Celeste pressed forward through the forest. She didn't know where she was going
The power was still curling through her veins .
And she knew the gods had felt it.
High Above Eidolon – The Grand Pantheon
In the celestial halls of the gods, the air itself seemed to vibrate. The disturbance had been felt by all.
A figure stood before massive golden doors, robes embroidered with sigils of divinity.
thrones were lined in the chamber, each carved from celestial stone, each occupied by one of the Great Pantheon. These were the rulers of fate, the overseers of Aether
And yet, for the first time in an age, they were silent.
A low, commanding voice broke the hush.
"The Unbound One has awakened."
The words echoed across the chamber, heavy with meaning. The gods, each adorned with divine sigils, exchanged glances. None spoke
Finally, another voice, cold and sharp, cut through the silence.
"We should have erased her when we had the chance."
Murmurs rippled through the chamber. To exist outside of fate was to defy the natural law.
And now, she(Celeste) had done something that should not have been possible.
A third god, their eyes gleaming , leaned forward. "She has begun to unlock the truth."
"Then she must be stopped," another deity declared, their voice ringing with finality. "Send the Enclave. Send the Celestials if needed. If she continues down this path—"
A pause.
"She may find Nyx."
Silence.
The mere mention of that name sent ripples of unease through the gods.
The golden-eyed deity exhaled. "If she reaches the Labyrinth, there will be no turning back."
Another leaned forward, voice almost amused. "Perhaps… it is already too late."
But one thing was clear—she could no longer be ignored.
A decision was made. The Enclave would intensify their hunt. if Celeste continued her path…
The gods would act.
Back in the Forest…
Celeste was running, though the air was still.
She pressed a hand against a tree, steadying herself as she reached deep into her senses. Aether pulsed around her, threads of energy woven into the world itself. She could see it now, clearer than before—like the barriers holding her back had started to crumble.
Then she felt it.
A disturbance.
Something—or someone—was coming.
Celeste spun around. The forest remained still, but the silence was wrong. No wind. No movement.
Then—a flicker of silver light.
Before she could react, a voice whispered from the darkness.
"You shouldn't be here, Unbound One."
Celeste barely had time to raise her defenses before a shadow blurred toward her.
She dodged and sliced through the air where her head had been.
Another flicker—another step.
they were fast.
Celeste gritted her teeth. She had just escaped one battle, and now another had found her.