Chapter Text
Destruction ravaged the battlefield. Headless Radiant bodies lay scattered across the scorched earth. Monsters born of malice attacked from all sides, decimating the Celestial squadron. This was war once more—not Celestials against Yōkai, but a world united against a rebellion of Daiyōkai.
A lone soldier looked at his fallen comrades, wondering how much longer he had to live. As a dozen monsters charged, he closed his eyes and waited for the end. Instead, a warm presence surrounded him. He opened his eyes to find himself encased in a dome of light.
As he turned his eyes, he saw a woman, a Celestial. Descending from above like an angel, her wings were elegant and beautiful, her hair golden like the sun, and her skin a sun-kissed tan, as if she were the sun's favorite. Her dress and cape were majestic in every way, flowing layers of white and gold covered with a black under-mantle of the cape. Her face shone brightly, her eyes closed peacefully, and a warm smile was placed on her lips. The battlefield seemed to quiet, stunned into silence by her presence.
"You have done enough," she said, her voice gentle. "Let me take care of you."
She drew back her bow, firing arrows of light that dissolved the monsters instantly.
...
..
.
2 years before
The heat was stifling. Sweat dripped from my forehead as I searched the fields for the Noctebane flower. My brother, Lucien, was dying, and this herb was his only hope.
My family wasn't wealthy. Lucien provided for us as a Radiant soldier, and my mother worked at the apothecary. I felt useless just staying at home, so I had decided to find the cure myself. I remembered eavesdropping on the doctor’s grim prognosis: Lucien’s organs would bleed out without medicine made from rare herbs.
In that moment, I decided I would search for all the herbs needed to cure my brother. I wasn't a warrior like Lucien, and I didn't have the magic of a Primus. But I swore to myself I would find a way to heal him. I would be there for him, like he always was for me.
And so, I ran away from home, leaving behind a single note so they wouldn’t worry. My journey began with me seeking help from books, magicians, and scholars. Their directions led me to the first two herbs in a humble store placed in the middle of nowhere, and the third atop a high cliff. Now, I faced the challenge of finding the Noctebane flower. The scholars warned me not to pursue it, for its possible location lay near danger, but I didn't pay heed to their warnings. Not because I was ignorant but because it was worth it for Lucien.
After what felt like an eternity of searching, I finally found it. The lone flower was beautiful, its petals shimmering under the blazing sun. It looked ethereal—like the night sky, a deep and mesmerizing dark blue. The bloom was the size of my hand, its stem a rich dark green, and at its center lay a black core speckled with what looked like tiny white stars.
As I stepped closer, I heard something—faint but growing nearer: the sound of metal.
Before I could react, I realized I was surrounded by soldiers, and not just any soldiers—Yōkai soldiers. They emerged out of nowhere like shadows, silent and dangerous. Spears closed in on me, blocking every escape route. My eyes widened, my breath hitched. A heavy silence settled over me. I did not struggle against their grip; my heart ached, not for my own safety, but for the light that was dimming in my brother's eyes with every passing second.
As if I were some wanted criminal, rough, clawed hands yanked my arms behind my back. They were tall, their armored bodies bristling with spears and rifles. Helmets concealed most of their faces. They didn’t say a word. They didn’t need to.
I could barely comprehend what was happening, yet my eyes were fixed on the sight: the Noctebane flower. The single reason I had traveled so far. A heavy, iron-clad boot hovered over the bloom.
Panic seized me. I didn't think; I lunged. "No!"
A backhand sent me sprawling into the dirt. The world spun, my cheek stinging, just in time to see the heel come down.
Crunch.
The delicate midnight-blue petals turned to dark paste beneath his boot. He didn't even look down. He just checked his footing and kept walking. I stared at the smear on the soil, a metallic taste rising in my throat. My brother's hope, ground into the dust. I scrambled forward, my fingers digging into the dirt, trying to find even a shred of a petal, hoping—praying—that a fragment might be enough.
My hands came away empty. Just dust.
After a long moment of fighting the rising panic, I forced my mind back to the present. I felt defeated, yet I knew I couldn’t stop. I took a long, shaky breath, deciding I should try talking with a soldier.
"Excuse me... Sir?" I managed, the words barely understandable because of the shaking in my voice. "May I ask why I’m being taken captive?"
A soldier gave me a side-eyed look. "You have trespassed into Yōkai territory, breaking the truce law, lady."
I knew the laws. Yet, I chose to believe that mercy existed outside our borders. Lucien had always warned me that the world beyond Solaris was a place of lingering shadows—that the Yōkai harbored a bitterness born from loss.
Lucien had always tried to stop me from running into danger. First with Sunny. Now with this.
Back then, what made me think I could do this? Was I merely chasing a ghost of a hero's dream? Or was I simply blinded by a hope that had no place in this world?
Then, as if the world delighted in cruelty, they shackled me. Heavy, cold iron that bit into my sun-burnt skin. I recoiled instinctively. They thought I was trying to run, and they struck my knees, knocking me to the ground.
The cold reality settled upon me, heavy as the mountain itself.
The sound of large black gates grinding open broke me from my thoughts. We passed through, entering what was undeniably the Kurohama Kingdom. It was a graveyard. Houses reduced to rubble, the ground littered with glass and splintered wood. Children stole scraps from market stalls, and Reikons drifted through the streets like ghosts. The air smelled of burning wood and old blood.
I had been taught the Yōkai were monsters. But looking at this ruin, I realized the Celestials were no saints. I thought of my kitchen back in Solaris, which always had fruit and warm bread. Looking at the ribs poking through a Yōkai child's shirt as he backed away from me in fear, a sickening wave of shame washed over me. My half-eaten meals could have fed this street. Even half of what I consumed felt like an unforgivable luxury compared to their suffering. I whispered in my heart, I'm sorry... I'm sorry to all innocent Yōkai. I longed to speak the words aloud, but what good would a 'sorry' do?
The soldiers picked up their pace. Where were they taking me? The rumors of Yōkai dungeons made my heart hammer against my ribs. I had also heard terrifying rumors about the Yōkai king—that he was a snake, that nobody really knew what he was planning. I clutched my satchel against my chest. The three herbs were still there, but without the Noctebane, they were useless.
They took me to a gatehouse near the castle and descended a flight of stairs. The further we went down, the darker and colder it became. I could hear distant screams and voices clamoring. My head hurt, as if the air pressure was dropping.
"Please—where are you taking me? I can't see anything... please, I just want to know where we're going." I pleaded.
Instead of answering, they just laughed—a jagged, eerie sound. We came to a stop, and they released me from the shackles.
I stumbled as they shoved me forward. Thud. I landed hard on a stone floor. I looked up to see a small, barred window. Night. The entire journey must have taken hours. I had come here to save my brother, and now I was the one in danger.
I sat down, forcing myself to breathe. My heart pounded. Every drop of water echoed like a gunshot. I held my hands together, seeking to alleviate the distant throb of the iron handcuffs and the stinging current pain from my hard fall.
I could hear the clanking of armor in the distance. Were the soldiers returning? Was I being moved again? I felt disoriented, unsure of what was happening. I prayed to the Holy One to have mercy on this foolish girl. Then, faintly, like a needle pricking the back of my skull, a thought surfaced that didn't feel like my own: Mercy won't save you here.
I sat up sharply, my breath catching. The cell was silent. It was just my fear, I told myself. Just my fear wearing a stranger's voice.
Then, torches flickered to life, one by one. I swore I could feel eyes in the gloom watching me.
A terrifying realization came to light: I was in a prison cell.