The Ark-09 soared higher than ever before, breaching the lower atmosphere. Below them, clouds churned like an ocean of ghosts. Before them—suspended by ancient, half-functioning gravity towers—stood a miracle lost to time:
Aeternum Skyhold.The last remaining floating city from the Age of Shattered Moons.
Its metallic wings stretched across the sky like a rusted colossus. Buildings woven of steel vines and glass domes sparkled faintly under the twilight. Towers pulsed with forgotten energy. And yet, above it all, loomed the Great Spire of Enoa—once a Ministry outpost, now claimed by political exiles and rogue scholars.
"They call it the Observatory," Icarus muttered. "But everyone knows the truth. It's a vault of knowledge—and secrets the Ministry buried."
Ren whistled low.
"Bet the Vatican hates that place."
"They've tried to wipe it off the map three times," Daiki replied, holding a leather-bound dossier. "Each time, the Skyhold's defenses came online. Automated guardians. AI remnants. Even arcane weather control. It's practically a god's tomb of tech."
"And we're walking right in?" Haru asked, tightening the gloves around his pistol grips.
"We need allies," Daiki said. "The Librarian might be one."
Arrival at Aeternum
As they descended via transport lift, citizens of the Skyhold gathered in cautious awe. Some had never seen Ministry operatives. Others, with eyes of old pain, recognized the boys—not as heroes—but as harbingers.
Among them stood a woman in deep cobalt robes, eyes covered by a silver band, her staff humming with runes.
"The Four arrive at last," she said softly. "Just as the stars betrayed."
"Librarian Cera," Daiki greeted. "We request safe passage."
"Safe passage?" Her tone was distant. "There is no such thing in a world unbound by its own prophecies. You bring fire, wind, stone, and sight—and with them, the end of this sky."
Icarus narrowed his eyes.
"Then let's skip the riddles."
Cera nodded once.
"Very well. Follow me."
Whispers of a Fractured Order
Inside the Observatory, truths were unearthed. Holograms flickered. Maps of ley lines, sealed demon gates, Vatican strongholds.
And the worst of it?
"Two Seals have already been broken," Cera confirmed. "Wrath and Envy."
"We fought their Heralds," Ren said.
"Then the others will follow. Pride is next. Its Seal lies beneath the Sunken Spires—a cathedral swallowed by time and guilt."
Daiki looked grim.
"And the Vatican?"
"Already there. They've sent a Praetor."
"A Praetor?" Haru asked.
"The highest-ranking exorcist of their order. A vessel for angelic fragments. A killer of kings and demons alike."
Silence fell.
"We're not ready," Icarus said.
"But you must go," Cera said. "Before Pride awakens… or the Vatican does something worse."
The Knife in the Dark
That night, tensions ran high. While the others slept, Daiki stood on a balcony overlooking the glowing towers.
He didn't hear the assassin until the blade touched his throat.
"Tell me, Prophet," a voice purred, feminine and cold. "Did you foresee this?"
Daiki didn't flinch.
"Only in pieces."
The woman stepped into the moonlight. Crimson hair. Raven armor etched with the Vatican's sigils.
"I am Cardinal Delphine. The right hand of His Holiness. The knife of pride."
"Come to kill us?"
"No," she smiled. "To offer a choice. Leave the seals to us. The Vatican has the strength to contain the Sin Lords. Your little rebellion? It'll doom this world."
"We're not the ones summoning demons."
"You're worse," she whispered. "You're the myth come alive. The boys who could slay angels. The prophecy that frightens both Heaven and Hell."
Her blade lowered.
"Join us, Daiki. I'll even spare your friends."
A Choice Refused
The next morning, Daiki said nothing of the encounter. But his thoughts were storming.
Ren noticed.
"You okay?"
"Just… tired."
As the Ark prepared to launch toward the Sunken Spires, Icarus paused at the loading bay, eyes scanning the horizon.
"Do you trust her?" he asked Daiki quietly.
"Who?"
"The Librarian. Or anyone in this sky."
Daiki gave a humorless laugh.
"I don't even trust the wind anymore."
Descent Toward Madness
As the Ark descended toward the next seal site—the broken cathedral beneath the earth—the world shifted.
Air grew dense.
Mana grew thin.
And whispers clawed at the edge of the boys' minds.
"Pride…" Ren muttered. "Feels… different."
"It doesn't burn," Haru said. "It judges."
Icarus held out a hand—and watched it tremble.
"We're getting close."
Daiki simply stared at the horizon, where the shattered steeple of the Sunken Spires pierced the sky like a cursed monument.
"This time… one of us might not come back."