The morning light above Solara was soft and golden—milder than it had been in recent weeks.
The trace of the final judgment that had scarred the holy arena still lingered in the air. The event would be etched forever into the deepest memories of those who had witnessed that spectacle.
The scent of medicine and burnt mana faintly drifted through the halls of the Golden Aegis infirmary.
Rein Silvarn opened his eyes to a quiet world.
Sunlight streamed through thin curtains, spreading warmth across the clean white room. He took a slow, shaky breath as his gaze cleared upon the ceiling—whole, peaceful, and still.
The faint hum of mana wards pulsed softly through the air, like a heartbeat under glass. The smell of frost and medicine mingled faintly, reminding him of mornings that had once belonged to another life. For a long moment, Rein simply breathed—just to confirm that he still could.
He was alive.
"Easy now," came a calm, familiar voice.
Master Kareen Frostbane stood beside him, her long silver hair neatly tied back, faint ice crystals glinting upon her armor. Her eyes softened at the sight of him awake.
"Don't move too much just yet," she said gently. "You've been unconscious for three days."
Rein tried to speak, but his throat was dry. "W-what… happened?"
"It ended in disaster," Kareen replied with a faint, weary smile. "But we're all alive. That's what matters now."
"How about Ravien?" Rein asked weakly.
Standing near her was Chief Captain Eira Thalven, her assassin's cloak torn at the shoulder, though her eyes carried quiet pride.
"Fortunately, he survived," Eira said. "He sacrificed his life's essence to stop Vyre from taking your soul."
Her gaze hardened slightly. "Your final attack was reckless, Captain. Nevertheless… thank you for being alive."
Rein managed a weak laugh. "Then I should apologize for that—and thank him as well."
Kaelen Mayer stepped forward, relief etched across his young face. "Captain! You nearly scared us to death! After everything—the duel, the chaos—" He stopped mid-sentence, swallowing hard. "I thought you were really gone."
Rein smiled faintly. "My apologies, Kaelen… for worrying you all."
Silence settled over the room, broken only by the soft hum of the healing wards shimmering in the air.
Master Kareen's tone softened. "By the way… you have a visitor. She's been waiting for you to wake up—for three days."
Rein blinked in confusion. "H-huh? A visitor? Who—"
A gentle knock interrupted him.
"Come in," Kareen said, smiling knowingly.
The door creaked open. Light poured in—bright and soft.
A young girl stepped inside. Her hair, once white as winter snow, now shimmered with the soft gold of dawn. Her eyes—blue as the Frostveil Lake—sparkled with tears she didn't bother to hide.
The moment stretched thin. Rein's lips parted, but no sound came. His heartbeat thundered in his ears—uneven, unbelieving. For an instant, the world itself seemed to stop moving.
"Big brother…" she whispered, voice trembling.
Rein's chest tightened. Recognition struck like thunder. "Maryline…?"
Maryline Silvarn stood before him—alive. Her eyes were clear, no longer clouded by the endless curse. Still frozen at the age of nine, her simple sky-blue dress bore faint frost embroidery—the traditional garb of their home in the Sunken Valley. Around her wrist hung a small woven charm—the same one she had made for Rein as a child.
Rein gasped, his eyes blurring. "Maryline…"
She ran to him. In an instant, she was in his arms.
He felt her warmth, her heartbeat—real, fragile, alive.
"I… I thought I'd never see you again. Thank you—thank the Goddesses…" Rein whispered, his voice cracking as he buried his face in her hair.
Maryline clung tighter, shaking. "Me too, big brother. I didn't think I'd ever come back…" she said through tears. "But you brought me home."
Even Kareen turned away, her composure wavering. Eira faced the window, hiding a small smile. Kaelen grinned, discreetly wiping his eyes.
"If this isn't a miracle," he muttered, "I don't know what is."
Then—
The door burst open.
"Did someone say miracle?" a booming voice roared.
Master Rogar Drayne strode in, laughter echoing through the room. Behind him limped Ravien Drayne, wrapped in bandages but still scowling. Following them were Master Elyndra Vael and Chief Captain Elyra Vael, both smiling warmly.
"Well, well! Looks like our frost boy decided to wake up!" Rogar bellowed. "And by the Goddesses—he even brought his sister back! You're full of surprises, lad!"
Rein chuckled weakly. "You could say that…"
Ravien crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. "Tch. Don't think I'm here to be sentimental. I just came to make sure you didn't die before our next duel! I'll be the one to end you properly."
Rein grinned. "So I've heard. But rumor says you risked your life for me?"
Ravien's face flushed crimson. "T-that's nonsense! I only did that because no one else is allowed to kill you!"
The room erupted in laughter. Even Elyndra—graceful and poised—hid a giggle behind her hand.
"He'll never admit his true feelings," she teased.
Elyra smirked. "You should've seen his face when Miss Lilith appeared. Priceless."
"Don't remind me!" Ravien barked, muttering under his breath, "She still owes me a date…"
Rogar roared with laughter. "Aha! So that's the reason! Boy, if you value your life, don't chase that demon unless you're craving death!"
Laughter rolled through the room. Even Rein and Maryline couldn't hold back their smiles.
Then—amid the warmth and joy—a quiet knock.
Grandmaster Seren Aldric entered, his white robes trailing like sunlight. His eyes swept across the gathered faces—Guild Masters, Captains, students—and softened.
"It warms my heart to see you all together again," he said gently. "Despite everything, this moment… is proof that unity still lives among us."
Kareen bowed her head. "What about the summit, Grandmaster?"
Seren stroked his beard thoughtfully. "We will hold another, once all are healed. This time… in peace. The Four Great Kingdoms must continue what we began."
Elyndra smiled faintly. "Perhaps this one will end without duels or demons?"
Seren chuckled. "That is my sincerest wish."
For the first time, the Guild Masters exchanged glances not of rivalry—but of respect. For a fleeting moment, Aethelgard felt like one world rather than five divided powers.
Rein leaned back, glancing at Maryline—now asleep beside him, her hand still clutching his. He smiled softly.
"Master Seren," he said quietly. "When the summit ends… I want to thank the one who made this possible. If I can."
Seren's eyes narrowed. "You mean… Lord Alioth?"
The room fell silent. Everyone recalled the figure who had stood between judgment and annihilation.
Rein nodded. "Yes. Him… and Miss Lilith. I owe them both."
Before the mood could darken, Ravien spoke again. "Yeah, me too. Maybe she'll show up again if I buy more sweet bread."
Rogar slapped his knee, nearly toppling over. "Sweet bread!? The only thing you'll get is her sweet rejection!"
Laughter filled the room once more. Even the tension melted away—if only for a while. Peace returned, wrapped in laughter's fragile disguise.
For the first time in years, Rein Silvarn felt the world turning again.
No chase. No guilt. No shadow. Only sunlight… and the promise of a future.
Then Grandmaster Seren's tone grew solemn.
"Regarding Lord Alioth and his companion… if you wish to thank them, do it soon. They are preparing to leave."
Everyone looked puzzled—except the Guild Masters.
"What do you mean?" Ravien asked.
Elyndra spoke softly. "After the battle, we met Lord Alioth the next day. He's chosen to act alone."
Rogar's expression hardened. "The Obsidian Dominion's betrayal is confirmed. They've sided with the Demon Empress, Seraphel Noctris. The balance among the Five Kingdoms is gone."
Kareen added quietly, "Without that balance, Aethelgard could fall to the Demon Emperors at any moment. Lord Alioth intends to intervene before that happens."
The room fell still. Fear and awe mingled in the silence.
Seren nodded gravely. "Listen, all of you. Aside from Ravien and Rein, everyone here already knows of the God of Judgment's arrival. Do not see Lord Alioth as an enemy. He walks a different path—but one that might save us all."
He looked at each of them in turn. "If war comes, I will stand with him—and with Solara."
Rogar's fist met his chest. "Then so will I."
Elyndra nodded. "The Verdant Dawn stands ready."
Kareen's voice rang clear. "And so does the Azure Fangs Academy. Whatever aid he requires."
Seren smiled faintly. "Then let him walk his path. That is what he expects of us. That is what will keep this world standing."
The tension lingered, even as warmth returned to the room. After Seren explained who Argus truly was—and who Miss Lilith truly is—Rein and Ravien sat in stunned silence.
A Demon God and a Judge… accompanied by a primordial demon disguised as mischief.
Only those within that room would ever know their true mission.
Beyond Solara's golden spires, in the hush between light and shadow…
A pair of crimson eyes opened.
"A report, my Empress. Lord Exanimus is deceased," whispered a kneeling figure cloaked in black.
The figure before him stirred—the Whispering Moon, Empress Seraphel Noctris. Her beauty was ethereal and terrible: hair like silver mist, eyes shifting from blue to violet to black, and a voice that echoed within itself.
She smiled faintly. "Is that so? I suppose such a fate suits him. Mortals always overestimate their worth."
"But, my Empress," the messenger stammered, trembling. "The one who killed him was a Judge."
Her gaze snapped toward him—cold and gleaming. "A Judge? What did you say?"
"His name is Argus Alioth, according to our spies. He erased Lord Exanimus completely. No trace remains."
Seraphel's lips curved into a smile—dangerous and delighted. "How fascinating…"
She waved a hand dismissively. "You may go. And do not speak of this to Queen Vexia. I will deliver the news myself."
When the messenger fled, Seraphel rose and glided toward a vast circular mirror. The air distorted around her; illusions shimmered like fractured glass, reflecting things that should not exist. For a heartbeat, her reflection smiled back differently—eyes black, teeth too sharp—before fading into her own.
"The God of Judgment…" she murmured. Her voice fractured into layered tones—half amusement, half contempt. "What a childish legend. One our dear Queen still clings to like a dream."
Her smile widened, dark and intoxicating. "I'll show her how real illusions can be."
Her laughter—soft, melodic, and utterly mad—echoed through the obsidian halls, distorting as if the shadows themselves were laughing with her.
Outside, far from the Empress's dominion, Solara's night sky shimmered with a thousand silent lights.
The world seemed peaceful—for now.
And in the heart of that fragile peace, the faint chime of morning bells began to ring.
###########
Interlude — Lilith's Infinite Void Log #0002
"Reasons My Lord Was Late to the Apocalypse"
Location: The Infinite Void, probably three minutes past the end of the world.
Filed by: Miss Lilith, Primordial Entity of Agony, Patron Saint of Unpaid Emotional Labor.
If you mortals are wondering how that little frost brat, Maryline Silvarn, managed to wake up from a years-long coma and travel from Frostveil Dominion all the way to the Golden Aegis in Solara—alone, nine years old, and without so much as a map—allow me to clarify before your tiny brains explode.
She didn't travel.
He did.
Yes, His Lordship—the God of Judgment, the Arbiter of Eternity, my infuriatingly stoic master—decided to play divine courier moments before the apocalypse.
Here's how it happened: while I was busy stalling a screaming immortal idiot named "Vyre" (or as he later rebranded himself, "Exanimus, Lord of Bad Branding"), my Lord slipped out of linear time. He left the domain entirely, crossed the broken leylines, and personally retrieved Maryline's comatose body from Frostveil.
Apparently, her body was still intact—empty, cursed, and waiting for her soul.
He carried her through the rifts himself.
Across collapsing timelines.
While carrying chains of judgment in one hand and a child in the other.
Then, just to make sure her soul wouldn't get lost when the Verdict detonated, he placed her body inside Solara's central leyline—at the exact resonance point where mortal life is safest during divine annihilation.
When the Judgment struck, Exanimus died, his stolen souls scattered, and Maryline's spirit snapped back to her body instantly. From your mortal perspective, it looked like a miracle. From mine, it looked like my Lord being late because he was babysitting.
So yes, when the sky shattered and the world screamed, Judgment didn't arrive "late."
He arrived after doing everyone's homework.
Do I admire the gesture? Maybe.
Do I approve of risking divine timing for one mortal child? Absolutely not.
Do I sound jealous?
...Next question.
Anyway, the brat's alive, the balance is restored, and the mortals are all crying about miracles again. You're welcome.
— End Log.
P.S. If His Lordship ever decides to carry another mortal through the leylines without notifying me, I will rebrand the Abyss as "Lost and Found for Wayward Gods." Don't test me.