The mid-summer heat blanketed the kingdom of Aikyo. The kingdom is now at peace after they have defeated their threat, the Zankoku army. The golden sun blazed overhead, making the streets shimmer with warmth. Inside the palace, however, trouble was brewing.

  "ACHOO!"

  Hana sniffled, rubbing her nose as she flipped through a diplomatic report.

  Hime glanced up from her desk. "Hana, was that a sneeze?"

  Hana waved her hand dismissively. "I’m fine."

  Haruka, who had been stretching near the balcony, raised an eyebrow. "You sure? That sounded like you just exorcised a spirit from your lungs."

  Hana rolled her eyes. "It’s just a little irritation. Nothing serious."

  Hime stared at her. She placed her palm on Hana’s forehead "You’re warm."

  Hana sighed. "That’s because it’s summer, Hime."

  Hime narrowed her eyes. "Hana."

  Hana held up her hands. "I promise. I feel fine!"

  She did not feel fine. Her head felt a little heavier than usual. Her throat was dry. But she refused to let a silly summer cold slow her down.

  Hime watched her carefully. "...If you say so."

  One hour later, Hana had a mild headache. Two hours later, her body felt sluggish. Three hours later, she was feeling really warm, uncomfortably warm. But still— She powered through. Until she stood up too fast and the world tilted. Hana barely had time to blink before her legs gave out. The last thing she heard before hitting the ground was Haruka yelling.

  "HANA—!"

  The Kingdom in Panic. Hana collapsed. The palace exploded into chaos.

  Haruka scooped Hana up immediately. "HIME-NEE! DO SOMETHING!"

  Hime was already in motion. Healers were summoned. Servants scrambled. The palace was thrown into a full-scale emergency.

  Hime placed a hand on Hana’s forehead.

  She was burning up. "...She has a fever," Hime confirmed.

  Haruka gawked. "YOU THINK?!"

  A royal physician rushed in, panting. "Your Highness! We came as soon as we heard!"

  Haruka rounded on him. "FIX HER."

  The doctor hesitated. "It’s just a fever, Princess. It will pass in time—"

  Haruka grabbed his collar. "SHE FAINTED. FIX. HER."

  Hime gently pulled Haruka back. "Let them work," she said calmly. Haruka grumbled but backed off.

  Hime turned to the physician. "Do what you must. If you need anything, ask."

  The physician nodded and got to work.

  Hana, meanwhile, stirred weakly. "...What’s with all the yelling?" she mumbled.

  Haruka hovered over her like an overprotective hawk. "YOU FAINTED."

  Hana blinked slowly. "...Oh."

  Then she closed her eyes again.

  Haruka shook her. "NO, STAY AWAKE."

  Hime sighed. "Haruka, let her rest."

  Haruka pouted. "But what if she dies?!"

  Hime stared at her. "...From a fever?"

  Haruka paused, blinking. "...Fair point."

  They bring Hana to her private chamber, even when Haruka is angry about what happened she refuses to leave Hana’s side. And the real fever madness had yet to begin, the Delirium Begins. Hana was running a high fever. Haruka refused to leave her side. Hime remained calm—but prepared for the worst.

  At first, Hana only mumbled nonsense. Haruka leaned in, listening carefully.

  "...No... Haruka, you... can’t... eat the moon..."

  Haruka tilted her head. "What?"

  Hime raised an eyebrow. "She’s delirious."

  Haruka poked Hana’s cheek. "What else is she saying?"

  Hana’s murmuring continued. "...Banana soup... the glorious... banana soup..."

  Haruka snorted. "HAH! She’s dreaming about banana soup!"

  Hime sighed. "Of course she is."

  Then— Hana’s voice changed. It grew lower, resonant, unnatural. Her murmurs shifted. The air in the room turned heavy. A pressure settled over them. And suddenly— She began chanting in an ancient, unknown language.

  "Vra'koth il saiir..."

  "Uln tharai... zu'kar veyth...!"

  Haruka froze "...That doesn’t sound like banana soup."

  Hime narrowed her eyes "No, it does not."

  Hana’s body trembled, her voice echoed strangely, layering over itself.

  "Xal'zen... furak shiin'del...!"

  Then—The candles in the room flickered violently. The floor rumbled. A servant outside screamed.

  "FIRE! THERE’S A FIRE IN THE GARDEN!"

  Haruka whipped her head toward the balcony. Sure enough—A haystack was ablaze. Haruka turned back to Hana "...Did SHE do that?!"

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  Hime remained eerily calm and summoned a water magic to extinguish the flame. "Yes. And if we don’t stop her, she may burn down the entire kingdom."

  Haruka groaned "OF COURSE SHE WILL."

  Hana continued chanting, completely unaware.

  "Torr'va saekra...! Fyrn velak..."

  The temperature in the room rose, the fire outside grew stronger, and this was only the beginning.

  —

  The Midnight Escape

  Hana was still feverish. She was still chanting ominous spells.

  Haruka held up her hands. "Okay. Nobody panic."

  The moment she said that— Hana suddenly sat up, eyes still closed. The room went dead silent.

  Haruka froze. "...Ne-chan?"

  Hime tensed. "She’s not awake."

  Hana slowly turned her head toward them Her lips parted. And in that same unearthly voice, she whispered— "Veyna lor'ka... Keth'nar xal...!"

  Then— She bolted for the balcony.

  Haruka lunged. "OH NO YOU DON’T—"

  Too late.

  Hana leapt off the balcony. Haruka screamed. "HIME-NEE, SHE JUMPED!"

  Hime was already moving. "After her."

  Hana was running through the capital. She was faster than anyone expected and of course she was still chanting. Guards on patrol watched in horror as the royal princess parkoured over buildings like a possessed cat.

  One guard pointed. "IS THAT PRINCESS HANA?!"

  Another guard gasped. "SHE’S HEADING FOR THE TOWN SQUARE!"

  A merchant dropped his goods. "WHY IS SHE GLOWING?!"

  An old woman clutched her chest. "IT’S THE END TIMES!"

  A child looked up at his mother. "Mommy, is the princess turning into a god?"

  The mother picked him up and ran. "I DON’T KNOW, BUT WE’RE LEAVING."

  Haruka was right behind Hana, dodging street stalls. "SOMEONE STOP HER!"

  Hime followed calmly, issuing orders to the royal guards. "Surround the square. No harm must come to her."

  Guards ran to obey. Meanwhile—Hana kept running. She vaulted over rooftops, she slid down banners, she flipped off market stalls. And all the while— Her voice echoed through the city.

  "Fey'var tor'kai! Nyssar thel'khan!"

  Haruka panted. "I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT IT SOUNDS BAD!"

  A priest in the street gasped. "A DARK RITUAL!"

  A scholar tripped over himself. "NO! IT SOUNDS LIKE AN ANCIENT SPELL!"

  A drunk man stumbled out of a tavern, pointing at the sky. "NO, NO, NO. THIS IS A DREAM. A VERY WEIRD DREAM."

  Then— Hana reached the massive Founding Statue in the town square and began to climb it. The crowd gasped.

  Hime sighed. "This is getting out of hand."

  Haruka shouted up at Hana. "NE-CHAN!, GET DOWN FROM THERE!"

  But Hana did not listed to her— She kept climbing.

  A noble gasped. "She’s ascending!"

  A baker clutched his bread. "She’s becoming one with the heavens!"

  A soldier held up his spear. "DO WE STOP HER OR BOW?"

  Hime pinched the bridge of her nose. "Neither. Just catch her when she falls."

  And when Hana reached the very top… She spread her arms wide— And shouted one final spell.

  "Xer'thal—SHIR'RA VAYN!"

  A massive, glowing red magic sigil expanded in the sky above the city covering the entire city wide sky. The sight of it is horrifying, it was dark ominously red, and it certainly will bring destruction. The people screamed, the guards braced themselves, the air crackled with energy.

  And then—It rained.But not fire.Not destruction.

  No—It rained paper.Thousands.Millions.

  Colorful pieces of paper fluttered down, coating the entire city.

  A merchant hesitantly picked one up. "...What in the—?"

  A farmer read another.His face turned pale.

  A noble stared at one in confusion. The paper said: "All hail the glorious banana soup."

  A guard picked up another. "Why is the moon following me?" His head tilted with confusion.

  A priest held one in shaking hands. "If you lick a frozen sword, are you its wielder or its prisoner?"

  Haruka snatched a handful of papers.Her eye twitched.

  Hime rubbed her temples.

  Hana wobbled on top of the statue. Then— She passed out.

  Haruka gasped. "OH NO—"

  Hime moved instantly. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a wind current that slowed Hana’s descent. Guards scrambled to catch her. Hana landed safely—completely unconscious.

  Haruka collapsed beside her. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

  Hime exhaled slowly. "We’re taking her home."

  The entire capital was covered in ‘Sacred Wisdom’ papers. And Hana— Had absolutely no idea what she had just done.

  While Hana was unconscious, The kingdom was buried under millions of "Sacred Wisdom" papers. And the people had no idea what to do.

  The royal guards hesitated."...So do we clean this up?"

  A noble picked up a handful of the papers, his face unreadable.

  Another noble sighed deeply. "This will take weeks to clear."

  Meanwhile, the common folk were... reacting. Merchants were reading the papers out loud. Scholars were debating their meaning. Religious leaders were concerned.

  A priest clutched one of the papers. "What does it mean? 'The moon is my witness, and my cat is the jury'... Is this a prophecy?"

  A baker read another one. "If you put soup in a bread bowl, is the bread the soup's armor?"

  A young child giggled. "Mom! The princess is funny!"

  His mother looked horrified. "No, honey. The princess is cursed."

  Haruka watched all of this unfold. Then she turned to Hime.

  "...Hime-nee..."

  Hime pinched the bridge of her nose. "I know."

  Haruka held up a paper. "This one just says: 'Hot soup is dangerous. Trust me.' Does that mean something?"

  Hime exhaled slowly. "It means we need to leave."

  Back at the Palace… Hana was tucked into bed, still unconscious. Haruka was pacing back and forth. Hime was planning damage control.

  Haruka threw up her hands. "So what do we do now?"

  Hime was already writing letters. "We will announce that this was an unfortunate magical accident."

  Haruka blinked. "Magical accident?"

  Hime looked at her. "Do you have a better explanation?"

  Haruka thought for a moment.Then she sighed. "...Nope."

  Just then— Hana stirred.She groaned softly.

  Haruka rushed to her side. "HEY! SHE’S AWAKE!"

  Hime stood. Hana blinked blearily at them. "...Why do you both look so stressed?"

  Haruka stared at her. Then she shoved a stack of ‘Sacred Wisdom’ papers into Hana’s hands. Hana blinked down at them.She read the first one. "Banana soup is the path to enlightenment."

  She read the second one. "If you fall into a hole, was it fate or bad luck?"

  Hana paused. Then she slowly looked up at her sisters. "...What did I do?"

  Haruka threw her hands in the air. "YOU TERRORIZED THE ENTIRE KINGDOM IN YOUR SLEEP."

  Hana paled. "I— what?!"

  Hime crossed her arms. "We will discuss the full extent of your actions later."

  Hana looked down at the papers again. Her face turned red. "...I want to disappear."

  Haruka grinned. "OH NO. YOU’RE LIVING WITH THIS FOREVER."

  Hana buried her face in her hands. "Kill me."

  Hime patted her head. "No. You will suffer."

  Hana groaned. The "Sacred Wisdom" rain disaster would never be forgotten.

  —

  Hi Kryssa Here! if you enjoy the story or have any suggestion, question, theories, and favorite moments please let me know in the comment section!

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