The night after the battle was quiet, almost too quiet.
The once-bright academy stood in ruins — smoke drifting from the towers, moonlight falling on broken glass and ash.
Elian sat on the academy steps, staring at his hands.
The Eclipsera Mark on his chest pulsed faintly beneath his torn shirt, beating in rhythm with his heart — a reminder that no matter how human he wanted to be, something inside him wasn't.
> "The blood of your father… the fallen Archangel, Caelum."
The Shadow General's words wouldn't leave his mind.
He didn't know what to feel — fear, anger, confusion. Maybe all three.
"Elian," came a familiar voice.
He turned to see Headmaster Aldros, his cloak scorched and face weary. "You should rest," the old mage said softly. "But I know you won't."
"I want answers," Elian said quietly. "No more lies."
The headmaster sighed — not out of annoyance, but sadness.
"Then come," he said, and motioned for Elian to follow.
He led him through the ruined halls and into an ancient corridor Elian had never seen before. At the end was a stone door covered in glowing runes — older than the academy itself.
Aldros placed his hand on the center rune. The door opened with a heavy groan.
"Beyond here," he said, "lies the truth about your bloodline."
The tunnel beyond led to a vast underground chamber, lined with silver torches that burned with pale blue flame.
Ancient murals covered the walls — angels, demons, and something in between.
Elian stopped at one mural that showed a woman with white and black wings sealing a rift in the heavens. Her eyes glowed with both sorrow and strength.
He reached out, tracing her painted face.
"…That's her, isn't it?"
Aldros nodded. "Erevale. Your mother. The last Guardian of Balance."
"And the man beside her?"
"Caelum — your father. The Archangel of Equilibrium."
Elian swallowed hard.
The next mural showed Caelum and Erevale facing each other — blades drawn, light clashing with shadow.
"She fought him," Elian whispered. "Why?"
Aldros closed his eyes. "Caelum defied the heavens. When the gods ordered him to destroy the human world, he refused. He believed mortals deserved to exist — that even imperfection had meaning. The angels called him a traitor. The demons called him weak. And Erevale… was forced to stop him."
Elian's heart pounded painfully.
"She sealed him away… didn't she?"
"Yes," Aldros said softly. "And the seal demanded her life."
Past the murals, a faint light shone from a side passage.
Elian, drawn by something deep inside, stepped toward it.
At the end of the tunnel, he found a small, circular chamber. In the center stood a stone shrine — simple, elegant, covered in white lilies that never wilted.
A single crystal floated above it, glowing softly like a heartbeat.
Elian fell to his knees.
The air here was warm, almost gentle. For the first time, he felt something — presence.
He whispered, "Mother…?"
The crystal pulsed once, and a faint shimmer filled the room.
For a moment, the figure of a woman appeared — glowing faintly, her wings outstretched, her expression peaceful and kind.
Her voice, though faint, brushed against his heart.
> "My child… you've grown so strong. Forgive me for leaving you with this burden."
Elian's throat tightened. "Why? Why did you do it? Why didn't you stay?"
> "Because you are the bridge," her voice whispered. "The world will either break or heal through you. Do not fear what you are… for even light needs its shadow."
The image faded, the crystal's light dimming.
Elian sat there for a long time, silent, tears sliding down his cheeks.
When he finally returned to the main hall, Aldros was waiting by an old altar.
Inscribed into the stone were glowing words — celestial script that Elian somehow understood.
> "When the child of two realms awakens, the world shall tremble.
Only when he embraces both light and shadow shall the seal of the Abyss break."
As he read, the mark on his chest flared, light bursting from it like fire.
Aldros shouted, "Stop, Elian!"
But it was too late. The ground shook. Symbols glowed around him.
Two ghostly wings appeared behind his back — one white, one black.
Then everything went still.
Aldros stepped forward, breathing hard. "You've awakened a fragment of her memory — and your power. But be warned… the more you uncover, the weaker your seal becomes."
When Elian climbed back to the surface, dawn was breaking.
Lyra and Kael were waiting by the steps.
Lyra ran to him, eyes wide with relief. "Elian! What happened? You were gone all night!"
"I found my mother," he whispered.
Kael blinked. "What?"
Elian looked at the rising sun. "Her shrine. Her spirit's still here… watching over me."
He smiled faintly, though his voice trembled. "I thought I'd feel peace after seeing her. But now I just feel… heavier."
Lyra reached for his hand. "Then let us help carry it."
For a long time, they just stood there — three friends, standing amid the ruins of what was once their world.
But deep in Elian's chest, the Eclipsera Mark burned again — this time stronger than ever.
Something had changed.
Something had awakened.
And far above, in the city of Celestara, the angels felt it too.