━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
★ 2nd Installment — Reverse Dimensional War, Velkharis.
* Third Cour: Atlantis Banquet Arc (This arc unfolds primarily from the perspective of the True Protagonist, Brave. We will finally begin to explore the broader geography of Elpis, its major powers, influential factions, and the deeper structure governing the cosmology.)
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Life Dawn City, the capital of the Luminous Duchy, sprawled across the Atlantis Empire's eastern seaboard, its white-stone terraces carving down the coastal cliffs toward an endless expanse of crystalline waters. Unlike the crowded capital districts inland, the only real sound here was the steady hush of the tide.
The Luminous estate sat at the far edge of the cliffs, where the land finally gave way to the sea. It wasn't built to dominate the landscape or project power.
Built on a natural elevation near the seabed cliffs, the estate occupied a space where land and ocean met in quiet accord. Its structure was expansive yet refined—arched windows, ivory pillars, long corridors open to the sea breeze, and gardens that seemed less cultivated than guided into existence. Pale flowers swayed softly, their petals catching the sunlight like drifting fragments of illumination.
-
Inside, the open ocean breeze died down to a gentle, lingering warmth.
Sora sat before a tall, polished mirror framed in silverwood, its surface clear enough to reflect the faintest shifts in her expression. The room was quiet, softened by light curtains that swayed gently with the breeze from the open balcony
Behind her, a comb moved slowly through her silky, pure white hair, slipping through her pristine strands smoothly.
The one holding it stood close: a woman who, at a glance, seemed far too young for her mature presence. Silky blonde hair cascaded past her shoulders, catching the morning light like spun gold. Her gentle, light blue eyes—like crystal water, mirroring the endless sea beyond the mansion's windows—roamed over her daughter's hair with undivided care. Every stroke of the comb was precise, patient, and deeply affectionate.
For a long moment, the only sounds were the whisper of the bristles and the distant crash of waves against the cliffs below.
The blonde woman's gaze drifted to the mirror, taking in her precious daughter's reflection, and paused.
Sora was staring into space, hands resting loosely in her lap. A faint, unconscious smile tugged at the corners of her mouth—the kind of perpetual curve reserved for someone lost in a private, pleasant memory.
Cecilia's eyes narrowed with fond amusement. She resumed combing, a little slower now. "Did something good happen recently, my sweetheart?"
Snapping out of her daydream, Sora blinked. Her sky-blue eyes—so similar to her mother's, yet somehow more mystical and vast—met her mother's reflection with a sudden flicker of panic. "Why do you ask, Mother?"
Cecilia let out a dramatic exhale. "Haaah… time really does fly. Now you're all grown up, you don't even call me 'Mama' anymore. How heartbreaking."
"Mother!" Sora flushed, her voice coming out much sharper than intended.
The blonde woman—Cecilia von Luminous—laughed lightly. "Alright, alright. I will stop teasing. Still, I am your mother, Sora. I can tell when you are sad—or happy."
Sora looked down, shifting slightly. "Is it that obvious?"
"Ever since you returned home… I noticed a radiance in you," Cecilia said, her voice softening as she set the comb down on the vanity. "Whether it's that subconscious smile you keep wearing, the dazed expression you make, or even the way your eyes soften from time to time, as if replaying your favourite moments."
"I haven't seen you like this in a long time." Cecilia's eyes glazed in remembrance. "…Not since the days you spent with that child."
A sudden flicker of forlorn grief crossed Cecilia's face.
"Mother?"
Cecilia blinked once, then twice, before forcing a quick smile. "It's nothing, darling. Don't worry." She firmly repressed the unbearable ache she still felt from losing her 'other child.'
Sora didn't buy it for a second, but she chose not to press.
"Anyway." She resumed combing, her tone brightening deliberately. "I'm curious as to why my precious daughter became so radiant." Her eyes sparkled. "Don't tell me... Is it love?"
It was merely a playful guess, and Cecilia did not expect any response beyond a flustered denial. However—
A vivid pink spread across Sora's face, blooming softly before deepening into a brilliant crimson that rushed up her neck and flooded her cheeks. She looked down instantly, her shoulders bunching up as if the mirror itself had become far too honest to face.
Cecilia stared. Once. Twice. Her light blue eyes widened. "Sora… no way. You actually—"
Sora gripped the fabric of her skirt tightly. She kept her head down, hiding behind the curtain of her sprawling white hair, but it was too late; her burning cheeks gave away everything.
"Oh, my goodness!" Cecilia's expression lit up, her eyes sparkling with an undeniable delight that only a pleasantly astonished mother would feel. "Is this real? I'm not dreaming, am I?"
Sora wanted to disappear entirely. For a brief, very real moment, she considered whether burying herself under fluffy pillows for the rest of the day was a viable life decision. But her mother's happiness was too genuine to ignore. It gave her something to hold onto.
She took a breath, then another, doing her absolute best to suppress the overwhelming embarrassment threatening to consume her.
Finally, she whispered in a soft, almost inaudible voice, "Yes, Mother. I've… fallen in love."
Cecilia looked at her daughter, feeling something she hadn't allowed herself to feel in a very long time. There was actually someone out there who could actually mend her daughter's detached heart. "Unbelievable,"
Yet along with the pleasant astonishment, a strange, phantom ache impetuously flared in her chest. A sense of unclear sorrow washed over her—a sudden grief that her daughter had moved on from...
The thought dissolved.
'Huh?'
'Wait. Moving on from what? Why am I sad?'
Like a dream dissolving the second you woke up, the forlorn sorrow that had briefly gripped her heart became blurry and indistinct. Within seconds, it was gone entirely—as if that melancholy moment had been deleted from reality.
Cecilia blinked, her sparkling light blue eyes returned in full force. She placed her hands gently on Sora's shoulders. "So," Cecilia prompted, "Who is it, my sweetheart? Who is this enigmatic boy who managed to steal my dear daughter's heart?"
Sora groaned softly. She buried her burning face in her hands.
Before she could even form an answer, an unrestrained laugh echoed from downstairs. Loud. Boisterous. Full of anticipation.
"HAHAHAHAH!"
Cecilia's smile widened.
"I dumped all my ducal office work on my poor secretary just to hurry home!"
"NOW! Where is my daughter? I want to see my baby girl this instant!"
Sora straightened instantly, letting out a small gasp. "Father."
"My lord, the young miss is residing in her room," the head maid's composed voice floated up from the foyer. "Her ladyship is with her."
"Is that so? Excellent!"
Cecilia chuckled, stepping away from the vanity and moving toward the door. She glanced back over her shoulder with a knowing wink. "Well, it seems your father abandoned his duties the moment he heard of your return. We'll finish the talk about your mysterious boyfriend after you've had your father-daughter reunion."
As Cecilia turned the doorknob, Sora peeked through her fingers, watching her mother open the door. A long breath escaped her lips.
'I already embarrassed myself in front of Mother. If I behave with the same immature shyness in front of Father…'
'I will have no choice but to lock myself away and cling to my fluffy pillows for the rest of the week.'
She lowered her hands and got up, bracing herself.
The door swung wide, and there he stood.
Siegfried von Luminous, Duke of the Luminous Duchy. He was a tall man, easily over six feet, with well-built, lean muscles straining against the fabric of his shirt. His white hair was slightly disheveled, looking as though he had been running his hands through it in sheer frustration right before abandoning his paperwork entirely.
His forest-green eyes, like canopies after rain—found Cecilia first. Driven by pure habit, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around his wife.
"Welcome home," Cecilia murmured with deep affection. She didn't flinch at the sudden hug; she had long been accustomed to her husband's returning home ritual. Her body relaxed into his embrace with the ease, though a faint blush tinged her cheeks.
Siegfried held her close, burying his face in her hair as the remaining tension from his office work drained completely from his shoulders. "I'm home."
Cecilia's blush deepened. She was, after all, standing in full view of their grown daughter. This level of unreserved affection—while deeply cherished—still carried a touch of embarrassment when witnessed by the child they had raised.
"Siegfried," she whispered against his coat, "Sora is watching…"
Siegfried squeezed her once more before letting go. "Ahem."
Sora just stared at him, her expression one of long-suffering exasperation.
"My daughter!" Siegfried's face instantly lit up with unbridled joy, tossing all noble dignity out the window as he opened his arms wide.
The lingering heat returned to Sora's cheeks, though this time it felt warm, fond, and comforting. "Father, you really shouldn't have abandoned your work."
"Abandoned?" Siegfried remarked, his tone dismissive. "I didn't abandon anything. I merely delegated. Albeit aggressively"
Sora opened her mouth to protest, but then closed it. The truth was, she had missed him too.
Standing there in the familiar comfort of her childhood room, enveloped by her mother's soft smile and her father's joyful embrace, Sora felt a deep sense of peace finally settle into her chest.
'I will tell them about Null later,' she told herself. 'For now…'
She took a step forward into her father's arms.
★
Author here,
I've finished re-editing the prior chapters. Thanks for your patience. I hope they are decent enough now.
(By the way, i also changed somethings regarding the plots; i added some new terms, rewrote some dialogue lines, and overall gave a thorough edit to some chapters.
For past readers, i recommend re-checking all the prior chapters. Especially, Scene 11, 14, 16, 20, 21, 26, 28, 32, 43, 49 if you are invested in my novel.)
Support author's writing journey on patroen. Link in the author's thoughts.