Realmshift: Triad Ascendancy.

A madlad.

[SILVER]

"Then please," I said calmly, my voice firm but controlled. "Go on." 

I took his hand, catching him off guard—his eyes widened at the sudden gesture. But I didn't give him a chance to react. With a pulse of my flight and ghostly powers, I whisked us away from the open rooftops and into the privacy of my room.

"You can talk here," I said, turning to face him.

"Wow," he replied with a smirk. "You've got a lot of tricks up your sleeve. What's next? Gonna open portals too?"

I rolled my eyes. "You talk like a seventeen-year-old for a celestial."

Instead of getting offended, he chuckled. "Well, I am the youngest celestial. Sure, I'm way past seventeen, but I'm not ancient like the others. Still—don't let that fool you. I'm actually the third strongest. The name is White by the way."

I raised an eyebrow. "You guys have ranks?"

He grinned. "Did you think all celestials are equal? Of course not. We rank ourselves by strength—but not for any real reason. There's no hierarchy or structure. And It's not a part of our rules. It's just... something we do."

"Rules, huh..." I thought to myself. Celestials have rules. That's interesting. But I pushed that train of thought aside—there were more urgent matters to address.

Without another word, I activated King's Gambit. A crown of radiant light shimmered into existence above my head.

His eyes widened again, and this time, he smiled—though it was the kind of smile you'd expect from someone teetering on the edge of madness.

"Wow... This is really fun. You heroes sure come with a lot of surprises."

A chill crept down my spine at the look in his eyes, but he seemed to notice and quickly reined himself in, returning to his usual tone.

"Sorry about that. I get excited easily."

I nodded, wiping away a bead of sweat. "So... what is it you wanted to talk about?"

His expression shifted, the sarcasm melting away. His tone turned serious.

"Eva warned me about the First of the Fallen," he began, his tone turning serious. "He'll arrive soon—though she doesn't know exactly when. That's why she sent me here to Eldoria. She foresaw him coming... to hunt you. And the other two, of course."

I listened closely, absorbing every word.

"We don't know much about the Fallen," he continued. "They appeared centuries ago, and their exact numbers and abilities remain a mystery. But one thing's certain—they're powerful. Extremely powerful."

His words settled heavily in my mind. There was only one explanation: the Eternal Maw had discovered our existence. And now he was sending his forces to eliminate us before we could become a threat.

He seemed to notice the change in my expression and let out a low, unsettling chuckle.

"Ah... that look on your face." That same unnerving smile returned. "You've already figured it out, haven't you? Planned ahead? Yeah, I know that look all too well. You realize how severe the situation is don't you? You need to get stronger and fast. But you seem smart enough to know that on your own."

I scoffed, folding my arms as he went on.

"Well, that makes my job easier. Still, I'll stick around—for your safety, of course. We'll regroup with the other two when the time is right."

He brushed off his clothes and straightened his collar like this was just another casual assignment. But the weight of what he said lingered.

"Alright," I began, casting a side glance at him. "Now that you're here, I don't mind you sticking around—since it's for the greater good."