Apostles' War

Eidalein – Later That Day

The silence of Eidalein wasn't just a simple silence.

It was alive — it was pulsing gently beneath Elian's skin, like a heartbeat not his own.

He stood barefoot on a smooth, glowing stone. The air carried no scent, yet it felt crisp and ancient. 

Above him, the sky shimmered with threads of gold and soft lavender — neither day nor night, but a perpetual twilight suspended in peace and tranquility.

Elian didn't move yet he was still shaking.

His last memory was of Minato Kai standing between him and three screaming horrors — the Wailing Hordes — and the Stillwater Bell hovering in the air, tolling a note that silenced everything.

Now… he was here. And everything was quiet.

Then came a voice.

"Elian Reyes."

He turned slowly.

Cardinal Caeli Vireon stood beneath an arch of radiant vines. Their silver-white robes shimmered with twelve golden threads, a living book — the Scripture of the Unseen — floating open beside them. Their eyes, pale and full of distant stars, studied him with a calm that was neither cold nor kind. Just truth.

"You are now the bearer of Kindness," Caeli said. "The Seraphblade sleeps within your sigil. You have not summoned it yet — but it waits for you."

Elian looked at the back of his left hand, where the glowing mark still pulsed faintly.

"I didn't ask for this," he murmured. "I don't even understand what this is…"

The Cardinal offered a single nod — more of acceptance than agreement.

"No one ever asks. But the Twelve never choose in error."

They raised one hand. From behind a column stepped a young man with steady eyes and a plain, iron circlet resting on his brow. His simple robes flowed like water, humble and unadorned. He gave a polite bow.

"This is Leon Yu, Apostle of Humility," Caeli said. "He will guide you. Tonight, you rest. Tomorrow, you train."

Behind the Cardinal, Elian caught sight of two other Apostles watching from a high balcony — the imposing, broad-shouldered figure of Marcus Thorne and the calm, kneeling form of Enoch Ruiz, whose golden-threaded boots shimmered faintly even from a distance.

The Cardinal's gaze returned to Elian one last time:

"Be at peace, Elian Reyes. But do not mistake peace for safety. You are no longer hidden from the eyes of the dark."

And then they turned, disappearing behind columns of light and stillness.

Leon waited patiently before speaking.

"You've been through much," he said, his voice gentle. "Let's walk."

They stepped out onto a suspended causeway, its edges lined with luminous lilies that bloomed with each step. Far below, waterfalls cascaded into a void of soft radiance.

"Eidalein isn't a place in the world," Leon explained as they walked. "It's a sanctuary between worlds — untouched by demon or mortal. It shifts depending on who enters. What you see now… is shaped by your soul."

Elian swallowed. "It's… beautiful."

"It is," Leon said. "But it was built from war. From sacrifice. Every stone here remembers what we lost."

They passed a quiet chamber carved from crystal. Inside were twelve pedestals — four still sealed in light.

"That's the Vault of Silence," Leon said. "Where the unclaimed relics are kept… waiting. Yours was among them until last night."

Elian stepped closer, feeling a strange pull from one of the pedestals — now empty.

"That was yours," Leon confirmed, nodding to the bare dais. "The Seraphblade will answer your call one day — when your spirit is ready."

They moved on.

Their next stop was a grove of silver trees. Beneath them flowed a mirror-like spring.

"This is the Pool of Remembrance," Leon said. "It reveals the past — not just events, but the wounds they left behind."

Elian saw no reflection. Only flickers beneath the surface — of other Apostles standing beside the pool, of burning cities, and of a boy much like himself, screaming in a field.

"You'll be shown what you need, when the time is right."

They passed through corridors carved with glowing scripture, crossed bridges suspended over clouds, and came to a still hall filled with gentle light.

"This is the Mirror Chapel," Leon said softly. "You won't see your face here. Only what lies underneath."

Elian hesitated — but stepped in.

The walls shimmered. And in their glow, he saw…

…his mother in the hospital bed.

…his own face twisted in silent tears after her funeral.

…the fear in his chest when he first heard the voice.

He stumbled back, gasping.

Leon caught him gently.

"Don't run from it. This place doesn't judge you. It reflects you… so you can begin healing."

Finally, they arrived at a small stone terrace overlooking all of Eidalein.

Leon stepped aside, letting Elian sit alone.

"Tomorrow," Leon said, "you'll train with Marcus and Enoch. They'll prepare you to awaken the Seraphblade — and to survive what's coming."

Elian looked down at his sigil, faintly pulsing.

"Do you remember when you were chosen?" he asked.

Leon smiled — small, tired, but real.

"Of course. I was attacked by a Veirncrier just outside the dorms in Beijing. No one else could see it — I thought I was losing my mind. Then Talia appeared. Light everywhere. She saved me."

He paused, gaze distant.

"I woke up here after that — barefoot, lost, and scared. I was terrified. Just like you."

Elian looked up at him, surprised.

"…And now you're the guide."

"For now," Leon said. "We all walk each other home."

He bowed once more.

"Rest here. The light never fades in Eidalein. But your body will still need sleep."

And then he walked away, robes whispering behind him.

Elian remained on the terrace for a long time.

The stars did not blink.

The sky did not change.

And for the first time… he let the stillness wash over him.

He was no longer alone.

But the path ahead would still be his to walk.