[Location - Ancestral Temple of the Phoenix Clan]
"What an awe-inspiring spectacle..."
Libinea whispered to herself, her golden eyes captivated by the ethereal architecture as she proceeded down the grand hall toward the altar. Above her, the vaulted ceiling was adorned with majestic, luminescent feathers seemingly suspended in a timeless cascade of radiant starlight.
This temple was more than a mere structure; it exuded a vibrant, living essence. The polished marble floor and towering molten pillars supporting the sanctuary were intertwined with pulsating magma veins, radiating an intense and awe-inspiring magical energy.
With each step she took toward the altar, the ambient spiritual energy grew significantly more intense.
She did not question the vastness of its source. This was the most sacred site of the Phoenix Kin, and Elder Wenya had shared all its history with her when she was a child.
Even now, amidst the weighty, ancient silence of the dormant main hall, Libinea could faintly hear the echoing voices of her memories.
"Wenya, what is this?" a young Libinea asked, her voice brimming with youthful curiosity.
"This is the ancestral temple of the Phoenix Clan, my dear child," the Elder replied in a warm, reassuring tone.
"It's beautiful."
"It is much more than just beautiful."
"Hmm? In what way?"
"It acts as the conduit through which our Ancestor communicated with Nirvana itself."
"You mean the Queen's Dance isn't the only way?"
"The Phoenix Dance is merely a key to open a temporary gateway," Wenya explained patiently. "However, within the temple, you are endowed with the immense, earthly power needed to summon the true Nirvana."
"Wow! Really?"
In Libinea's recollection, Elder Wenya had gently drawn her into her lap, opening a large, leather-bound tome.
"Listen carefully," Wenya had said, beginning to read the sacred texts aloud. "Ancient chronicles recount this island's unique and formidable origins..."
... It wasn't always serenely floating in the sky. Thousands of years ago, it was a massive, volatile volcano anchored in the mortal realm, constantly threatening to erupt and engulf the entire continent with its magma.
The mortals living in its shadow, gripped by terror, desperately sought deliverance. Their cries eventually reached a formidable, unnamed entity from the Great Era. Demonstrating unimaginable power, this being uprooted the entire volcano, lifting it into the heavens to lay the groundwork for the Skyward Region.
To subdue its destructive potential, the entity secured the severed volcano with enormous, enchanted steel chains, continuously draining its boundless energy to sustain the other floating islands linked to the Dragon Kingdom. Legend cautioned that if these chains were ever broken, the volcano would finally complete its ancient eruption, descending from the sky to annihilate the continent below.
As the Phoenix Kin were closest to the sun, possessing an unparalleled affinity for fire, they were naturally appointed as guardians of this volatile island—and, more specifically, of this very temple.
"Given the immense Spiritual Essence concentrated here... the dormant core of the volcano must lie directly beneath this altar," Libinea whispered.
She gracefully seated herself in front of the ancient, ash-covered stone, gently placing the peacefully sleeping Faye in her lap. Taking a deep, calming breath, Libinea shut her golden eyes, preparing to enter a deep meditative state to harness the primordial power beneath her and invoke Nirvana.
---
[Location - Azure Phoenix Clan Village]
As Libinea began to channel the formidable energy of the volcanic core high above, another individual, far below, was unknowingly enduring the grim repercussions of a previous decree made by the God of Death.
That individual was Illinos.
It was beyond his understanding how he remained alive, particularly after his abdomen had been brutally ruptured from within and he had been forcefully thrown through the enormous iron-wood doors of the Grand Mainhall.
While he might have credited his survival to mere luck, the gentle, calming presence of blue mana attempting to mend his ravaged abdomen suggested otherwise. It was Ragina. Even amidst utter chaos, the Tribe Leader's Divine Stage Water Magic was passively working to heal his grave injuries.
However, the healing process was agonizingly slow. Ragina was clearly struggling to preserve her own life, which greatly impeded the healing. Illinos was acutely aware that his odds of survival were slim.
Yet, his impending death suddenly seemed trivial.
Lying still in an expanding pool of his blood, he listened to the catastrophic clash of Divine Stage magic and otherworldly crystal tearing through the village. A terrifying realization dawned on his dimming consciousness: the suffocating, abyssal gaze of Raiking during their initial encounter.
This is it, Illinos realized, his heart thumping against his shattered ribs. This is exactly what he had shown me.
To make matters worse, his throat was so clogged with blood that he couldn't communicate this terrifying revelation to the others. Nonetheless, the burning desire to convey the truth to his clan was the only thing keeping his blurred eyes open.
Through his blood-soaked vision, he spotted his father, Venae, standing atop the collapsed roof of the Grand Mainhall.
A brief sense of relief washed over Illinos at the sight of his father alive. However, that relief was quickly replaced by despair. Venae had not emerged unscathed from the close-range ambush. His left arm was completely severed at the shoulder, and his golden blood stained his feathered robes.
Father... Illinos thought, tears mingling with the blood on his face, desperately wishing he could rise to aid his last remaining family member in avenging their fallen comrades.
A concussive blast drew Illinos's heavy gaze toward the ground floor on the left side of the village plaza.
"We cannot sustain this much longer!" Elder Mushai bellowed. He was currently engaged in combat with one of the jagged Void Guardians, wielding his massive, aura-infused battleaxe to forcefully repel the crystalline beast.
"Just hold out until the Queen returns!" Elder Wenya shouted back. She was positioned nearby, her hands moving swiftly as she battled the liquid, shape-shifting Void Guardian, casting intricate magical formations to trap the monster's erratic movements.
Illinos couldn't tell whether he was simply becoming too weak to follow the chaotic battle or if his mortal life force was finally, truly burning out.
Suddenly, just before his fading mind could find the answer, the night sky ignited. It was not illuminated by the familiar golden or azure flames of his kin, but by the breathtaking, ethereal sight of a radiant aurora that seemed to stretch for thousands of miles across the heavens.
Is that... Illinos thought, his breath hitching. Though he had not witnessed the sacred activation of Nirvana in over a millennium, no one in the Phoenix Clan who had seen it even once could ever forget its absolute, majestic beauty.
A faint, peaceful smile touched his bloodied lips. It was not purely brought on by the triumphant summoning of their holy ritual, but by what he saw hidden within it.
There, within that glowing, celestial tapestry, he could have sworn he saw them.
The Captain. Anastasia. Beninar. Melivek.
His fallen squad stood warmly within the light, waiting for him, just before his eyes fluttered shut and his world finally faded into absolute darkness.