"Brother…" Crystal's small voice trembled as she tugged Amethyst's sleeve. "I had a scary dream too. It was so real… it had amazing colors, like I was actually there. But the one person I kept seeing… was a girl with strange purplish-blue hair. She wore armor, but no helmet. I could see her face clearly."
Crystal looked nervous, as though even speaking of it made her uneasy.
Amethyst frowned deeply. "I see… so the woman in armor keeps changing appearance. That is strange. Gabriel always looks the same—blond hair, blue eyes, unchanging. But the girl…" He trailed off, troubled. "She's different in every vision."
Before the tension could grow heavier, Mikaela stretched her arms with a soft yawn. "Well, I'm kind of hungry. I'll go find Theo and see if he's awake. Maybe we can sneak some cookies." She smiled, trying to lighten the mood, and walked off.
"Oh, and Mikaela," Amethyst called after her. "Lucien is here at the palace. He might be with Theo right now."
"Got it!" Mikaela's cheerful voice echoed as she left, while Amethyst turned back to his papers, dipping his pen into ink to continue writing… letters no one else knew about.
---
Elsewhere in the palace, Lyra's soft voice broke the silence of their chamber. "Aizen… are you alright? You seem tired. Troubled." Her golden eyes reflected worry as she stepped closer.
Aizen leaned against the wall, his expression heavy. "I'm fine, Lyra. It's just… I was warned. By gods themselves. They said I'll have to fight a god—for them. Because they cannot." His voice was low, burdened with exhaustion.
Lyra's heart clenched. "Aizen… you should rest. It's almost night. Please, let me stay with you and help you sleep."
For the first time that day, a faint smile touched his lips. "…Alright. Since you're here, Lyra."
The two walked together into their room. As soon as his head touched the pillow, Aizen's exhaustion overcame him, and he fell into a deep, uneasy sleep.
Lyra sat beside him, watching his peaceful face, her hand hovering as if to protect him. Her mind raced. What kind of god would he be forced to fight? And why?
But the truth was cruel.
The warning they received had said Aizen had a week to prepare. But the reality was far worse. Not a week—only three or four days remained. When Aizen awoke, he would be thrust into battle against a being beyond mortal comprehension. A battle that could consume him entirely.
Neither the Celestials, nor the Guardians, nor the gods themselves were ready.
The Destroyer God was coming.
And the world… was not ready for what was about to begin.
(End of chapter 72)