Ash's smile only widened.
He inclined his head slightly, wings rustling like velvet night. "Celeste," he repeated, tasting the name.
"A fitting title for someone who shines as brightly as the stars."
A few elders shifted uncomfortably; The Patriarch cleared his throat, but Celeste raised a delicate hand, silencing him without looking away from Ash.
"Your offer still stands," she said, her voice steady as starlight. "Freedom for my people, the continent untouched. In return… an alliance with your Originat Clan, and Astralis beneath your banner."
Ash stepped closer, bronze skin glowing in the crystal pillars' refracted light.
"Exactly. Mutual growth. Your ancestors' wisdom, your legions, your resources—shared with a clan destined to rise faster than any in history."
An elder scoffed. "Shared? An unrated clan dares to—"
Celeste's gaze slid to him, calm yet commanding. He stopped mid-sentence.
She turned back to Ash.
"Counteroffer," she said, silver hair drifting as if moved by unseen stellar winds. "A full alliance—military, resources, knowledge. But Astralis remains our ancestral home, jointly governed. Your Originat Clan gains equal rights to settle and thrive here. No one leader above the other."
Ash's blood-drop eyes gleamed. "Joint governance… interesting." He honestly didn't mind; he had no intention of being a tyrant, though he knew there was more to this situation than what was being said.
But even still....
He took another step, close enough that her starlit aura brushed his like warm dawn against night.
"But I prefer clarity. One banner. Mine."
A murmur rippled through the hall—shock, outrage, intrigue.
Celeste did not flinch. Her lips curved faintly. "You are bold, Ash Originat." A pause, her voice softening just enough for him alone to catch.
"Perhaps too bold for your own good."
He leaned in slightly, voice low but carrying.
"Or just bold enough for yours."
The Patriarch's face darkened. Elias gripped the hilt of his blade.
Celeste's expression remained serene, but something flickered in her starlit eyes—curiosity, perhaps the faintest spark of amusement.
She raised her hand again, the hall quieting instantly.
"We will consider your terms," she said.
"But first… follow me.... alone"
She turned, robes flowing like liquid moonlight, and glided toward a side archway leading deeper into the palace.
Ash glanced at Raven and the others, giving a subtle nod as he sent mental messages.
'Just stay calm and trust me.'
Then he followed Celeste alone, wings folding neatly, smile never leaving his face.
The elders watched in stunned silence as the Third Calamity "intruder" walked beside their hidden ancestor like he belonged there.
----
The corridors beyond the throne hall were quieter, lined with crystal walls that reflected the blue sky in infinite fractals. Ash walked half a step behind her, gaze openly appreciative as it traced the elegant sway of her hips beneath the ethereal white robes, the way starlight seemed to cling to her silver hair like a lover.
Celeste glanced sideways, catching him looking. Her starlit eyes held faint amusement.
"You're very bold for a guest," she said, voice soft as dawn breeze.
Ash's smile broadened. "Beautiful things deserve appreciation. And you, Celeste, are exactly that."
A faint blush colored her cheeks, but she held his gaze. "You know, sometimes flattery can be… dangerous."
As she spoke, her eyes flicked above his head while her Fate Law activated, once again confirming what had made her so easygoing before.
'How can he have no threads of fate?' she wondered as they arrived at a sealed archway of pure moonstone.
Placing her hand on it, runes lit up, and the door parted like water.
No one had ever entered her private chambers aside from her.
Inside was a perfect planetarium—a vast spherical chamber with walls of living starlight, projecting the entire known cosmos in breathtaking detail.
Galaxies swirled slowly, nebulae bloomed in silent color, stars twinkled in their true positions. At the very center floated a simple cultivation rug of woven star-threads, hovering in the void.
They both stepped onto it, sitting cross-legged facing each other.
The door sealed behind them.
Then Silence fell... it was both comfortable and tense.
Ash's smile never left his face as he took in the private realm. Honestly, he was becoming a real fan of breathtaking views. On top of that, Celeste's affection kept steadily rising, now sitting at 47%.
She studied him for a long moment, starlit eyes searching.
"How old are you, Ash Originat?"
"Twenty-seven," he answered casually, leaning back on his hands
Celeste blinked.
Once.
Twice.
She glanced at him as if he were some kind of freak of nature—beautiful, impossible, and terrifying all at once.
A soft laugh escaped her. "That… makes sense, actually."
She glanced above his head once again—where Fate threads should weave like glowing rivers.
But there was nothing, it was empty like a void.
Then her expression turned serious as she began speaking.
"The phenomenon that locked us away… wasn't random," she said quietly.
"I caused it."
Ash's brow raised, but he stayed silent.
"I saw a looming disaster," she continued, voice steady but heavy.
"One that would encroach faster the longer we remained on Astralis. I don't know the cause… but the fate of my clan, the Humans of this world—we were doomed for extinction if we stayed."
This is what interested Ash the most.
She waved a hand.
A projection bloomed between them: legions of blurry, indistinct figures rampaging across Astralis's true surface—continents burning, cities crumbling, the world itself fracturing under their assault until nothing remained but silent void.
Ash leaned forward, blood-drop eyes narrowing with genuine interest.
Celeste met his gaze. "I wield Fate. I see threads on every soul… except yours. You have no lines, no fate at all.... That can mean prosperity… or doom."
She paused, silver hair drifting in the starlight.
"I chose to trust you," she said simply. "Partially because of what you offer… and partially because you are a mystery even Fate cannot read."
Ash paused for a moment, taking it all in. He already knew most of it, but he wanted to witness it himself, up close. More than that, he was curious.
'What could these humans have done to bring about their own extinction?' he wondered.
Ash paused for a moment, letting her words settle. He already knew most of it from the bond and his talents, but hearing it from her lips, up close, was different. More than that, curiosity burned in him.
'What could these humans have done to bring about their own extinction?' he wondered, gaze drifting to the swirling galaxies projected on the chamber walls.
"Fine. We have an agreement," he said, voice calm as he solidified the spatial gate from his status—a perfect, palm-sized orb of rose-gold light pulsing with stable void-energy.
He handed it to Celeste.
"It should be enough to take the entirety of the ten million kilometers of land seamlessly."
Celeste took it gently, fingers brushing his as the orb's warmth spread through her palm. She nodded, silver hair shifting like liquid starlight.
"What's the status of Astralis currently?"
"Hmm, there are about five major clans present on your world… all vying over resources. Two of them are Eternal Clan branches, and who knows how many hidden monsters lurk in the shadows?"
Celeste frowned, the weight of eras in her expression. She nodded slowly before asking another question.
"And what are you? Although we've been locked away for a few eras, I don't recall ever seeing a race like yours."
Ash leaned back slightly, wings rustling. "Curious, aren't you?" he teased, blood-drop eyes gleaming with amusement.
Celeste's lips curved faintly. "Indulge me."
"I'm a Primavus," he answered simply. "There aren't many of us… but you'll learn soon enough."
He rose then, wings spreading slightly as he offered a hand to help her up. She took it, her touch warm like dawn.
"I'll be in touch," he said, voice low. "Use the gate when you're ready. The world outside is waiting."
Celeste held his gaze a moment longer. "Be careful, Ash Originat. Mysteries like you tend to change everything."
He smiled, fangs glinting. "That's the plan."
With a ripple of space, he vanished.
Celeste stood alone in the planetarium chamber, the spatial gate pulsing gently in her palm.
She closed her fingers around it.
Outside, the Astral Prime Clan began to move—ancestors awakening, legions forming, the entire enclave preparing for exodus.
----
Ash reappeared outside the barrier, the three women materializing beside him in a swirl of rose-pink light.
Seth and Connor stood waiting, Connor just lowering a crimson communication token from his ear.
"…Yes, Your Highness. I'll keep watching," Connor finished, voice low.
The token dimmed.
Ash's smirk deepened, but he said nothing—just watched knowingly as Connor pocketed the artifact.
The group turned toward the horizon where the mythic barrier shimmered, then began to fold inward like closing petals.
The entire ten-million-kilometer enclave rippled, light bending, space contracting.
In a single, silent heartbeat, it vanished—gate activated, continent and all transported safely away.
The mountains stood empty now, only wind and blue sky remaining.
Raven exhaled softly. "They're gone."
Summer's shadows curled. "And someone just got a lot stronger allies."
Katherine glanced at Ash. "Or a lot more responsibility."
Ash's wings spread wide, grin sharp.
"Next treasure," he said simply.
They took to the skies, heading deeper into the Third Era realm—lotuses waiting, beasts roaring, secrets calling.
The hunt continued.