format."

  "Yeah. What am I walking into?"

  "You will be questioned. About your nature, your intentions, your understanding of Sphere." Athushar paused. "Honesty is expected. Dishonesty is inadvisable."

  Great. My whole amnesia thing might be a problem.

  ? We should prepare answers that are truthful but don't contradict earlier claims. ?

  Easier said than done.

  "What else?" I asked. "You said some Luminaries do things differently."

  "Some assess through combat. Others evaluate how you construct answers—your thinking, not just your words. And some judge by appearance."

  "Hence the haircut."

  "Hence proper grooming, yes."

  Combat. Logic tests. Looking presentable. This was like a job interview, talent show, and trial all at once.

  Cool. Totally not stressful.

  But something else was bugging me.

  "Athushar."

  "Yes?"

  "Why are you putting so much effort into this?"

  The room got quiet. Cobalt and Denim didn't move, but I could tell they were paying attention.

  "You keep saying it's duty," I continued. "But this feels like more. The training. The grooming. Coming here yourself instead of sending someone else. Why do you actually care if I pass?"

  Silence.

  Athushar didn't answer right away. The moment stretched.

  Did I push too hard?

  Then Athushar's form did something I'd never seen—it pulled inward slightly, like the celestial was bracing for something.

  "Guiding otherworlders is our duty," Athushar said finally. "It has been since Sphere's beginning. When beings from other worlds arrive, we prepare them—or determine they cannot be permitted to stay."

  "But?"

  "A millennium ago, an otherworlder arrived. A woman. I was responsible for her guidance."

  I remembered this. The conversation about Earth, about Silva.

  "What happened?"

  "I failed."

  The word came out flat. But underneath it, I could feel something heavy.

  "I failed in my duty. In my judgment. And because of that failure..."

  Athushar's form flickered. Actually flickered—like a glitch.

  "I sealed the waypoint myself. To prevent it from happening again."

  Wait.

  Athushar closed the waypoint?

  That's why no humans came for a thousand years. Not because it broke—because Athushar chose to shut it down.

  "What happened to her?" I asked. "The woman you were guiding?"

  "That story is for after the Prism. If you pass."

  Of course.

  I wanted to push. But I could see this was a wound. Old, but not healed.

  Pushing won't help.

  "Okay," I said. "After the Prism."

  "Thank you for your patience."

  That surprised me. Athushar didn't usually thank me.

  Maybe this is more personal than I thought.

  ? Athushar is invested in your success. Not just as duty—as redemption. ?

  Yeah. I got that.

  ? It could work in our favor. ?

  Or it could mean Athushar expects too much.

  Before I could think more about it, someone knocked on the door.

  Cobalt opened it, and a new celestial entered.

  This one was different. Denser. More solid. Angular where the others were fluid. The color was darker blue—almost navy. And they moved like someone who was used to being in charge.

  "My Blue Luminary," the celestial said, bowing in a way that felt more like equals greeting than servant to master. "I have arrived."

  "Admiral," Athushar replied. "It has been some time."

  Admiral?

  The celestial's gaze turned to me. Those deep blue circles studied me like I was something to be figured out.

  "This is the otherworlder?"

  "This is Yuuki," Athushar said. "Yuuki, this is Admiral. My strongest offspring whose judgment I trust completely."

  "Nice to meet you," I said, standing up because it felt like I should.

  Admiral looked at me for a long moment.

  They don't said anything and turned back to Athushar.

  "We have much to discuss."