The setting sun painted the sky orange and violet as Eleanor and Meredith walked toward the Zenith Guard Headquarters. Their robes showed the dust of combat. Eleanor's shoulder still ached, but she felt a new energy in her veins. She hadn't just survived; she had won. Now, she was about to meet the Ascendants, the living legends of the Angel Realm. No pressure, right? Just meet the most powerful beings you know, looking like you wrestled a badger and lost a little.
The headquarters loomed, a massive structure carved directly into the heart of a mountain. Smooth, marble steps twisted upward toward a giant arched entrance. On either side, huge statues showed angels fighting monstrous, shadowy beasts.
Eleanor stared up, her own wings folding tight behind her. "Can we fly up the stairs?" she asked, a hopeful glint in her eyes. It was a lot of stairs.
"No," Meredith said plainly, not even breaking stride. "We walk. It's tradition."
Eleanor groaned, but followed without complaint. Her Guardian uniform, black with gold edges and the iconic "Z," felt heavier today, weighted with her first true victory.
They reached the top just as the last rays of sun painted the sky in streaks of gold and rose.
"Wait here," Meredith commanded, her face already hardening into the formal mask she wore for superiors. "I'll inform the Commander of our arrival."
A few tense moments later, the massive doors silently glided open, and Commander Aldric himself stepped out.
He was as imposing as ever. His dark skin absorbed the torchlight, and his bald head shone. A thick black beard, streaked with silver, rested on his golden armor.
"Guardian Eleanor," he boomed, his voice a deep rumble that resonated with power. "You had quite an exciting morning, I hear."
Eleanor snapped to attention, bowing respectfully. "I did, sir. I fought and defeated a high-level Black Angel. The villagers identified him as the Phantom Warden."
A collective, hushed gasp rippled from somewhere within the depths of the hall. Oh, so he's actually famous-famous. Good to know.
Aldric's silver eyes narrowed slightly. "Come. The others will want to hear this from you."
He led her into a vast, circular chamber. The high ceilings vanished into shadows. Ancient tapestries showing epic battles hung from the walls. Arranged in a wide semicircle waited the eight Ascendants, the undisputed top leaders of the Zenith Guard.
Eleanor felt the full, crushing weight of their combined gaze.
Peter Somniel, the Dream Ascendant, was the first to break the silence. He lounged back easily, an amused smirk playing on his lips, his purple eyes glinting with dangerous interest. "So, the new blood already has war stories," he said, adjusting his sleek black suit cuffs. "A Black Angel defeated in a solo fight? My curiosity is sparked."
Eleanor's gold eyes blazed. "He controlled space and twisted reality to isolate me from Meredith. He tried to manipulate my mind, tried to use my grief against me."
Peter's smirk faltered, replaced by something far sharper. "And you overcame that? How?"
"I burned him to ash with Sunfire."
The room plunged into an immediate, deafening silence.
Kylie and Kay Astralis, the twin Blood Ascendants, exchanged a glance of genuine surprise.
"Sunfire power?" asked Lucy Noctis, the Moon Ascendant. Her silver eyes narrowed as she scrutinized Eleanor, her long black kimono seemingly rippling in the soft light.
"Yes," Eleanor answered simply, meeting Lucy's piercing stare without flinching.
Commander Aldric raised one armored hand, and the room snapped into absolute silence.
"If the Phantom Warden was truly operating in our area, that confirms our worst fears," he stated, his voice now heavy. "The enemy is planning carefully. They're observing us, assessing our capabilities. Testing our newest Guardian."
Eleanor's jaw tightened. "I'm not anyone's test subject." Especially not after I just single-handedly turned their 'test' into a pile of dust.
Lisa Azeroth, the Destruction Ascendant, let out a loud, approving laugh, a wild, unrestrained sound. Her scarred lips curved into a savage grin. "Now that's the attitude we need!"
"But what about Mariam herself?" Gail Valtheris asked, her pretty face etched with worry as she adjusted her royal blue coat. "The Grand Goddess wouldn't just send a Warden for reconnaissance. There's a larger plan at play."
Meredith stepped forward, her face grim. "She won't make the mistake of underestimating Eleanor again. After witnessing her power today, Mariam knows exactly who she's dealing with."
Orion Tenebris, who had stood silently by his pillar, an almost imperceptible shadow within the shadows, finally spoke with cold, absolute certainty. "Which means the true attacks begin now."
As Eleanor stood before them, she noticed a soft shimmer near the back of the room. Six glowing orbs floated quietly in the air like captured stars.
Between them stood a tall, robed woman whose long, black hair seemed to move even when the air was perfectly still. Her robes, a blend of soft green and silver, were adorned with symbols Eleanor couldn't understand.
"Ah, Lyra Noctvale," Commander Aldric said with a respectful nod. "The Spirit Ascendant."
Eleanor met her gaze. Lyra's silver-green eyes were deep and still.
"You carry echoes," Lyra said softly, her voice quiet. "The Warden's shadow still clings to your wings. His death was a warning."
Eleanor frowned. "A warning of what?"
"Of what's watching from above."
Lyra's six glowing orbs flickered in unison, then gracefully floated back behind her as she rejoined the circle.
Lisa let out a whistle, shattering the ethereal mood Lyra had created. "Well, that's a new record for unclear talk. Are we getting poetry slams now in strategic meetings?"
Peter chuckled from his corner. "Don't mind her, Eleanor. If Lyra ever speaks in full sentences, we'll know the world's ending."
Aldric raised a hand for silence. "Enough. We will meet again to discuss tactics. For now, you are dismissed."
As Meredith led Eleanor out of the vast chamber, the feeling of many eyes remained on her back.
Far above the clouds, in a place untouched by the warmth of sunlight...
The Grand Goddess Mariam sat in thought upon her black throne, a massive seat that seemed to swallow all light. Shadows twisted around her form. Her purple eyes blazed with cold, terrifying fury.
"The Phantom Warden," she whispered, her voice like silk over steel. "Destroyed. By her."
"She grows too powerful, too quickly."
A trembling servant, barely more than a silhouette, appeared from the deepest shadows. "My goddess... The Heralds await your commands."
Mariam's lips curved into a smile that promised utter destruction. "Send them in."
The throne room seemed to grow darker as four imposing figures entered with slow, deliberate steps. These were Mariam's Heralds, her chosen tools of annihilation.
Lyn, the Lightning Herald: She had blonde hair and eyes like polished gold, crackling with raw electrical energy. Ziza, the Beast Herald: With fiery red eyes and the grace of a lioness, she radiated brutal, untamed power. Hector, the Nature Herald: His presence made the air thick with the earthy scent of ancient forests. Carna, the Flesh Herald: She had long black hair and a beautiful face, but her blue eyes were chillingly empty, and her form seemed to ripple with horror beneath the surface.
All four knelt in unison.
"She is still only one angel, my goddess," Lyn said carefully, a subtle crackle of electricity dancing between her fingers. "Strong, yes, but she can die. What are your orders?"
Mariam's voice was low, yet it resonated through the colossal room.
"Kill her."
Ziza dared to speak. "And if we fail in this task?"
Mariam's purple eyes flared with consuming anger. "You won't fail," she said, her voice carrying the absolute certainty of a god's decree. "But if you do, don't you dare come back to me. I will not accept failure."
She snapped her fingers. A portal of pure darkness and starlight ripped open in the air before them. The swirling black void swallowed all four Heralds whole, flinging them through different dimensions toward the unsuspecting skies above the Angel Realm.
Alone once more, Mariam settled back onto her throne. Her face was thoughtful, yet etched with cold, unwavering determination.
Her whisper carried through the immense hall like a prophecy written in shadow and flame.
"I let her live because the Sunfire was dormant, trapped beneath her grief. Now it has fully ignited. She is the last Sun Angel, the only remaining threat to my reign. That is a light I intend to extinguish myself if you fail."