The gla.s.s and silver spires looked magnificent from a distance, but up close their wonder was on an entirely different scale. Although much of the city"s population lived on the ground, the spires were attached to floating platforms that anch.o.r.ed several large districts on top of floating platforms made of crystallized mana. The Nine Floating Districts of Eliandros, Gram"s soldiers called them. To them, Eliandros"s peculiarity was no secret, but a tale of legend—something any traveller would want to visit at least once. If only the Reg"alfar did not kill all uninvited guests on sight.As they walked into the city proper, the Gram soldiers were formed in neat and tidy columns that radiated discipline and readiness. However, the expression of each soldier was the opposite of that.
"All of this is transient and doomed to ruin now," Hana spoke. "The crystallized prayers that support the magic of this city are going to fall, now that the Alfar G.o.ds are gone."
Somnus focused on the crystallized mana on which the districts floated, and he could not sense their type of mana. Why was it that he could not sense divine magic? In theory, it should be no different from any other type.
But Hana"s choice of words awakened Somnus to a new possibility.
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"Divine magic is related to the G.o.ds, not the Heart of the World?" Somnus asked.
Hana nodded. "Mm, the Source governs magic in this world, but the G.o.ds give their followers the ability to perform miracles—Divine magic."
Somnus"s lip twitched. In a way, he felt stupid for not realizing it sooner. It was so obvious, yet he was so tunnel visioned he simply did not see it. His abilities allowed him to copy, recognize and manipulate magic related to the Source, and it had nothing to do with the Divine type of magic. Even though both used magic circles and symbols, they came from different origins.
"Why do you still remember Aurora? The mortals have forgotten her."
"In a way, you could say that we are no longer bound to the Wheel, like the mortals are. We remember things that to others are simply a myth or legend, if anything at all. Aurora…" Hana trailed off. "She was different. Neither deity nor legend, but something far greater."
Hana stopped walking in a great courtyard and then traced a thin vertical line through the air. Silver mist trailed behind her finger, and then the line widened and open up to reveal a rift through which Somnus could see the highest platform of the Alfar holy city.
"Some have called the Wheel an Akas.h.i.+c Record, and those that are direct va.s.sals of it have gained glimpses of the future and the past. When the Wheel erases someone, it is reasonable to a.s.sume that all records of their existence is removed as well," Hana said, glancing to Somnus. "We should continue alone from this point. Your men can rest here, we won"t be long."
"My Liege," Peron began but Somnus cut him off with a gesture of his hand.
"Remain here. Wait for my return."
"This is highly irregular, your majesty," Peron insisted. "It could be a trap."
Somnus scoffed and stepped into the rift.
Travel was not instantaneous. It was similar to the Gateway, but there was a different feel about it. The Gateway felt like he crossed a vast distance, but the rift did not. There was the sense of pa.s.sage of time, but that was all there was to it. Somnus quickly realized that the place he arrived to was indeed the ninth platform, but that it was not within the mortal realm. He was in the realm of the G.o.ds—Heaven.
In this place, the sky was drenched in the red colors of twilight, and directly above, the empty blackness of the Silence seemed much larger and closer, spreading through the vastness like cracks in reality.
"Why did you bring me here, Hana?" Somnus asked.
"Because this is the beginning of it all," Hana said as she stepped through the rift. Her white robes flickered with a mult.i.tude of colors before changing form. She still wore a robe but now it looked far shabbier than before, and its color was brown. The hood was pulled down and Hana"s hair progressively became blacker.
Hana was beautiful by every standard one could measure beauty by. She was a G.o.ddess after all. Still, the woman that stood before Somnus radiated unimaginable threat and hostility in her mannerisms. Somnus realized that it was merely her appearance, not her intent.
"When I was young, the Silence threatened to consume the world. I was among the first of my people who became a divinity. The Wheel had deemed it necessary to defend itself, and given us the ability to gain levels so as to prove ourselves worthy of becoming Creation"s Champion," Hana spoke with a grave tone. "In those days, we have done terrible things. I… have done terrible things."
Somnus regarded Hana coldly. He could tell that she wasn"t exaggerating. The woman that stood before him exuded the air of a peerless warrior.
"We told ourselves that it was necessary, that it was all for the sake of our world. t.i.tans came through the Silence, and everything they destroyed disappeared from Creation and mortal memory. Many of our Bastions fell, and the t.i.tans annihilated our homeland. They drowned our love in ruin. We won against the Enemy, but the price we paid was too great."
In the distance, Somnus could see the flicker of a misty sh.o.r.e above which rose a lonely mountain. It was there, but then it was gone, as if it was merely a mirage.
"The Human G.o.ds did not join us in our battle. Our people were furious, but we calmed them and decided that we would settle their continent. Yet, this hatred festered in their hearts and eventually war broke out."
Somnus smirked at the story. The events did not surprise Somnus at all.
"Back then, I had great influence over my people and the other G.o.ds. I could not stop the Alfar from warring against the humans, but I forbade the G.o.ds from joining the battle. However, the Human G.o.ds joined their people, and they brought great ruin to us," Hana said, shrugging. "I insisted that we remain neutral, but eventually, the other G.o.ds followed Nahrun and cast me out. They went to war."
"Since you fought the t.i.tans, you must"ve been quite a bit more adept at warfare," Somnus said, already guessing where this story is going.
Hana nodded. "Indeed. The Human G.o.ds created several Orders at the time, including the Reclaimers. The Reclaimers used their magic to create a ritual that would ensure their victory over us. They would create the ultimate tool of war."
"The Destroyer," Somnus said.
Hana shook her head. "His Avatar."
Somnus glanced to Hana.
"The ritual used the G.o.ds as sacrifices to summon something into this world that would change it forever. You see, Fragments are eternal; Some can exist before the G.o.d is even born. What the Humans summoned was also a Fragment. It came from a different place, outside the Chaos. This thing they called forth from across the static was unimaginably powerful and after it wrought its destruction upon us and the world, it turned into fragments."
"Seraph and Aeon," Somnus said.
Hana glanced to Somnus and then far into the distance. "I first met Aurora in this place. It was after she locked Aeon away in that broken dimension. She came to slay me."
"Why?"
Hana pursed her lips. "I am guessing because of this conversation. I told you already that those who serve the Wheel directly get glimpses into the future and the past. I think she foresaw this moment coming."
Somnus narrowed his eyes.
"You probably know by now, but you are also a Fragment of the Destroyer. There are four in total. The one that remained in the Empire, the one Aurora locked away, and two that would appear in the future."
"Who is the fourth Fragment?" Somnus asked, his expression showing no signs of surprise at the words. He had suspected for a while now that he was either the Destroyer or a Fragment.
"That thing that you think you are," Hana said.
Somnus tilted his head.
"When Aurora was about to kill me, she caught a glimpse of the twilight and stopped," Hana said, nodding towards the distance. "It was exactly like that."
Somnus glanced towards the red sky in the west, there was something very familiar about it. Somnus could not tell what it was exactly, but it had bothered him since he came here.
"She said, "The twilight is so red, it reminds me of a different time. My tears won"t stop flowing.""
For a moment, Somnus could see a wooden bridge and Kaguya Mei standing on it wearing a ceremonial, traditional dress. Behind her, fireworks dotted the twilight sky with colorful sparks. The air was filled with the scent of incense. In the distance, he could hear the festival crowd cheering at the fireworks.
""There will come a time when I will forget everything, even the reason why I still live,"" Hana finished.
Somnus felt his throat tighten and the regular rhythm of his heartbeat felt abnormal and alien. He touched his cheek, and the tips of his fingers became wet. In that moment, he understood something immense. Something buried so deeply within his psyche that he would never have realized it on his own.
"You came to this world as two ent.i.ties within one body," Hana said.
"I am not the machine," Somnus said. "I am the human soul."