Alice, Perihelion and Bonnibel made it to a city center, structures floating in the endless blue sky above and below. Around her were ancient stone and marble buildings galore, and countless angels going about their lives.

  "Huh, so this is what Heaven looks like?" Alice asked aloud.

  "Yes, welcome to Elysia," Perihelion replied, gesturing to the many floating buildings decorating the sky that went on as far as the eye could see.

  "Woah," Alice breathed out, eyes widening with awe. "This... this is…"

  She didn't even know what to call it.

  "...Incredible," she finally managed out.

  Perihelion chuckled slightly, amused. "Yes, quite something, isn't it? The Realm of Light is quite the spectacle."

  "Indeed," Bonnibel echoed, hands on her hips as she looked out at everything below. "Quite the... paradise.”

  Alice stepped forward slowly, the Fragment still glowing faintly in her hand. The air here felt different; lighter, like she was breathing in something pure.

  "So... Denjiki is somewhere here?" she asked, looking around cautiously.

  Perihelion nodded. "Yes," she said gravely. "Somewhere within the Spire of Eternity." She pointed toward a massive golden tower rising from the center of Elysia, the tallest structure among all floating buildings.

  Alice followed her gaze and squinted at it. The Spire shimmered with radiant energy, like a beacon meant to blind anyone who dared approach.

  "Guess that’s our destination then," Alice muttered under her breath, gripping her blade tighter.

  Bonnibel looked at the huge golden tower with a solemn expression. "That it is," Bonnibel agreed. "But, as you can imagine, getting up there won't be easy. The Spire is heavily guarded by angelic soldiers. Angels of Elysium do not take kindly to intruders."

  Alice looked up at the Spire again, the golden glow reflecting on her face. "Angels, huh? I guess no one ever accused the Light Faction of being forgiving.”

  Bonnibel gave her a wry smile. "No; forgiving is not exactly one of Light Faction's strong suits."

  Perihelion glanced at the tower as well, a hint of worry in her voice. "We have dealt with angelic soldiers before, so please, you needn't worry. However... The Spire is a different beast entirely. It's a labyrinth, you see, with numerous security measures, and no telling what lies past its gates."

  Alice nodded, taking in every word.

  "Then we go quiet," she said, voice low and steady. "No flashy entrances. No unnecessary fights."

  She looked at the two angels beside her—Perihelion and Bonnibel—and then back forward.

  "We sneak in. We stay hidden. We find Denjiki... before he finds us."

  A brief silence.

  Then Perihelion smirked. "You’re braver than you look, mortal."

  Alice gave a half-smile: tight, but confident.

  "Just don’t get in my way.”

  The three began to make their way toward the Spire, weaving between floating plazas and high archways.

  Bonnibel froze.

  "Wait," she whispered, holding up a hand. "Do you hear that?"

  Alice tensed, ears straining.

  At first, nothing.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Then...

  Wings.

  Not just one pair. Many.

  They looked up and saw them: silhouettes gliding across the golden clouds above.

  Angelic soldiers patrolling in formation—armor gleaming, spears held high, glowing halos burning bright above their heads like miniature suns.

  Alice instinctively ducked low behind a pillar as Perihelion and Bonnibel mirrored her movement—one on each side.

  "We can't be seen," Bonnibel murmured through gritted teeth. "If they detect us..."

  "They'll raise an alarm," Perihelion finished for her. "And we’ll have an entire army on our backs before we even step foot inside."

  Alice stayed crouched low—but her eyes never left the soldiers above as they passed overhead in perfect sync.

  "...So no mistakes," she said under her breath, grip tightening on the Fragment once more. "None at all.”

  The angelic soldiers continued on, never noticing Alice and the angels' presence.

  "Close call," Bonnibel breathed out, standing up slowly. "That is only the beginning. They will keep patrolling like that. We have about ten to fifteen minutes to make it to the gates."

  Alice stood as well, eyes still on the angels above. "And if they do see us?"

  "Then..." Bonnibel answered, "…we fight.”

  Perihelion glanced at Alice, then at the Spire. "But fighting here… would be suicide," she whispered harshly. "The alarm will sound, reinforcements will come, and Denjiki? He’ll vanish like smoke."

  Alice clenched her jaw. She hated this, sneaking around like a thief when all she wanted was to act.

  But Perihelion was right.

  One mistake, and everything collapses.

  "Then we don't give them a reason," Alice said firmly, stepping out from behind the pillar, but low, cautious. "We move fast... quiet... precise."

  She turned to the two angels.

  "No heroics. No speeches." A ghost of a smirk touched her lips. "No light shows."

  Perihelion snorted softly under her breath, almost impressed.

  Bonnibel nodded once in agreement.

  "Alright then..."

  They began moving again, their steps silent on the marble pathways, eyes scanning for movement in every direction as they neared the towering golden gates of Elysia's Spire...

  Unseen shadows watched from above…

  Above, cloaked in the high veil of golden clouds, a lone figure stood atop an overhanging arch, watching.

  Its wings were not radiant white like the others… but dark gray, almost ashen.

  The angel didn’t move. Didn’t speak.

  It simply… observed.

  Below, Alice tensed, as if sensing something.

  She glanced up.

  Nothing. Just clouds and light.

  But her Fragment pulsed once… sharply in her grip. A warning?

  “Alice?” Perihelion whispered, noticing her hesitation. “What is it?”

  Alice lowered her voice to a whisper. “I don’t know... But something’s watching us.”

  Bonnibel looked around sharply, but saw nothing unusual among the patrols or buildings nearby. “You sure?”

  Alice nodded slowly, the Fragment still humming faintly against her palm. “I can feel it... Not hostile... But not friendly either.”

  Perihelion followed Alice's gaze upward into the golden haze above them, and narrowed her eyes as she spotted a slight shadow shifting at the edge of vision…

  Then…gone.

  "...We’re being followed," she murmured grimly, and then louder: "Move faster."

  They quickened their pace toward the Spire’s base—a massive set of double doors carved with ancient Enochian glyphs glowing faintly with holy energy...

  And just before they reached them…

  A low chime rang out from somewhere deep within Elysia itself...

  The alarm hadn't sounded yet…

  But time had just run out.

  The chime resonated through the floating city like a single note from a celestial bell.

  Silence followed—brief, unnatural.

  Then movement: distant angels halting in place. Patrols shifting formation. Golden halos flaring brighter, as if awakened.

  “They’re on alert,” Bonnibel hissed, pressing close to the wall beside the Spire’s gates. “Something triggered it.”

  Alice’s pulse spiked, but she kept her voice low. “Not us… right? We didn’t set anything off.”

  Perihelion shook her head slowly, eyes scanning upward again at that fading shadow in the clouds. “I think… we were seen. Not by soldiers…by someone else.”

  Alice frowned—and then it clicked.

  That watcher…

  “The ashen-winged one?” she whispered sharply.

  Before Perihelion could answer…

  CRACK!

  A sudden burst of energy exploded from within Elysia, one of the lower platforms collapsing into light and smoke!

  Gasps echoed across the realm as chaos erupted far off, but not where they stood.

  Distraction?

  Or trap?

  “Now!” Bonnibel urged under her breath. “While their focus is elsewhere!”

  Alice didn’t hesitate this time.

  She lunged forward, Fragment glowing faintly, and pressed a hand against one of the ancient glyphs on the gate…

  A pulse surged between her and the stone. The glyph shimmered black for just an instant before turning gold again...

  And with a deep groan…

  The massive doors began to open.

  The golden gates of the Spire creaked inward, light spilling from within. Not warm, not radiant, but hushed, almost guarded.

  A long, spiraling staircase stretched upward into the heart of the tower. No guards at the entrance. No traps visible.

  Too easy.

  Alice hesitated in the threshold, Fragment humming softly, almost wary.

  “That was… suspiciously smooth,” she murmured.

  Perihelion stepped up beside her. “Or someone wanted us to get inside.”

  Bonnibel’s eyes narrowed as she peered up into the glowing ascent. “Denjiki knows we’re coming,” she said flatly. “This isn’t stealth anymore… it’s a game.”

  Alice clenched her jaw and stepped forward without another word.

  “Then let’s play.”

  She began climbing, each footfall echoing in silence as golden runes along the walls pulsed with ancient power…

  Above… somewhere deep in those twisting halls…

  Something waited.