The rhythmic humming of the crystal slowed to a steady pulse. Lucid's mask caught its faint shimmer as he leaned forward, his breath held. Through the front glass of the carriage, a glimmering vista revealed itself—one unlike anything they had seen before.
Clouds parted like curtains on a grand stage, unveiling a massive floating island encircled by a dozen smaller landmasses drifting gently like petals on an unseen breeze. Suspended waterfalls cascaded from the main island to the smaller ones, which in turn floated above a deep expanse of glowing sky. Each island was connected by long stone bridges that shimmered faintly with magical energy.
At the heart of the largest island stood a city of silver and white stone. Towers spiraled upward, twisting like vines of marble. Buildings floated a few meters above the ground or rotated slowly in place, held aloft by blue glowing runes etched into their bases. Roads formed from suspended cobblestones restructured themselves, changing paths and reshaping routes before the eye could fully track the movement. The air seemed lighter, crisp with magical energy.
"W-Wow..." Alice whispered in awe, her nose nearly pressed against the glass. "Is this... Andorrea?"
Lucid didn't answer immediately. His eyes were wide behind the fogged glass of his mask. Everything in Andorrea defied logic and gravity. It felt like they were stepping into a dream sculpted by willpower and mana.
The carriage began to slow as it approached a wide platform—an arrival dock hovering near the city's edge. Lanterns shaped like floating crystal orbs drifted along the rails, casting a soft white-blue light. As the carriage came to a gentle stop, the hatch atop the roof unfolded automatically like flower petals blooming.
Lucid helped Alice up the ladder and through the hatch. As they stepped out, the air shifted. It wasn't just thinner; it thrummed with energy. Lucid could feel it buzzing faintly under his boots.
As he took a deep breath in, he muttered,
"Ahh, how refreshing."
The arrival platform was circular, surrounded by rail lines that extended outward into the horizon. Other similar carriages floated to different corners of the sky, passing each other without rails, guided by some unseen force. In the center of the platform, an ornate sigil glowed, and two robed figures stood near it.
The pair approached: one a tall, slender woman in dark blue robes with angular spectacles perched on the edge of her nose. The other, a stocky older man with a braided silver beard and a walking staff adorned with feathers.
"You must be the visitors from the sister village of Arayune," the woman said with a formal bow.
"I am Archivist Neleya, scholar of the Aetherbound Path. And this is Keeper Yorrin."
Lucid exchanged glances with Alice, who nodded shyly.
"We received the message by crystal relay. You bring news of Yu Sakamoto, do you not?"
Lucid stepped forward. "That's right. The council of that village sent us. They believe he's here."
Neleya's expression grew troubled. She waved a hand, and the sigil beneath them pulsed. "Come. We'll walk and talk. There's much to show you, and time may be shorter than we hoped."
The group passed through a large gate constructed of silver stone and vine-covered arches. As they walked, the city bloomed around them. Shops floated on moving platforms. Children chased enchanted bubbles through the air. Mechanical golems trimmed trees that hovered upside down. The laws of physics bent gently in every direction.
"Yu Sakamoto was here two weeks ago," Neleya explained, her voice low. "He arrived alone. Mysterious. Talented. Too talented. Within days, he had secured an audience with the Circle of Nine—the ruling body of Andorrea."
"What did he want with them?" Lucid asked.
"Knowledge," Yorrin grunted. "Access to restricted texts, lost incantations. He promised to help stabilize our floating isles and fix the social hierarchies existing between the commoners and the nobles, especially the archmages."
The man paused for moment observing their expressions however couldn't quite figure out lucid's so he carried on
"that doesn't sound so bad does it? you may ask well in reality, The Circle of Nine wanted him to essentially make the gap between the nobles and commoners more bigger by elevating the noble islands and "stabilize" them"
Neleya frowned. "But then he vanished. Not just from our sight—he broke into the Celestial Archives and stole something ancient. A fragment from the Spell of Rooting that dates back in ancient times before the world got shattered. He took it and left a warning."
"What kind of warning?" Alice asked, her voice uncharacteristically serious.
"That the world's protectors—Vanguards—are chosen by social status, and he himself would rise as a Vanguard and rewrite the rules to shatter the nobles' ideology and superiority."
"Vanguards?" asked Lucid in a curious voice.
"Yes. Vanguards are the protectors of the scattered worlds. Each world has their own status of a protector that usually is inferior to a vanguard. In the case of Andorrea, we call them archmages. However, they are not quite at the level of a Vanguard so we don't really consider them Vanguards."
She paused and continued,
"A Vanguard is someone who has transcended the capabilities of a normal human. Vanguards can rewrite matter and arrange material to how they see fit. They can reach physical capabilities that are beyond of any human or let alone the strongest monsters. They are revered as some of the most powerful and intelligent beings in The scattered worlds because each vanguard is unique, one might be better in magic whilst the other is better in the physical aspect. Of course you have some in between that use both whom are rare. But at the end of the day just having one Vanguard is enough to elevate a world's status and power."
"There are currently twenty Vanguards in the scattered worlds."
"So it is unusual to see a vanguard per world as the scattered worlds are but many islands and fragments floating in the void, So by default there are one vanguards per faction, A faction is... wait do you know nothing of this world?"
Alice looked at Lucid and Neleya having a worried expression on her face
"miss he has a really bad case of amnesia he doesn't even remember what he ate yesterday"
Lucid looked at Alice out of surprise instead of being mad he thought
'wow nice.. save'
Neleya continued
"Well in that case a faction is compromised by a multitude of worlds currently Andorrea and the sister village of Arayune are in the same faction, It's called Faction Astral and faction Astral has currently three Vanguards"
Neleya shock her head
"No, we're straying from the point of this conversation. As I mentioned earlier, the issue isn't Sakamoto becoming a Vanguard. The real concern lies in how he wants to become one.
Ordinarily, to become a Vanguard, one must overcome several barriers—psychological, magical, and, in some cases, even physical. It's a grueling process meant to test the individual's resolve, strength, and compatibility with the worlds substances like ether and mana.
However, there exists a controversial method that allows individuals to bypass these trials almost entirely. This shortcut involves either enduring an incredibly complex spell or consuming a drug infused with corrupted mana.
It's a dangerous and unethical practice—yet it's one often used among nobles who wish to preserve their status without enduring the same hardships as others."
She paused and glanced at the fancy buildings in the land of nobles.
"But it rarely works. We have come to an estimation that only one out of the twenty Vanguards has used ulterior methods to completely bypass that phase. So it isn't much of a problem, really, since it takes quite a lot of dedication and willpower to reach that level. A single drug can't cover all that, after all."
"However, there is a massive surge in archmages, especially from noble families, outright abusing their powers. I suspect they have used this drug to reach that status."
"Archmages are usually individuals who tried to reach the level of a Vanguard but couldn't despite their efforts, or they are nobles only seeking to uphold law and order."
Lucid's hands clenched at his sides. His thoughts swirled. A warning like that was more than ominous—it was conflicting. It meant Yu Sakamoto had a plan. And it wasn't rebellion, It was reformation—destruction with purpose. But Lucid couldn't shake the fact that, in a sense, he was right. Hell why would lucid try to stop Yu in shattering the gap between the rich and the poor basically
"You don't sound like you are leaning into one specific side, are you?" Neleya tilted her glasses and looked back at Lucid.
"You'll be offered a choice soon," Neleya said, stopping at the entrance to a floating observatory. "Andorrea's leaders are preparing a bounty. They want Yu Sakamoto found and returned. Dead or alive."
"And I'm quite curious what you'll do. It could very well decide the future of this world, much less the course of history. So watch your steps carefully. I'll be rooting for you," she smiled almost deviously.
Alice tensed. Lucid felt the weight of her silence.
"Dead... or alive?" he repeated.
"It's up to you. But make no mistake," Yorrin said, gripping his staff. "If he succeeds in completing that spell, we might have a dangerous Vanguard much less an archmage roaming around, destroying the city itself."
So this is it, huh? he thought.
My first real choice... since waking up in that forest.
As both of them turned away after exchanging their goodbyes, Neleya paused for a moment and looked at Lucid.
"If there's anything you need," she said softly, "come to this address. I'll help you to the best of my ability."
As she spoke, she subtly slipped a folded note into the pocket of his coat, her gesture swift and deliberate, almost unnoticed—like a secret passed between shadows.
"well then until we meet again"