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When I detected the unique ripples from the opening of the wormhole, I detached the terminal from the strap on my arm to confirm that I wasn’t late.

“Master.” Once inside the Academy's wormhole docking area, I bowed to the Master Field in respect.

“Are you ready? The timing is tight.” Without waiting for my response, the towering dragon stepped through the wormhole's opening, leaving me no choice but to follow.

It wasn’t clear from the docking area, but the space we entered resembled a virtual reality chamber—its copper-red walls and floor matched the default settings.

“Is this... the control room?” I glanced around, making sure I hadn’t overlooked anything. No, aside from the curved walls resembling the interior of a sphere, it was identical to a simulation chamber.

“I prefer to call it the Cerebro Room. But yes, this is the control room, located directly beneath the bridge. This is the most important part of Empire's Heart.” Master’s tone was flat and devoid of his usual melodic resonance, but I suspected a hint of humor. “There’s a gap during the landing ceremony inspections, enough to ensure we won’t be disturbed.”

At the central console, the dragon manipulated the terminal, causing small adamantine spheres to emerge evenly across the floor. He gestured for me to approach and placed the Heart on me.

“Resonate and connect with the Heart,” the Master said after adjusting the device on my head to ensure it was secure.

Following his instructions, I expanded my consciousness, feeling the countless points of light—like LED indicators—illuminate within my perception.

A wave of dizziness hit me, but I gritted my teeth and steadied myself.

“...Those on the floor are command sub-nodes, serving as relay stations for signal processing.”

Master Field's voice sounded slightly blurred, but I recalled his earlier explanation and lightly probed the nodes with my mind. The adamantine spheres on the floor began to float slowly.

“...Don’t actually activate the armor yet; there are many fine adjustments still needed. Just maintain the connection.”

I thought I glimpsed the towering dragon making rapid command gestures out of the corner of my eye. He occasionally glanced at the terminal screen, likely monitoring data.

Maintaining the connection was dull, so I used the pulsations in the consciousness field to peek at the Empire’s Heart’s status.

From previous lessons back in Hadrian's Wall, I already knew the basic structure of this imperial flagship and the trivial details about the quadrennial landing ceremonies and the ten Houses' meetings. But it was a peculiar feeling to actually be here. Though, this “being here” was in a hidden chamber, unnoticed by anyone, executing an equally hidden plan.

I sensed dozens of ripples coming from the engine room, all emanating from canine figures with dark brown fur—likely members of the German House.

They were tinkering with something, likely performing the inspections. Some emitted strong waves of resentment, clearly unhappy about having to work this shift.

It was understandable. A vessel of this size, with only a dozen or so crew left on board? The relative deprivation must feel overwhelming.

The senior officers, like the captain, were absent—likely off-ship on leave or attending the ten Houses' meeting.

Wait, the ten Houses' meeting?

That meant we were on Senate territory, in the Imperial Palace zone.

In a sense, this was my first time "home" since joining the Academy.

Most cadets would return home in their second year for visits, but I lacked any compelling reason to do so and had instead enjoyed the rare restful holiday at the Academy.

Realizing I was once again within Senate territory felt strange, like the discomfort of drenched fur.

Shaking off the thought, I decided to leave these trivial feelings behind.

The ten Houses' meeting meant the Emperor and the Nine Archdukes were nearby. The fates of countless lives were likely being decided through their schemes and strategies, as if puppeteers pulling the strings of the world. Yet they themselves were also bound by inescapable threads...

The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

As Dawn would say, “Thank Rationalism I was far away from that circus.” All I needed to do was practice diligently and fulfill my role as the Bridge. The rest? They could sort that out themselves.

Speaking of which, I probably needed to explain this situation to others, even if I might not end up as the Heart’s master.

Still, my to-do list had grown overwhelming lately. Maybe one thing at a time...

Suddenly, I noticed a faint pulse, fleeting and almost leaving no trace in the field of consciousness. Yet, even in that brief moment, I felt a warmth—a sense of inclusion, awareness, and something... greater.

Master Field was still busy, so with the Empire's Heart, I amplified my perception, attempting to locate the source of this sensation.

I had initially intended to use the adamantine spheres around me to strengthen my abilities. However, things turned out differently than I imagined—I hadn't truly considered the implications of "sub-nodes." Through the Heart, I accessed an apparatus aboard the ship, as though unlocking a specific door with a key.

My perception expanded infinitely, and I almost drowned in this sea of information. Instincts honed by Master Field's rigorous training took over, anchoring my consciousness so I could surface and catch my breath.

The vast expanse was like an endless ocean; the sky unreachable, while an abyss loomed below, drawing ever closer.

I knew I wasn't ready to navigate something so vast and incomprehensible, so I forced my focus back to my original intent.

Waves pressed me under repeatedly, making it difficult to concentrate as I floated, sank, and choked on the overwhelming currents. But Master Field had once used a water sphere to encase my head, repeating cycles of suffocation and awakening until I could shatter his Consciousness Union. That grueling experience allowed me to find traces of the pulse amidst the high-pressure environment.

Releasing my anchor, I swam toward the target and reached out.

Then, it was as if I fell into a bottomless abyss—or was sucked into an infinitely stretching tube. A flood of contradictory sensations overwhelmed me, rendering all senses meaningless.

After an unknown period, the eternal turbulence subsided. Finally able to take in my surroundings, I found myself floating in the void of space. Amid the absolute darkness, the faint glimmers of stars—millions of light-years away—were the only source of light.

I suspected this was more a symbolic visualization than actual space, but that didn't stop me from marveling at its indescribable beauty.

How much of this reflected reality? Its boundlessness made the endless ocean seem like a mere pond.

I reached out, wanting to grasp the sensation of touching the void. Either I had misunderstood this space entirely, or "void" truly earned its name.

I glanced at my hand and chuckled. With no one around to see, I extended my hand again, pretending to grab at a particularly bright star in the distance, letting the twilight-like glow seep through my fingers.

Holding infinity in my palm, eternity in an hour.

Suddenly, I realized I wasn’t alone.

This description is inaccurate—I was certain that billions of light-years away, unimaginable life forms existed. But here and now, I felt a gaze.

I believed it was the source of the earlier warmth, and some resonance within me allowed me to comprehend this near-inexplicable notion.

Somehow, I met the eyes of another presence.

If the earlier flood of information was like a vast ocean, this was as though the entirety of the universe had poured into my mind.

So grand, magnificent, vast, boundless...

Realizing my limited perspective and meager vocabulary couldn’t possibly describe such an existence, I stopped trying.

Only through personal experience—immersed in endless void—could one hope to brush against the faint outlines of its immensity.

I yearned to go further, to understand more, to witness the unseen...

Attempting to reach farther outward, I immediately encountered an impassable barrier.

It was like an invisible fence restricting my movements.

The domain—the boundary of my consciousness field. I was trapped by my own limits.

Frustrated, I looked back at the indescribable presence. It remained as before, silently observing me.

It felt as though it was waiting—waiting for me to cross the obstacle and reach the other side.

I pressed against the boundary, confirming it was my limit.

Perhaps out of curiosity, or perhaps a long-dormant competitive spirit awakened, I resolved to find a way to break through this barrier.

Regardless of whether I could become the Heart's master and lead everyone to a new world, I wanted to witness for myself what lay beyond.

The void seemed to pulse twice—laughter, conveyed in a way I could understand.

Unsure how to process this surreal experience, I chuckled in return, realizing that even a vast, incomprehensible existence could laugh. It must be some universal language, and we had just shared our first contact.

“Done.” Master Field snapped his fingers, abruptly pulling me back to reality.

I blinked, confirming I had returned to the copper-toned control room.

“Oh... Yes, Master,” I muttered softly, landing on the ground with controlled composure, masking my sense of loss.

“Future calibrations can be done remotely—no need to come over again.” Master Field gestured toward the wormhole, beckoning me to follow as he walked toward it.

“Yes, Master,” I replied, lowering my gaze and hurrying after the towering dragon.

“We can discuss further when we get back...”

Master Field stepped through the wormhole, continuing to speak. Just as I was about to cross into the Academy’s portal, the faint disturbance in the space made me turn around.

The control room had reverted to its original state, showing no anomalies, just as it had been when we arrived.

But I knew I would never be the same again.

Having witnessed evidence of a greater world, my desire to break free of constraints and surpass the framework that bound me became a clear, practical intent.

Stirring the connection with the Heart, I lightly touched it, hoping for the day when all would truly understand one another.