The room was a sanctuary of soft, crimson light, bathed in the steady glow of floating mana lanterns. The air carried the ancient, heavy scent of dried herbs and aged parchment—the olfactory signature of a clan that had guarded forbidden truths for centuries.
Eiden and Fennaro sat across from one another at a low wooden table, two cups of steaming tea resting between them. Thin curls of vapor rose like ghosts into the quiet air. It was the comfortable silence of two souls who had lived lifetimes together and apart.
Finally, Fennaro exhaled, his voice barely a whisper. "I must ask… now that you have your body back… what will you do?"
Eiden lifted his cup, took a slow, measured sip, and set it down with a quiet clink. "First, I need to talk with Iris about her little extermination of the twelve-tailed wolves."
Fennaro raised a brow. "Why?"
"The man who was with me, Bengie—we made a deal," Eiden explained, leaning back. "He helped me reclaim my form. In return, I promised to stop Iris from killing the wolves his people rely on. And… I want to reunite the Seven Great Sages. I remember Vaelus keeps a cottage in these lands. He may know where Iris is."
Fennaro let out a low, guttural grunt. "Damn Vaelus. I hate that time-magic-using son of a bitch. Out of all the Sages, he's the one you can't talk to without him acting out. He's like a walking demon."
"A walking flame, right?" Eiden finished with a faint smirk.
"Yeah," Fennaro admitted. "But why do you think he knows where Iris is?"
"Because," Eiden said, his expression settling into a mask of ancient certainty, "Vaelus and Iris love to fight. He's the one who stayed in contact with her the most while I was gone. Tonight, I head west to find him."
As the reality of Eiden's departure set in, Fennaro's shoulders slumped. Eiden's expression softened. "Don't worry. I'll visit again."
The sun had long vanished, leaving a sky of endless black. Eiden stood at the gate, his cloak brushing the stone. Before the Chief could even lower the barrier, Eiden vanished with the soft pop of displaced air. He reappeared outside the dome, hands in his pockets. "See ya."
Then, he was swallowed by the night.
Eiden materialized deep in a forest thick with pine and damp earth. He ignited a small flame in his palm, letting it hover beside him like a lantern. Eventually, he saw it: a small, old cottage, warm light flickering through the window. "Found you," he smirked.
He took a step, and the world tried to kill him.
A beam of raw intent shot toward his head. Eiden dispelled his flame and summoned a mana shield just as a curved blade slammed into it. The force was immense, splitting his barrier like glass. Eiden teleported behind the attacker, but green rings of light snapped into existence around his body, locking him in place.
"Hehe… looks like I caught myself some fresh meat," a chaotic voice chuckled.
"Hey, get a flame," a soft, feminine voice called out. "I need to see this idiot's face."
A torch flared. Standing before him were a woman with long black hair and crimson eyes, and a man with spiked teeth and a grin of pure chaos. Iris and Vaelus.
The green rings dissolved instantly. Iris lunged forward, burying her face in Eiden's chest, her body trembling with violent sobs. "You had us worried," she whispered. "We almost fell apart when we heard you died."
Eiden felt her tears soaking his shirt. He sighed, resting a hand on her back. "Iris…"
"How can I even look you in the eye right now..." she trembled.
Eiden cupped her face, lifting her chin. "Shhh. See? Not hard, is it?"
Vaelus, unusually somber, pointed toward the cottage. "Eiden, please. Follow me."
Inside, while a kettle hissed on the stove, Vaelus spoke with a low, weighted voice. "Eiden… after you killed Uzak'me, the leader of the Ten Celestials… the rest of them retaliated. We think they kidnapped Seraphaine."
Eiden leaned forward. "What? She's the fifth strongest."
"They all attacked her at once," Iris said hollowly. "All nine of them. We found fragments of her armor and blood, but no sword, no grimoire. Morvath, the Umbramage, likely teleported her somewhere dormant to hide her mana signature."
Eiden nodded. "So they are hunting us from strongest to weakest. They are watching you right now."
Suddenly, the air vibrated with a surge of mana so heavy it felt like lead. "Beside me. Now!" Eiden barked.
A beam wide enough to vaporize acres tore through the forest, erasing the cottage in a heartbeat. When the ash settled, Iris and Vaelus stood protected inside a layered dome.
"Haha! Don't tell me you little shits are scared now!" A high, feminine laugh echoed. Six silhouettes emerged from the dust—six of the Ten Celestials: Seraphyx, Umbrael, Vael'Torin, Kharos, Elyndr, and Solmara.
Solmara stepped forward, her starlight-forged glaive gleaming. "I'm going to use Shwall on you both," she purred. "I want to hear you choke. I want to pull your nerves out one by—"
She never finished. Her head slid cleanly from her neck. A perfect cut. Her body swayed for a moment before collapsing in a violent rush of blood.
Silence. Kharos looked at her corpse. "…Idiot."
Seraphyx stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. "I never knew you were capable of something so skilled we didn't even detect it."
Vaelus dispelled the shield, his green robes glowing with ancient symbols. Iris stepped beside him, her crimson eyes burning as blood magic swirled in her palms. The Celestials realized too late—these two were predators.
But the Celestials also knew the truth. It wasn't Iris or Vaelus who had decapitated Solmara. Something else was here. Something stronger. Something ancient. Something they finally had a reason to fear.