Aira Kim's life ends on a rainy Seoul afternoon—a traffic accident on the way to her teaching job. When she opens her eyes, she finds herself lying in an ornate canopy bed, dressed in layers of silk, with unfamiliar faces calling her "Princess Elira."
Confused but calm, she plays along, observing everything. The maids whisper behind her back: "She's awake—but probably still dumb as ever." Elira learns she is the fifth princess of the Aetherian royal family, known more for tripping over her own feet than wielding magic.
Over the next days, Elira pretends to be the same dull-witted noble. But at night, she journals her thoughts, sketching devices from Earth and piecing together this magical world's rules.
Everything changes when a rare Fire Bloom explodes into magical flames in the palace gardens. Her instincts kick in—she reaches toward it. Instead of burning her, the flames twist and dance, responding to her. A voice in the fire calls her name: "Vessel... you have returned."
Before she can answer, the flames vanish. No one saw, but her heart knows—it's the beginning.