The wind carried a faint metallic scent — a cruel reminder of the violence that had just unfolded. The Pegaluve squad captain lay motionless on the cracked stone, skewered through the torso by jagged spires of ice. His golden wings, once symbols of celestial pride, hung limp and torn, now soaked crimson. Blood trickled down the ice shards in thin streams, staining them deep red as if the frost itself had absorbed his final agony.
Achlys stood before the corpse, trembling slightly. He could no longer tell if it was fear, pity, or something deeper…a strange pull he never fully understood. Cryo stood beside him, arms folded, expression hard but eyes softened by familiarity with tragedy.
Achlys exhaled weakly.
"…His death was already carved into fate," he murmured. "It was meant to happen here. It must be… the will of some god."
Cryo heard the faint whisper and nodded, hiding the unease in his chest.
"It's the law of the world, Master. Only the strongest remain standing."
Achlys nodded slowly, though his eyes stayed fixed on the body as though searching for meaning in the stillness.
They walked onward, compelled by instinct more than direction, until Achlys suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
"Cryo!" Achlys shouted, pointing skyward. "Save her!"
Cryo's heart jumped. A silhouette plummeted from above, the wings shredded as if torn out by force, of the elderly Pegaluve woman.
"I'm on it!" Cryo shouted, launching himself forward.
He created a smooth ice ramp beneath his feet, skating up its length. The cold wind roared in his ears as he hurled himself skyward, arms extended. Just before the old woman smashed into the stone, Cryo caught her, tumbling backward but absorbing the impact.
The old Pegaluve gasped as Cryo set her gently on the ground.
"Oh… oh my! Thank you! To think I would be saved by… by someone so handsome! A prince rescuing me in my final years… what an honor…"
Cryo smiled politely despite the awkwardness. "You don't need to thank me, miss. Anyone would have done the same." He pointed behind him. "If you must thank someone… thank my Master over there."
Achlys suddenly sprinted toward the heart of the city.
"What the—!? Achlys!" Cryo yelled, scrambling to his feet.
Achlys dashed toward a colossal structure in the distance: the massive trunk-like roots of the skyborne city — Libertatis. These roots spiraled upward into the clouds, forming a natural staircase connecting the surface to the inner kingdom.
Cryo turned back to the elderly woman and noticed her fainting from sheer exhaustion. "Seriously…?" He caught her and gently laid her beside the fountain. "Rest now."
Then he sprinted after Achlys.
.............................................................................
The closer they came to the inner city, the stronger the stench of blood grew.
Achlys nearly stumbled as he reached the base of the stairway. His heart thudded painfully.
Bodies were falling from the sky.
Men, women, elders, and children — Pegaluves of all wings and ages — plummeted lifelessly from above with a sickening thud… thud… thud. Their corpses broke upon impact like discarded dolls, each with a single stab wound through the heart.
Cryo arrived seconds later, horrified. "By the frozen stars… Achlys, what is going on…?"
Achlys' face was pale. "A massacre… something is killing them. All of them."
The old woman had tried to speak before fainting.
It's because—
Then she collapsed.
Cryo clenched his fists. "She was too weak to finish her sentence… but whatever is happening up there… It's killing them all."
Achlys wiped his trembling hands on his shirt, then placed a hand over his right cheek where the mark glowed faintly. "Cryo. We have to go."
Cryo nodded, swallowing the knot in his throat. Together, they climbed the spiraling staircase. Each step carried the weight of dread, every gust of wind carrying flecks of blood drifting from above.
They ascended toward what the world called Heaven on Ofratrea.
.............................................................................
Far below, hidden behind a maze of overgrown trees and cold stone corridors, Lecia awoke with a sharp gasp. The ceiling loomed above her, its surface cracked like old bone. Dust clung to her hair and robes. She rubbed her head.
"What… happened? Where am I?"
A voice answered from the shadows.
"They threw you here. Welcome to captivity."
Lecia spun around. In the dim moonlight streaming through a barred window, she saw a woman seated on a stone bed, legs crossed regally. Her once dazzling blue hair was now dulled by dirt, yet the shape of her features betrayed a timeless beauty. Even covered in grime, she glowed with an odd elegance.
"I am an imprisoned Pegaluve," she said dramatically. "Though honestly, I am far too good for this filthy cell. My name is Crevial Ver Pius. Charmed, I'm sure."
Lecia blinked. "…I'm Lecia. Angel of curses."
"Angel?" Crevial raised a brow. "How precious. Anyways, what are you in for?"
Lecia ignored the sarcasm. "That doesn't matter. Is there a way out?"
Crevial stretched lazily. "Why bother? Prison is free food and shelter. Some would call it a blessing." She flicked a stale piece of bread at Lecia. "Here. Dinner."
"No thanks." Lecia threw it back.
"Suit yourself." Crevial took a large crunchy bite.
"How long have I been out for?" Lecia asked curiously, trying to remember that last bit of information before she went down.
"Almost a decade"
"What the he—!? Be serious, I've got no time for jokes."
"Tch~ No fun. A few hours at max." Crevial replied, stretched her arms, and lay down.
Lecia stared at her for two seconds, then punched the wall. Stone exploded outward. A hole formed large enough to walk through.
Crevial—lying down—choked on her bread. "WHAT—!?"
Lecia brushed dust off her hands. "I'm leaving. You coming?"
Crevial dropped the bread and stood up dramatically. "Fine. The food is terrible anyway."
The two women walked out into the night air. Lecia, still fuming, asked, "Why no guards?"
"Magical barriers. They handle intruders. Guards show up only during meal hours," Crevial said casually.
She reached into her robe and pulled out a familiar weapon. "Oh, by the way, this sword? It was thrown in with you. I figured it looked important."
Lecia's pupils dilated. She snatched it and hugged it tightly. "My beloved's sword… his precious, precious—"
Crevial recoiled in horror. "Okay, THAT'S unhealthy. Give me that before you defile it!" She snatched it away.
"YOU DARE—?!" Lecia chased her, screaming through the trees as Crevial sprinted for her life.
"Damn girl, chill the hell down."
.............................................................................
Across the continent, Tiabishi finally reached the boundary of the Forest of Eternal Darkness—an ancient, colossal woodland cloaked in shadows so thick that it swallowed the sunlight. At its center stood the Tree of Darkness, a massive titan of black bark, its roots intertwining with the remnants of the Demon Lord's castle.
Tiabishi took one step — but the air warped. A hole of swirling blackness materialized before her.
A man stepped out.
Tall, elegantly dressed in a black suit, with ruby-tinted eyes glowing softly. A floating grimoire hovered beside him like a loyal pet.
"Good evening," he said with a gentle smile. "Fear not. I am not here to harm you. Thought I must say, it is quite weird to spot an elf out here in these woods."
Tiabishi stiffened.
"Who are you?" She asked, gripping her sword.
He bowed gracefully. "I am Dobrota. Prince of Demons."
Her heart skipped. "…The Demon Prince…?"
"Yes. And you, young lady?" His eyes gleamed, shut his book, and disappeared. "Who are you searching for in a place like this?"
She raised her sword, stance sharp as ice. "Stay away."
He touched the blade with a single finger — and lowered it effortlessly. She could not move her weapon, no matter how she tried.
"No need for fear," he said softly.
Suddenly, a voice snapped from behind him.
"Brother. Why are you playing with elves again?"
Tiabishi flinched. A woman materialized from the darkness — long black hair flowing like ink, the same ruby eyes burning with pride and cruelty.
Tiabishi muttered, "…Princess…?"
The Demon Princess sneered. "Why are you even here? Go to your little boyfriend already."
Tiabishi's rage spiked. She hurled an icicle.
"Don't talk about him with that filthy mouth!"
The princess vanished — and reappeared behind her, grabbing Tiabishi by the hair.
"What did you just say…?"
"LET—GO—!"
The princess threw her down, burned the severed strands with a beam of red-hot magic, and kicked her across the roots.
"You're too kind, brother…" she muttered, then punched Dobrota in the gut, launching him into a pillar.
Tiabishi wheezed, clutching her stomach as blood dripped from her lip.
This family… is INSANE.