Xixi blinked several times, still trying to digest everything Silvana had explained. Her chest rose and fell quickly, like she had run through a hundred staircases.
"R-really," she stammered, "so you mean… you and she—Arie Ixia—are one of the first servants of Lord White?"
Silvana's lips tugged into a quiet, reflective smile. "Hmm. You could assume that. Yes."
Xixi's mouth dropped into a soft little wow.
For a heartbeat, silence fell. The torch beside them crackled, spilling shadows across the grand hall's marble floor. Xixi's mind was still spinning from the stories of Hidori, Fruxiya, and Ixia. To her, they weren't just names anymore—they were mountains. Legends standing just beyond her reach.
---
The Tower's Truth
Xixi finally spoke, her voice small but sharp with curiosity. "Then… that means the Craptle Tower was made for capturing corrupted monsters, right? And also… for training elites?"
Silvana folded her arms, eyes narrowing slightly. "Somehow yes… but also wrong."
"Wrong?" Xixi tilted her head.
Silvana exhaled through her nose, her tone deepening. "The tower does not just test strength. It reveals truths. If someone's past is crucial to their growth, then the tower can… sometimes… gift them fragments of their own history. Memories. Things they'd forgotten or buried."
Xixi's eyes went round. "W-what?! You mean the tower can… rewrite someone with their own memories?"
"I wouldn't say rewrite," Silvana murmured, "but… restore. Fragments. Not illusions, not tricks—real echoes. I've seen it happen once, and I…" she paused, a wistful look in her eyes, "I still don't know whether to call it mercy… or cruelty."
Xixi shivered. "Fragments of the past…"
Silvana shook her head briskly, breaking the tension. "Ah—never mind. Anyway, what's the time now?"
Xixi blinked. "The time? Oh—hold on." She fumbled with the enchanted sand dial strapped at her hip. The grains shimmered, glowing faintly. "Ohh, it's Ostriel right now."
Silvana's eyes widened. "Ostriel?! Then we need to hurry!"
"Eh—why?!"
"Because Lord commanded us to appear at the Divine Cravlater during Krythos! We have only a sliver of Ostriel left!"
Xixi's jaw dropped. "Krythos?! The golden bloom of the sun? Oh no, oh no, oh no! Let's run!!"
"Already moving!" Silvana snatched Xixi's wrist, and the two bolted down the marble corridor, their footsteps echoing like a war drum.
---
Author's Note: The Hours of the White Realm
In this world, the day was not divided into "hours" but into divine segments of energy. For the sake of clarity, the timeline was as follows:
1. Lumora – the first spark of dawn
2. Erythiel – gentle warmth, pink skies
3. Veyora – the awakening surge
4. Ostriel – pure morning wind
5. Krythos – golden bloom of the sun
6. Solvane – radiant morning peak
7. Azuren – sky's brightest hue
8. Feythra – endless motion, busy flow
9. Orivon – heart of the day
10. Myrriel – serene balance
11. Xavora – clarity and judgment
12. Thalorien – blazing noon
13. Quivara – soft decline of light
14. Zytheris – amber glow
15. Aurevyn – golden dusk
16. Velistra – stretched shadows
17. Calyth – crimson veil
18. Onysera – twilight's edge
19. Eranthis – first stars
20. Luthyra – deep calm
21. Seravon – angels' watch
22. Yndoria – silver dreams
23. Chryselis – hidden truths
24. Ophiryel – midnight's crown
---
Divine Cravlater — Arrival
The gates of the Divine Cravlater loomed before them—an ancient coliseum carved into living crystal, its spires spiraling into the sky like frozen lightning.
Silvana and Xixi staggered inside, gasping, sweat glistening on their foreheads. "Hah—hah—hah—"
Xixi bent forward, clutching her knees. "Are we… at the right time?"
Silvana's chest heaved. "Hah… hah… no idea."
A voice behind them, cool and amused. "Oh, so you finally showed up."
They turned.
"Vivi!" they both shouted.
The silver-haired attendant crossed her arms with a sly grin. "You're almost late. Only nine ticks of Ostriel left."
Silvana and Xixi exchanged a look, then slapped their palms together in a high-five. "Haah! Thank goodness we made it in time!"
Their laughter cut short when the air itself shifted.
A brilliance like molten diamond descended into the coliseum. The ground pulsed. The temperature dropped into reverent stillness.
White appeared.
Every soul in the Cravlater dropped to their knees.
"S-soo… is everyone here?" White's voice was calm, but it reverberated through stone, through marrow, through thought.
"Yes, my Lord!" A chorus answered, unified.
White's silver hair floated slightly in an unseen current, his pure sword at his side catching all the light. His eyes surveyed the gathering—measured, unreadable.
"Good," he said. "Now listen carefully."
---
Lord's Command
"There are Divine beings and Gods moving toward this plane. Their intent…" White's eyes narrowed, "…is unknown. Their target—unknown."
A murmur rose among the servants. Silvana clenched her fists, Xixi bit her lip.
"I do not wish for unnecessary war," White continued. "But if they force our hand, we will answer."
Every servant's voice rose as one. "As you command, my Lord! We will give everything!"
White shook his head faintly. "I thank you for your loyalty. But… most of you will not need to interfere. For Hidori is already here. Fruxiya will soon return from the Craptle Tower. And Ixia…" His voice softened just slightly, "…is here as well."
The hall rippled with murmurs of excitement.
"Ixia? She's here?"
"I've dreamed of meeting her!"
"The Queen of Untamable Monsters—here?!"
A swell of voices almost broke into cheers until—
"Calm." White's single word cut like a blade.
The silence was immediate.
"You will all meet her. After battle." White's gaze swept the room like a promise.
"Really, Lord?" one dared to whisper.
White's lips curved, almost imperceptibly. "Yes. Really."
A ripple of joy surged through the servants, but they bowed their heads quickly, suppressing it.
White raised his hand, dismissing them. "Now. The meeting is ended. Return to your stations. Prepare yourselves. Watch the skies."
"Yes, Lord!"
---
Aftermath
As the crowd dispersed, Xixi clutched Silvana's sleeve, whispering furiously. "D-did you hear that?! Ixia's here, right here in this very place—"
Silvana's smile was small, proud, and a little wistful. "Yes. And soon, Xixi, you'll see why her name shakes both monsters and legends."
Xixi's eyes shone with wonder and nerves. For the first time, she truly felt it.
Something vast was stirring. Something divine.
The war White had spoken of wasn't far. It was walking closer with every tick of Ostriel, every bloom of Krythos.
And Xixi… Xixi was right in the middle of it.
---
Author Note:
And so the stage is set. White has summoned his servants, Hidori waits, Fruxiya nears the end of her trial, and Ixia has returned. The Divine Cravlater trembles as gods and divines march toward it.
The clock ticks. The next chapter begins.