ELYSION 6:00 PM
In Elysion, the sun never sets in haste
It hangs upon the horizon like a golden lantern
Refusing to dim
Choosing to linger
Watching the city beneath
Slumbering in peace
The wind blows gently
Wandering along the clean stone streets
Brushing against swaying leaves
Carrying the scent of bread from the old bakery
Where bakers have labored since dawn
Undisturbed by war
Untouched by darkness
The temple bells chime
Not to warn of danger
But to call the faithful to prayer
Children race through the gardens
Laughing without fear
Playing without burden
As though the world had never burned
As though the sky had never cracked
On the balcony of the Sunspire
Seraphina stands alone
The wind touches her dark hair
Carrying with it a whisper from afar
A whisper she cannot hear
Yet one she can feel
Deep within her heart
Deep within her soul
In a small kitchen at the city's edge
A mother cooks soup for her child
In a forge along the roadside
A blacksmith hammers a sword
Not for war
But for ceremony
In the guardhouse
Soldiers polish their armor
Not because war is coming
But out of routine
Out of habit
Because the peace they safeguard
Is a peace they cherish
Elysion is not flawless
Cracks still trace across some walls
Scars of battle still mark the gates
Yet the cracks do not weaken
The scars do not destroy
They are reminders
That this city was once besieged
And endured
And in the midst of this tranquility
Among the gentle winds
And the chiming bells
And the laughter of children
One heart remains restless
One soul keeps questioning
One woman stands upon a balcony
Gazing at the horizon
Searching for something she cannot see
Waiting for someone she cannot touch
Hoping upon a prayer she does not know will ever arrive
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•
In Elysion that afternoon, a golden light descended gently from the sky. The sun was in no hurry to set. It hung upon the horizon like a lantern refusing to dim, watching the city beneath pulse with quiet life.
The temple bells chimed. Not to warn of danger, but to call the faithful to prayer. Their echo drifted softly among the stone buildings, wandering along streets beginning to quiet, touching the ears of whoever was still enough to listen. Children still raced through the gardens, though their laughter was starting to fade, replaced by the calls of parents summoning them home. Shops were beginning to close their windows, but the chicken noodle stall at the corner of the street remained open. Still busy. Still sending plumes of broth steam rising into the evening air.
There... Liora stood.
She stood behind a wooden counter worn smooth by the thousands of bowls she had served. Her messy wolf-cut hair was tied back carelessly, her white apron stained with soy sauce, and her forehead glistened with sweat. Yet her smile never faded. The smile of a warrior who had found peace not on the battlefield, but behind a bubbling pot of broth.
"Chicken rice again, Old Man? Or do you want the special chicken noodles? Today there are extra fried wontons!" she called to a regular customer already seated at the front bench. The old man chuckled, nodded, and Liora immediately spun toward the kitchen with a speed unnatural for an ordinary server.
The bell at the door chimed.
Liora looked up. Her smile widened. "Sera! Long time no visit! Sit, sit! I'll make you the special chicken noodles, on the house!"
But Seraphina did not smile.
She stood at the doorway, her fingers intertwined before her chest, her blue eyes—like a mountain lake—holding an unease she could not hide. Her black hair, usually left flowing neatly, was now slightly disheveled, as though she had been pacing back and forth through the streets of Elysion before finally arriving here. She wore a simple dress, no jewelry, no makeup. Only worry hanging upon every step.
"Liora..." her voice was soft. "Have you... have you seen Ken?"
Liora stopped in her tracks. Her hand, which had just reached for a bowl, paused in midair. She looked at Seraphina with a slight furrow in her brow. "Ken? Isn't he... away? On a mission or something? I haven't really been keeping up. Ever since the war ended, he's barely shown up. At most, he stops by here to pick up Hector's chicken noodle order." She let out a small chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. "Why? What's up?"
Seraphina shook her head slowly. "I... I don't know. But I feel... something. Something terrible. I can't explain it. Last night, I... I heard his scream."
"A scream? Sera, are you sure? Maybe it was just a dream?"
"It wasn't a dream." Seraphina's voice turned firm. "I felt it. Here." She touched her own chest. "I know this sounds insane. But I could feel him. His pain. His suffering. He's somewhere dark, Liora. So terribly dark. And I... I can't do anything."
Liora set the bowl down. Her smile faded, replaced by a rare seriousness. She stepped closer, placing a hand on Seraphina's shoulder. "Sera... I don't know where Ken is right now. But if you're feeling something, and it's that strong... Maybe you should talk to Danteus. He... He knows more about things like this."
"Danteus?"
"Yeah. He and Hector just got back from somewhere. Didn't say much, though. But... well, you know Danteus. He has his own way of knowing things."
Seraphina nodded quietly. "Thank you, Liora."
"Hey." Liora squeezed her hand. "No need for thanks. Ken is... He might be cold, and stiff, and vanish without a word. But he's our friend. And you... you're one of us too. So if something's going on, just tell me. I may only be selling chicken noodles now, but I can still punch people if I have to." She grinned mischievously.
Seraphina finally offered a faint smile. "I know you can."
She turned and stepped out of the stall. The doorbell chimed again, softer this time, as though accompanying her departure. The sun was beginning to descend, and shadows stretched long across the streets of Elysion. Seraphina walked with a steadier stride now, heading toward the Sunspire, where she knew Danteus usually spent his afternoons with Hector and King Gaius.
She found Danteus in the main hall. He stood near the great window overlooking the inner garden. The golden afternoon light touched the side of his face, making his brown eyes appear like heated honey. He was alone. Hector was perhaps elsewhere, or perhaps eating chicken noodles at Liora's stall.
"Lord Danteus." Seraphina's voice was soft but clear.
Danteus turned. He did not seem surprised. Perhaps he had heard her footsteps, or perhaps he already knew Seraphina would come. "Seraphina." He nodded respectfully. "Just call me Danteus... I am no lord... and... is there something I can help you with?"
"I... I want to ask about Ken."
No reaction. Danteus's face remained calm, his eyes remained warm. Yet something—though what, she could not tell—twitched at the corner of his lips. A small, almost imperceptible movement. "Ken is on a mission," he said. "A mission that is... quite far."
"What mission?"
"That is not something I can disclose right now."
Seraphina stepped closer. "Danteus, please. I... I can feel him. I know he's suffering. I heard his scream. I don't know where he is or what's happening, but I know he's wounded. Deeply wounded. And I... I beg you. Tell me where he is."
Danteus fell silent. He gazed at Seraphina with unreadable eyes. Within them, a small battle raged—between the urge to be honest and the need to protect.
"I know where he is," he finally said. His voice was low, almost a whisper. "But I cannot tell you."
"Why?"
"Because you cannot go there. No one can. That place... it is not meant for humans. Even demons do not dare approach."
"What is it? Tartarus? Hell? Another dimension?"
Danteus shook his head. "Worse."
That single word fell like a stone into a pond. Seraphina felt the ripples spread through her entire body, chilling her blood. Worse than Tartarus. Worse than Hell.
"I..." her voice trembled. "I only want to know if he is still alive."
Danteus gazed at her for a long moment. At last, he exhaled a deep breath. "He is still alive. That much I can confirm. But he... He is going through something terribly dark, Seraphina. Something even I do not fully understand. And the only thing we can do now is wait. And pray."