Several weeks had passed since the intense battle in the Whispering Wilds. Eleanor could finally walk without pain. Theo, Zak, and Katya were also almost completely recovered. Their physical wounds were gone, but the memory of the fight remained.
The morning air at the training grounds was crisp. Eleanor stepped in quietly and spotted the Moon Ascendant, Lucy Noctis, overseeing a drill. Lucy wore her dark kimono with a delicate white flower pattern. Her figure was perfectly still. She was known as the strongest Ascendant, and her reputation proved it.
Eleanor watched until Lucy's voice cut through the air like a sharp blade.
"Guardian Eleanor."
Eleanor flinched. "Ascendant Lucy. I was just observing."
"Your wounds? How are they holding up?" Lucy asked, her voice flat.
"Healed. I'm cleared for duty," Eleanor replied, holding her posture rigid.
"Good. Walk with me." Lucy turned and moved through the stone hallways. "It's been quiet lately. Besides a few black angel sightings. Until now."
Eleanor fell into step beside her. "What happened?"
They stopped at a tall arched window. Sunlight filtered through the carved glass.
"Reports say a full goddess has appeared. Down south," Lucy said, her eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
Eleanor stopped. "A goddess? Not a Demigod?"
"The real thing. Stronger, more dangerous." Lucy faced Eleanor. "Peter and I are meeting with Aldric. Two squadmates are out. I need you and two other Guardians to fill the spots."
"She'll be there."
Eleanor turned to see her mentor, Meredith, leaning casually against a column.
"Meredith? I thought—" Eleanor began, confused.
Meredith cut her off, smiling wryly. "You killed a god. The training wheels are off." She pushed off the column. "Besides, I have my own work. You need to work with other Ascendants. Learn their pace."
"But shouldn't I stick with you?"
"Doesn't matter now. You can hold your own." Meredith stopped smiling, becoming serious. "Lucy and Peter have history. You'll learn more from them than me."
Eleanor nodded and turned back to Lucy.
"I accept your offer, Ascendant Lucy."
"Good. Meeting's in thirty. Don't be late." Lucy walked off without another word, her dark kimono swaying.
"You'll be fine," Meredith said, trying to reassure Eleanor. "Peter might be a goof, but Lucy is sharp. She'll keep you all alive. Mostly."
Eleanor gave her a worried look. "Mostly?"
Meredith laughed. "Relax. Just messing with you. The gods don't fight fair. You shouldn't either. Got it?"
"Got it." Eleanor gave a quick nod and headed toward the war chamber.
In a remote training room, Katya was swinging a heavy sword, sweat flying off her pale skin. Her movements were sloppy and angry. She was pushing too hard for her healing ribs.
Meredith stepped into the doorway, her arms folded. "Stop. Your stitches are going to burst."
Katya kept swinging, panting heavily. "I need to be faster. Stronger than Lyn."
"You need to heal first. Get some rest, Katya."
Katya slammed her fist against the stone wall. She turned, her light green eyes burning with anger. "Train me, Meredith. Not the standard drills. Teach me the real moves. You're the best here. Make me strong enough to fight a god."
Meredith frowned. "I can't. Your power is chaos, Katya. I can't control that. I was trained to stabilize."
"You're saying I'm too dangerous?" Katya's voice was a raw accusation.
Meredith turned away, her back rigid. "I'm saying you need discipline. Go home, Katya. Heal."
Katya stared at the empty doorway. She clenched her jaw, grabbed her gauntlets, and ran toward the perimeter woods, alone.
Inside the war chamber, Peter Somniel, the Dream Ascendant, was lounging at the round table. His silver hair gleamed. He wore his signature white suit, looking like a noble. A tray of fresh strawberries sat beside him.
"Hey hey! Guardian Eleanor. Long time no see," he said cheerfully, popping a strawberry into his mouth.
"Peter. Nice to see you," Eleanor replied.
Lucy stood silent near the back wall, arms folded, giving only a silent nod.
Three Guardians were already present.
The first, a male with a short ponytail, Allen, carried a massive two-handed glaive strapped across his back. He smiled quickly. "Heard good things. This is my brother, Robert."
Robert, with buzzed hair and a scarred jaw, gripped a short shield and a heavy mace at his side. He gave a serious nod. "Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you both. You're from Lucy's squad?" Eleanor asked.
"Yep," Allen confirmed. "She's tough as nails, but we survive."
"Silvia, by the way," the stern female Guardian said, nodding. Her long, thin rapier was sheathed at her hip. "Try to keep up."
Commander Aldric entered. His cloak billowed behind him as the room snapped to attention.
"Good. You're all here," Aldric said, his voice firm. He stepped to the front and activated a divine map. An ethereal projection of a rocky village appeared before them.
"This is Envale. Small border village, barely armed, but recently plagued by a divine disturbance. Locals report strange music, something haunting and hypnotic."
Peter's playful grin vanished. "A sound goddess? Subtle."
Aldric nodded grimly. "We believe it's Melody, Supreme Goddess of Sound. Dispatched by Mariam herself."
Lucy's gaze sharpened.
"Alone? They sent her alone?" Silvia whispered, surprised, adjusting a small dagger hidden at her wrist.
Peter raised an eyebrow. "Bold move, or a massive trap."
Aldric cleared his throat. "Melody is dangerous. Your objective is containment and intel in Envale. If you find her, do not engage alone. Understand the severity."
Lucy nodded slowly. "Understood."
Peter clapped his hands together lightly. "Well, sounds like fun." He winked at Eleanor.
Eleanor said nothing, but the fire in her eyes showed she was ready for the challenge.
"Your objective is Envale," Aldric concluded. "Move out at once."
Lucy turned and headed for the door, the first to move. Peter stood with a dramatic stretch. Eleanor trailed close behind.
The group left fast. By nightfall, they landed outside Envale. The air was still and cold. The village was nestled between jagged hills, silent and cloaked in thick fog.
Silvia adjusted her rapier sheath. "Something feels wrong. The silence is too heavy. It screams."
"No light or movement," Allen muttered, pulling the massive two-handed glaive from his back. "Where are the people?"
Lucy raised a hand, stopping the team. They advanced carefully through the outskirts.
The air was thick, like cold oil. Blood stained the ancient stone paths. Broken white feathers littered the ground. Bodies lay sprawled. Some were cut open with precise, impossible wounds. Others looked intact. But all faces were stretched tight, eyes wide in silent terror.
Eleanor gasped, covering her mouth. Fear filled her throat.
Peter knelt beside a corpse, his white suit stark against the horror. His face was grim. "No blade made these cuts. It's like their essence was vibrated apart."
Robert, clutching his mace and shield, touched the wall of a nearby building. "The stone is scored. Jagged marks." He pulled his hand back. "It's vibrating, a low hum."
Silvia's eyes narrowed, rage replacing her earlier surprise. "Melody. She used sound to break them."
Lucy's voice was cold and clear, cutting through the chilling quiet. "Stay alert. She could be watching."
Suddenly, from far above, a string was plucked.
One note.
It was perfect, echoing, divine.
The team turned as one, weapons ready. The faint hum in the air sharpened, tightening like a wire around their hearts.
Peter exhaled slowly, the smile completely gone. "She knows we're here."