Far above the mortal world — beyond clouds, beyond stars — there existed a realm untouched by death or decay.The Celestial Domain, heart of divine authority.
Here, the sky shimmered with endless light, and the ground itself was made of radiant crystal that pulsed with divine essence. But on this day… that light was dim.
At the center of a grand cathedral suspended in the void, six figures stood around a broken throne. Their wings, of various hues — gold, silver, azure, and black — spread in silent fury.
The Conclave of Heaven had convened.
"Seraphiel has fallen," said a tall woman with silver hair and frost-white eyes. Her voice was calm, yet every syllable carried the weight of judgment.
Archangel Isha, the Blade of Clarity.
Across from her, a crimson-winged figure slammed his fist into the marble floor, cracking it like glass. "Impossible! Seraphiel was the strongest among us!"
Archangel Kael, the Flame of Purity — proud, arrogant, and easily enraged.
A deep voice, heavy with both authority and disdain, filled the hall. "Strong… perhaps. But careless."
The speaker stepped forward — his wings pure black, his armor etched with golden runes. Unlike the others, his presence dimmed the light around him rather than magnifying it.
Archangel Raviel, the Shadow of Judgment — Seraphiel's eternal rival.
"Do not be blinded by pride, Kael," Raviel continued. "The one who slew Seraphiel is no mere mortal. It was him."
The hall fell silent.
Then Isha's cold eyes narrowed. "You mean…"
"Yes," Raviel said, smiling faintly. "The Fallen One. The traitor of the Heavens. The soul that should have been erased from all realms."
A ripple of unease spread through the room. Even the gods listening from their thrones above stirred.
On the highest seat — beyond the circle of Archangels — sat the Celestial Emperor himself.His face was obscured by radiance, his form impossible to look at directly. Only his voice reached them, deep and resonant, carrying across the stars.
"Arden… the Reborn."
Even the Archangels lowered their heads.
"He has returned to the mortal plane and slain one of my wings. That is no small sin. But what concerns me most…"
A fragment of divine light appeared before the Emperor, showing a vision — Arden standing amid snow and ruin, sword sheathed, cloak torn, eyes glowing with divine gold.
"...is that he wields Heaven's Qi. The power that belongs only to us."
A murmur rippled through the Conclave.
Kael clenched his fists. "Impossible! He's a mortal reincarnation — a defiled soul!"
Isha replied coldly, "And yet, he wields the energy of the divine. That means either our laws are broken…"
She looked up at the Emperor. "…or someone from Heaven aided him."
The silence that followed was heavy.
Raviel smirked, his golden eyes glinting. "Perhaps one of us still remembers the rebellion too fondly."
Kael turned on him immediately. "You dare accuse the Conclave?!"
"Calm yourself, child," Raviel said lazily. "I accuse no one. But if the traitor once had allies in Heaven, who's to say one of them isn't among us still?"
The tension was about to break — until the Emperor raised his hand. Instantly, silence fell again.
"Enough."
"Arden has committed the gravest sin — to slay a divine being and wield Heaven's essence without sanction."
"He must be purged."
"But no mere Archangel will suffice. This task requires one who knew him best…"
The Emperor's gaze turned toward the shadows beyond the hall.
"...the one who once loved him."
A gentle sound of bells echoed through the cathedral as a woman stepped into the light.
Her hair shimmered like silver moonlight, and her wings were translucent — almost ethereal. Her eyes, a soft violet, carried both sorrow and strength.
Celestia, the Dawn Goddess.
The hall fell utterly still. Even Kael lowered his head in respect.
Isha whispered, "You would send her?"
Raviel chuckled. "How poetic. The lover sent to kill her beloved."
Celestia knelt before the Emperor, her voice trembling faintly. "You would have me descend… and destroy him?"
"He is no longer the man you knew," the Emperor said. "He has become a threat to the balance of all realms. You will go to the mortal plane, find him… and bring me his head."
Celestia closed her eyes. For a moment, her fingers tightened around the silver staff she carried — the same staff Arden once forged for her, long before their rebellion.
Then, softly, she said, "As you command."
When the Conclave dispersed, Raviel remained, standing beside the fading light of the Emperor's throne.
A low laugh escaped him. "How fascinating. To send the Dawn to slay the Dusk."
Isha turned, cold eyes meeting his. "You find this amusing?"
"Of course," Raviel said. "It's the perfect irony. The Heavens send love to do their killing — and wonder why their gods keep falling."
Meanwhile, in the mortal world —
The snows of Wintercrest had barely settled when a streak of light cut through the northern sky.The villagers looked up, gasping as a blazing star descended from the heavens.
Arden, standing atop the fortress battlements, felt it long before he saw it.The divine aura. Familiar. Gentle. Painfully so.
He looked to the sky, expression unreadable.
"…Celestia."
Ryn glanced at him. "Who is that?"
He didn't answer. His eyes softened — just for a moment — before turning sharp again.
"The past," he murmured. "And maybe… my greatest enemy yet."
The star crashed into the mountains beyond the forest, shaking the ground. The snow burst outward in waves of divine fire.
The goddess had arrived.