The academy slumbered under a sky veiled in stars, but Kaen moved through the night like a shadow with purpose. He walked alone—past the outer gates, through hidden pathways, until he reached a sealed portal deep within the sacred vaults beneath the east wing. A place no student should ever access.
With a flick of his hand, the runes guarding the gate parted for him, recognizing a presence older than the heavens themselves. Stepping through, Kaen entered a realm unlike any other.
Deepa's part of heaven.
The air shimmered like crystal breath. The sky above was a sea of soft light, neither day nor night. Ethereal bridges of mana stretched over floating gardens, rivers ran upside down, and silence here was a language of its own.
And at the very heart of this divine plane stood the white tree.
It rose beyond clouds, its roots spiraling like stardust through floating isles. Its branches stretched endlessly, crowned with feathers instead of leaves. And at its base sat the white crow, perched as if it had waited forever.
Kaen approached without hesitation.
"She's still asleep," he murmured.
The crow cawed softly and tilted its head. Kaen rested his hand against the trunk. The bark was warm—alive. A quiet pulse echoed through it.
"She left this part of heaven untouched… so I could find my way back," he said.
This place, hidden even from the angels, was one of the last remnants of a time before the gods ruled. Only Kaen—and She—had ever stood here.
Far away, back at the Academy, Zian sat alone in the courtyard, staring up at the stars. Her golden eyes, once filled only with memories of war and duty, now wandered back to Kaen more often than she'd admit. She didn't understand why. Not yet. But every time he spoke, her heart moved—not with fear, not with loyalty—but something else. Something quiet.
Meanwhile, Lirien walked down the hallway, her steps light, purposeful. She found herself pausing outside Kaen's room again. Not for orders. Not as a protector. But something warmer. Stronger.
"He never lets anyone in," she whispered to herself, fingers brushing the doorframe. "But I still want to stay close…"
Back in Deepa's heaven, Kaen stepped back from the tree.
"Sleep for a little longer," he said softly. "I'll hold the world together until you open your eyes."
The crow gave one final cry, and Kaen vanished into shadow—returning to a world on the brink of remembering everything it had tried to forget.