North of the coastal city nested a sanctum called the Glass Dome. It was a perfect sphere accessible only by those the city deemed trusted.
Inside, light filtered in with a soft lavender hue as clouds drifted beneath the transparent floors. There were no guards or aides, just an ancient woman, her face folded by centuries of time, sitting opposite three divine figures.
The Guardian of Asmaphaeri had once been a warrior herself. Muscular in build, eyes like steel, and posture unbent despite her age but now, facing these three?
She looked like a candle in a storm. She wasn't exactly old. She looked thirty actually. Even as a Second Enlightenment Divine, she was not sure she could handle the visitors in front of her.
Adelasta Richinaria, Grand Duchess of Richinaria, sat with her legs elegantly crossed,her gloved hands on her lap, clad in a black and violet noble jacket with her hair neatly tied.
Beside her, the Andelaris twins were less reserved.
Denisia sat forward, arms folded, her wings slightly unfurled in irritation. Her twin Natalis, was silent but the divine pressure she radiated would make most kneel unconsciously. The Guardian was trembling slightly but maintained her composure, her fingers clasped tightly on her lap as she bowed her head.
"Heavenly Triarchs. Grand Duchess. It is… an honor."
Adelasta offered a small nod. "The honor is reciprocal, Guardian. Thank you for inviting us here on short notice."
The room was silent for a beat too long then Adelasta's voice sharpened.
"We'll be residing here temporarily as we arrange travel to the Islands of Inexpelcae. As of now, more than a hundred Divine-class beings, including myself and my husband, are stationed in Asmaphaeri. I'd like to know if there are any complications with our presence."
The Guardian blinked.
"N-no, of course not. We are honored to house such... such esteemed guests. It is just that, with so many powerful auras, the city's stability systems may require adjustment—"
"Then adjust them," Denisia snapped.
The Guardian flinched.
"We have seen the city," Natalis added coldly. "The surface is pristine. But beneath your main levels, the second ring is teeming with illegal trade, gambling rings and enforced combat pits. As rulers of heaven, we are... displeased."
Adelasta slowly turned her head toward the twins. "You said you'd let me handle this."
Denisia huffed.
"We are trying, Grand Duchess. But we dispatched our angels to patrol the lower sectors and what they reported is not exactly tolerable."
Adelasta gave them both a pointed look, one only someone of her authority could get away with, and the twins begrudgingly leaned back. Natalis muttered under her breath.
"Fine. You talk. We'll just radiate holy pressure."
The Guardian's face was pale now,. She was powerful in her own right, but this? She had lived through wars and even she'd never sat in the presence of two Triarchs of literal heaven and a Richinaria together.
Adelasta folded her hands.
"Guardian, I am not here to issue threats. We simply require temporary housing and we already have one. In return, we require discretion and assurance that no records of our movements leave Asmaphaeri."
"I—I will see it done. Personally."
"Good."
Adelasta stood slowly, her aura pressing lightly across the room like frost.
"Then we will remain here for a few days. Have the accommodations expanded for the Divines and as a token, Dynasty Richinaria will handle the costs of anything the Divines may provide. I assume you know what that means?"
"Yes, Grand Duchess."
As the meeting concluded, Denisia gave the Guardian a cold look.
"And clean your underbelly. Asmaphaeri is beautiful but rot has already set in its ribs."
Adelasta sighed and gave the Guardian a small bow of her head.
"She just means to say, we see potential here."
With that, the three walked toward the exit, the Guardian's hands still trembling even after they had gone. The trio descended from the crystalline heights of the Glass Dome through a semi-transparent skywalk. Adelasta, as usual, walked a step ahead of the twins, her heels making the softest sounds against the glass. Behind her, Denisia and Natalis walked in synchrony.
Adelasta didn't look back as she spoke.
"What's the state of the Mopherian Pantheon?"
The twins exchanged a knowing glance. Denisia sighed, brushing a strand of golden hair out of her face.
"Not good. With the Nexuses gone, there's no one powerful enough to keep their divine egos in check."
Natalis added, "The only reason they didn't make a move in the last five years was because we were all handling the fallout of the Epoch Cycle like rebuilding continents, setting up new governments and drawing borders."
Denisia shrugged bitterly. "And let's be honest... if Peroncerea didn't take the initiative and call for peace talks with the heavenly domain, the demons probably would have stormed the mortal plane already."
"They know we're not gods yet," Natalis said quietly. "And even though the people still worship the gods, they remember who protected them. The Nexuses ruled this world, not the Pantheon."
Adelasta finally turned.
"So we're holding this place together with string and borrowed time."
Denisia gave a faint, humorless chuckle. "Exactly."
Natalis frowned. "The world's protections are still working. The laws of reality in Spheraphase are still rejecting the Second Generation Gods. Even if they descend, they can only stay for a few hours before getting ejected. It's the world's fail-safe. One generation of deities per era."
"But fail-safes wear thin when stressed," Adelasta murmured. "And the world is already bending."
They stopped as a gust of wind passed through the corridor, giving them a clear view of the city stretching to the horizon.
"We need to reach higher in Divine Ranks fast," Natalis said grimly. "If we don't, the Pantheon will test the limits of the curse. And when they break it..."
"There will be no going back," Denisia finished.
Adelasta's jaw tightened. "And to think just a few years ago, we were battling Krepsunas in Erna Isles and now we're being prepped to challenge gods."
Natalis scoffed. "It's always like this. One disaster becomes another. The Destras Cataclysm proved that the world doesn't forgive cycles."
Denisia added, "You know the Mopherian Pantheon is still cursed, right? After they killed the First Generation Deities, they were locked in their realm. The curse ensures they remain anchored to Mopheria."
"And yet they find cracks," Adelasta said with disdain.
"The Nexuses... they used to do that but since we became Divine, we were too powerful and they were cast out by the World."
Adelasta closed her eyes for a long moment, then opened them again.
"This world is a mess."
Natalis smirked. "Welcome to Divinity."
They reached the end of the corridor, where the exit opened into a descending elevator pod. But instead of boarding, Denisia grabbed Adelasta's wrist and turned to her with a playful grin.
"Hey, listen... don't worry about the city stuff for now."
Natalis joined in, placing a hand on her hip. "Yeah. We've got it handled."
"What are you two planning?"
"Nothing serious," Denisia said, her voice rising in mischief.
"Just some light reconnaissance," Natalis added with a mock-serious nod.
"We're going undercover," Denisia declared. "You know, hoods, casual boots instead of golden ones."
"We'll blend in, roam the markets, see what people are saying," Natalis added.
Adelasta tilted her head. "You? Blend? You have wings coming out of your backs."
They both grinned.
"We're literal Seraphs, not idiots," Denisia quipped. "We'll keep it quiet."
"Fine. Just don't cause a scene. Or start a holy war."
"No promises," the twins said in perfect unison, already vanishing in a shimmer of divine stealth and illusion.
Adelasta stepped into the elevator alone, exhaling slowly as the glass closed.
'Gods, Nexuses, curses, and I'm supposed to keep all this together with four Houses and a husband who makes people faint by just looking at them. I'm a busy wife...'
She pinched her nose.
"Let's just hope Eldrigan doesn't try to buy a ship from a crime boss to restore his ego if us being richer than him."