And without delay, on that very same day, Vivi, along with Milo and Orso, set out to fetch the individuals Ceres had chosen.
Everyone, including Luna, now recovered and seated comfortably, waited in Alpha's office for their arrival.
A swirling portal shimmered open in the center of the room. From within it stepped Milo, followed closely by a little girl.
Maureen. Now seven years old. The same child who once stood her ground, protecting a basket of apples with her life just to keep a promise.
"Maureen!" Pixie squealed in delight, immediately running toward her. Maureen lit up and ran to meet her. The two embraced like old friends. Pixie had often invited Maureen, and other children, to her tea parties in the Black Tower, and their bond had quietly grown.
Next to step out of the portal was Eric, the eldest among the orphaned children of Aquilonis. His face was calm, guarded, but his eyes held quiet strength.
Following him was Granny Morgana, the elderly woman who, despite her frailty and lack of resources, had taken the orphans under her care and raised them as her own.
Then came Captain Hugo, the man who had rallied commoners during the brutal winters in Aquilonis, doing everything he could to keep people alive.
Finally, Orso and Vivi stepped through together just before the portal closed.
"Where's the fifth one, Bear?" Alpha asked, turning toward Orso.
"These are the ones Mother asked us to bring," Orso replied.
"He's here," Ceres said softly, turning her gaze toward Delphine and the Saintess Knights standing behind her.
Her eyes settled on the man at the center.
"Sir Cecilion," she called.
Cecilion, the lead Saintess Knight, blinked in surprise. But without hesitation, he stepped forward, joining Captain Hugo and the others, all of whom were still confused as to why they'd been summoned. They had only been told that the Empress requested their presence, and so they had dropped everything and come, no questions asked.
"You are all worthy," Ceres said, looking at Robin, Renee, and Arwen. "But Delphine needs you."
The three knights bowed their heads in unison. "We understand, Your Highness," they said, trusting her even without understanding what this was about.
Ceres approached the gathered group and gently took Maureen's hand.
"I know you're all wondering why I've brought you here," she began. "But I have a favor to ask, one that won't be easy. Especially for you, Maureen. But I truly… need your help."
"Tell us what we must do, Your Highness," Captain Hugo said, speaking on behalf of them all. The others nodded in agreement.
"I'll do anything, Your Highness," Maureen added with an eager smile, proud to have been chosen by the Empress herself.
Ceres didn't hesitate.
"I want the five of you to awaken the remaining Holy Beasts, and become their masters."
Captain Hugo's eyes widened, and the others mirrored his disbelief. Then, one by one, they knelt before her. Even Maureen, with both knees to the floor and her little hands clasped.
"Your Highness," Captain Hugo said, bowing low. "We cannot accept such an honor. To command a Holy Beast… that is beyond us. We are your humble servants. We are not worthy of such power."
Ceres walked forward and gently lifted Maureen into her arms. The child clung to her, eyes wide with awe.
She looked at the kneeling group and addressed them with calm certainty.
"You're wrong, Captain," she said. "You are worthy. You may not see it, but I do. With the little power and influence you had, you did everything you could to help the people around you. You chose to act, even when no one expected you to. You gave what you had, not because you were asked, but because it was right."
She looked at each of them, one by one.
"And I can only imagine what more you could do, with a Holy Beast by your side."
Her smile softened, but her eyes held determination.
"And it's good, actually, because I am asking this out of selfishness," she admitted. "I need the full strength of the Holy Beasts. And with you as their masters… I know I can achieve it."
Ceres smiled at them, firm, radiant, and unwavering. There was no hesitation in her expression, not in her choice, and certainly not in them. She trusted them. With everything she had.
Because she knew, they would not fail her.
"So…" she asked, voice calm but resolute, "will you grant me this selfish wish, and lend me your strength?"
She held out her hand.
Captain Hugo exchanged a glance with the others. No words were needed.
Cecilion stepped forward first and offered his arm to Granny Morgana, helping her rise. Eric and Captain Hugo followed, standing tall beside them.
"Our strength is yours, Your Highness," Cecilion said, his voice steady with quiet reverence.
"Thank you," Ceres replied, and her voice trembled slightly with gratitude.
"Then shall we go?" Neko chimed in, already taking Maureen from Ceres's arms. "There's no time like today. I know just the Holy Beast for you, Maureen, the Bubble Sprite of the Deep Bloom in Vaelundis."
Alpha stepped toward Granny Morgana. "Madame," he said with a nod, offering his arm with formality.
Nugget and Milo moved to escort Cecilion and Captain Hugo, while Peanut smiled as she approached Eric.
Ceres turned to Caelum.
"They've done this before, love," he said with a smile, pride evident in his gaze. "Before the day ends, all the remaining Holy Beasts will be awakened."
Vivi opened a new portal, a swirl of starlight and deep silver mist filling Alpha's office. One by one, the chosen five stepped into it, accompanied by Caelum's seven children, everyone except Tuf, Luna, and Pixie, who remained behind.
As the portal closed, silence settled briefly over the room, thick with the weight of prophecy in motion.
"I remember Azura once told me," Ceres said after a beat, "that when all the Holy Beasts awaken… the Blinding Mist will fall. Will that be okay?"
Caelum led her to a seat before answering, voice warm.
"It's okay, love," he said gently. "I can always create a new barrier."
Ceres reached for Evadne's phone and reopened the gallery. Nugget, bless her heart, had already hidden the more personal videos. Now, only the family memories remained.
Pixie climbed into her mother's lap, peeking curiously at the screen.
"You miss them, Mama?" she asked softly.
"Yes, baby," Ceres replied. "If only they could live here in Solmara… I'd be so happy. They'd spoil you endlessly. Especially your Grandpa Romos."
She leaned her head against Pixie's, both of them watching the flickering slideshow of a life long left behind.
Suddenly, Seiryu's eyes snapped to the window.
"Byakara," he murmured.
Ceres turned to him, brow furrowed.
"She is the Phoenix of the Dawn Flame," Luna answered, as though reading her thoughts. "The Holy Beast of Pyrrathis. She's been awakened."
Ceres stood abruptly and walked to the window facing Pyrrathis.
At that exact moment, a regal crimson-gold phoenix soared into the sky. Its feathers shimmered like sunlight through dawn mist, majestic, burning, divine.
"What's happening?" Ceres asked as the phoenix vanished from view. Her first thought, like Seiryu did before, was that the beast had taken its human form.
But then the skies over Pyrrathis began to darken.
"That's normal, Mother," Tuf said casually. "She's probably pissed at Alpha. Everyone always assumes Alpha can be trusted, you let your guard down around him. Well… Byakara did too. She trusted him. And then, of course, he betrayed her, for Father's plan."
Delphine, Robin, Renee, and Arwen moved to the window beside her. Even from the distance, they could see it, blazing trails of energy clashing in the darkening sky. An invisible war unfolding in broad daylight.
Ceres turned to Caelum, who remained seated beside Pixie, showing her Evadne's photos of their grandparents.
She searched his face.
"Love?"
Caelum glanced up at her with a reassuring smile. "He'll be fine, love. You don't have to worry about Alpha."
"I'm not worried about Alpha," Ceres said, eyes wide. "But after seeing what one of your children can do…"
She turned back toward the window, watching the sky ripple with divine fury.
"…now I'm worried for Pyrrathis."
"Tofu is here, love," Caelum said, his voice calm, almost amused. "So rest assured… the others are doing their best to make sure that fight won't cause too much damage."
Tuf grimaced and turned toward his father. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, offended.
"You know exactly what it means," Caelum replied without missing a beat. "And yes, it's exactly what you think I mean."
"Papa means you're a troublemaker," Pixie said matter-of-factly, making a face at him.
Luna couldn't help but laugh.
"Kitten…" Tuf gave her a mock-wounded look, then turned dramatically to Pixie. "So I'm a troublemaker. Okay, fine. But you know what you're not?"
Caelum and Ceres both raised their brows in unison.
"What?" Pixie challenged, hands on her hips while still perched in Caelum's lap.
"You're not Papa and Mama's bestest favorite anymore," Tuf said smugly. "Once Lilith is born, you're not the youngest."
"Cub!!"
Luna and Caelum snapped at the same time.
"Tofu!" Ceres added, glaring sharply at him just as Pixie's eyes filled with tears. Realizing the truth in her brother's words, she burst into sobs.
Ceres immediately lifted her into her arms. "Baby, don't listen to Tofu, okay?" she said gently, wiping away Pixie's tears.
"What?" Tuf protested. "I'm telling the truth! Once the baby is here, Mother won't call her 'baby' anymore, because there'll be another one."
Pixie sobbed harder.
"Tofu. Kneel." Caelum's voice turned firm, commanding, but with his mask on, his dominance was dampened, and Tuf remained defiant.
"Do I need to say it again?" Caelum warned. "Or should I let Luna punish you instead?"
That did the trick.
Tuf immediately dropped to his knees. "You're doing this to me in front of humans?" he said, scandalized, as if he were the victim.
And so, as the hours passed, and as each of the Holy Beasts awakened across the human kingdoms, always following a dramatic clash between them and one of Caelum's chaotic children, back in Alpha's office, Tuf endured a far different war.
A united front of Caelum, Ceres, and Luna berated him for making Pixie cry.
Luna, of course, gave the final blow, she threatened to deny Tuf his right to sleep beside her unless he stopped upsetting Pixie.
It was the one threat that worked.
Tuf froze.
Nothing, not even physical punishment, could compare to that threat. He'd rather be torn apart like onion layers and diced for stew than be exiled from Luna's bed.
And so, sulking and obedient, Tuf backed down.
He even gave Pixie a flower and called her "Regent Pixie, everyone's bestest favorite forever and ever" which earned him forgiveness.
And like Caelum had predicted, before the day ended, all the remaining Holy Beasts had been awakened.
Byakara, the Phoenix of the Dawn Flame from Pyrrathis, sovereign of Fire and Rebirth, her regal crimson-gold wings soaring across the kingdom's skies.
Nymiel, the Bubble Sprite of the Deep Bloom from Vaelundis, a radiant, axolotl-like creature with petal gills and luminous blue eyes, commanding Water and Innocence.
Zephyra, the Griffin of the High Skies from Zephyriax, a sleek, white griffin with glowing wind trails, the very embodiment of Wind and Freedom.
Umbraeth, the Lion of Shadows from Noctharis, a massive black lion crowned with a starlit mane, ruler of Night and Secrets.
And Lumielle, the Seraphic Doe of Light from Gaianthos, a glowing white doe with silver horns, sovereign of Light and Mercy.
With all of them awakened, the Blinding Mist that once concealed Velrathis began to dissipate, melting away like morning fog.
The barrier fell.
But Caelum didn't worry, not even a little.
Because something far more important than protecting the demi-human race was within their reach now.
He and Ceres could feel it.
And when their eyes met, both of them smiling, hearts full, they understood.
Just a little more.
Just a little further…
And they would finally have the life they had been denied on Earth.