The gliders touched down with gentle thuds, their armored riders landing at the edge of an ancient stone bridge. The moment their boots met the ground, the gliders transformed back into keyblades and vanished along with their armor as they desummoned them. Then they saw a dome of energy above shimmering faintly, sending ripples across the glowing surface like water disturbed by a pebble.
Skuld was the first to break the silence. "It's… magnificent."
Before them stretched Atlantis—a city of impossible beauty, carved from stone yet alive with pulsing light. Towering spires adorned with flowing aqueducts reached toward the crystalline dome, while delicate bridges of glass and marble connected terraces draped in vibrant flora. The air was thick with the hum of energy from the Heart of Atlantis, suspended high above like a living sun, bathing the city in soft blue and golden light. Waterfalls cascaded gently from the cavern walls, their mists refracting the glow into shifting rainbows.
Kurai stepped forward, her armored boots clicking softly on the carved stone. Her crimson visor reflected the glowing glyphs that spiraled lazily across the city streets. "This place feels… old and alive. The power here is strange; it gives off life energy. Why?"
Helios stood still, his whip-sword sheathed at his back. "Older than anything we've seen. As for why you'll see eventually if everything goes well."
A low rumble cut through the air.
The ground vibrated beneath their feet as massive shapes stirred in the distance. Slowly, silently, the protector golems rose from their slumber, their colossal forms emerging from the waterfalls and crumbling archways. Eyes of piercing blue light ignited one by one, tracking the intruders. Glyphs along their bodies flared as their crystal cores pulsed with power.
"Here we go," Kurai muttered, summoning her keyblade in a flash of dark purple light. The serrated edge of the Shadow Sovereign hummed with barely restrained energy.
Skuld followed suit, gripping her Ravenveil Whisper tightly, her stance defensive. "They don't seem happy to see us."
Helios held up a hand, stopping them from advancing. "Wait. Don't destroy them. They're protecting this place. It's important that they not be destroyed."
"They're about to attack us, and you want us to do what? Play with them?" Kurai said sharply, her voice edged like her blade. "Defensive or not, I won't hold back if they come for me."
"You will hold back," Helios countered, his tone iron-clad. "If we destroy them, we lose any chance of entering the city peacefully. Trust me."
The first golem stepped forward, stone feet cracking the ground with each impact. Its massive arm raised, and from the crystal embedded in its palm, a beam of bright turquoise light lanced toward them.
Skuld spun away, her keyblade whipping up a barrier just in time to absorb the blast. The force sent her sliding backward across the bridge, boots scraping against the glyph-etched stones.
Kurai didn't dodge. Instead, she transformed her keyblade into its war fan form and flicked it open with a crackle of darkness, absorbing the energy and redirecting it harmlessly into the air. "Defensive fighting isn't my style."
"It is now," Helios barked, stepping in front of them. His keyblade transformed into its whip-sword form, unfurled, its blackened segments spiraling around him like a coiled serpent. He used it to catch a second energy blast mid-air, swinging it wide to disperse the force without destroying anything.
The trio moved as one—dodging, parrying, redirecting. Kurai's movements were sharp and aggressive, even restrained. She slashed at an approaching golem's legs, scoring shallow marks in the stone without breaking its structure. Skuld stayed closer to Helios, her magic weaving protective barriers and deflecting strikes that came too close.
"Restraint will get us killed!" Kurai shouted as a golem's massive fist slammed down inches from her.
"Trust me," Helios replied calmly. "This isn't about winning. It's about proving we're not enemies."
Just as the largest golem raised both arms to unleash a devastating shockwave, a sharp sound split the air.
Thoom… Thoom…
Figures appeared from the mist. Dozens of masked Atlantean warriors surged forward, spears and polearms at the ready. They all wore strange, large masks with glowing eyes and were covered in fur. The one standing in front, Helios knew well, even though he could not see her face. This was Kida Nedakh the princess of Atlantis and daughter of the king.
At her silent command, the golems froze. Their eyes dimmed slightly, and they stepped back, returning to stillness.
Helios immediately desummoned his keyblade. The weapon vanished in a shimmer of black and white light, intertwined. "Lower your weapons," he said softly to the others as he raised his hands to show he had no will to fight them.
Skuld hesitated but complied, her keyblade dissolving into motes of light as she mimicked Helios' gesture.
Kurai stood still for a moment longer, her silver eyes fixed on the Atlanteans. With an almost imperceptible sigh, she dismissed her weapon and raised her hands slightly, mirroring Helios' gesture.
"We didn't come to fight," Helios said clearly, his voice carrying across the silent bridge. "We meant no harm. Your guardians attacked us, and we defended ourselves."
The Atlantean leader regarded them silently, stepped ahead of them. Her crystal-tipped weapon gleamed was raised high, and her glowing eyes narrowed behind her ornate mask. After a while she communicated with the other warriors and they lowered their spears.
Their leader then removed her mask revealing, a tall girl with a very slender build and a slightly muscular physique. She had long white hair and brown skin like all Atlanteans. She also had blue-colored tattoos (which represent teardrops). She also wore a shard of the crystal around her neck.