Kai was silent for a while after that last image. The weight of what he'd just learned pressed down on him like invisible chains. These Sovereigns...they weren't just beasts. They were calamities. Forces that didn't fight battles, they ended them. He leaned forward, fingers laced, his brows drawn together in thought. "Then.....how do we even keep up?" he finally asked, voice low. "Against something like that.....how does a Time-Keeper even land a clean hit without....you know, getting obliterated in the process?"
Saphielle didn't look surprised by the question. If anything, she looked like she had expected it. Her lips curved into a faint, knowing smirk, one that didn't quite reach her eyes. "We have our own way of surpassing our limitations." Kai blinked at that. "And that is....?" he asked, waving his hand. She stood slowly, her movements precise, graceful. "It'll be easier for you to understand," she said, turning slightly, "if I show you." He narrowed his eyes. "Show me? What do you-?" Before he could finish, Saphielle lifted her hand. Instantly, the air around them shimmered. The scattered tomes and ancient parchments, some floating mid-air, others splayed across the massive table, suddenly lifted as though caught in a silent breeze.
Dozens of volumes spun upward in graceful arcs, pages fluttering like wings, ink glowing faintly in the dim golden light. Kai's breath hitched as the books spiraled above, then, one by one, returned themselves neatly to the shelves of the Apeiro Vivliothiki. The library rearranged itself around them with a kind of reverent order, like the knowledge within was responding to her will. When the last tome settled with a gentle thud, silence returned. Saphielle looked back at him, wings folding behind her like a drawn curtain. "Come."
And without another word, she turned and began walking toward the arched doorway that marked the edge of the library's inner sanctum. Her footsteps echoed softly against the marble floor, each one crisp and deliberate. Kai stared after her for a moment. That's not ominous at all. Still, something in the way she moved.....so calm, so sure, it made him rise from his seat almost involuntarily. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat, his expression guarded but curious. "You're not gonna throw me into another Leviathan, are you?" he called after her. She didn't answer. Which wasn't comforting. With a muttered sigh, he followed her out of the library and into whatever waited beyond.
The castle's halls stretched endlessly before them, lit by gentle, floating orbs of temporal light that pulsed with the steady rhythm of an ancient heart. The silence between them was punctuated only by the soft echo of their footsteps across polished obsidian floors. The air here was thicker, charged with time itself, winding through stone. Kai shoved his hands deeper into his pockets as he matched Saphielle's stride, though her graceful pace made him feel like an awkward shadow trailing behind a blade of light.
".....So," he began, his voice casual but laced with impatient curiosity, "are you going to.... elaborate on what you said back there? You know, the whole 'we surpass our limitations' part? Or are you just gonna keep pretending I'm not two steps from spontaneous combustion out of suspense?" Saphielle didn't stop. Didn't even look over her shoulder. "Patience, young one." she said, calm as ever. Kai groaned under his breath. "You and Selara both. You guys really need to start giving straight answers." Her only response was the faintest trace of a smirk at the corner of her mouth.
They rounded a corner, and the corridor opened up into a vast, circular chamber: the atrium. The same place where Kai had trained before. The high ceiling arched into a dome of translucent crystal, streaked with veins of glowing temporal energy, bathing the space in shifting hues of blue and silver. Columns circled the edges like silent sentinels, and the floor beneath their feet was marked with layered sigils that shimmered faintly as they entered. Saphielle noticed that Kai hesitated for just a moment before entering. Just a flicker. His eyes scanned the space, jaw tight. The corner of his mouth twitched as if recalling something unpleasant. Then, like a shutter closing, the emotion was gone, replaced by a neutral calm.
But Saphielle had already seen it. "Something bothering you?" she asked, her voice even, but not unkind. Kai glanced at her, then gave a shrug that tried too hard to be casual. "Last time I was here...well let's just say that things didn't exactly go smoothly." Her expression didn't change, but there was a trace of warmth in her words now. "Relax, Kai. I'm not Lorith." Her wings shifted slightly behind her, a subtle emphasis of grace over brute force. "And I can assure you.... you'll walk out of this atrium with your body intact." Kai raised a brow, lips twitching into the hint of a smirk. "You say that like it's supposed to be reassuring."
She turned to face him fully now, sapphire eyes gleaming beneath the glow of the atrium's light. "It is," she said, tone still composed. "Because what I'm about to show you..... is something you'll need if you ever hope to face a Sovereign and live." Kai's expression sobered again. He nodded once, slowly. ".....Alright then," he said. "Show me." Saphielle took a step forward, her pristine white wings gently extending outwards across her back as she extended a single hand toward the center of the atrium. Her fingers splayed open, and her sapphire eyes fluttered closed. No words were spoken, only intent.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the air shifted. The entire atrium responded to her silent command, as though the castle itself bowed to her will. The marble beneath their feet rippled like water and melted away into shimmering light. The towering columns dissolved into drifting motes, ascending toward a vanishing ceiling. Walls became haze. The sigils on the floor unraveled into streams of sapphire blue thread, drawn upward into the aether. Then the illusion...no, the transformation, fully took hold.
They stood now in a breathtaking valley, cradled between ancient mountains that stretched so high they seemed to scrape the edges of the sky. The grass beneath them was vibrant and alive, swaying gently as the breeze wove between blades like fingers through silk. Sunlight poured down from above, golden and warm, filtering through a few lazy clouds that dotted the rich cerulean sky.
Far ahead, the walls of the U-shaped valley rose nearly a thousand meters into the heavens. And from their great heights, waterfalls cascaded downward in silvery torrents, leaping from cliffs only to dissolve into a fine mist before they ever touched the valley floor.
Forests of towering trees surrounded them: some nestled within the valley, others lining the mountaintops. The air was alive with the hum of nature, scented with the mingling fragrances of fresh earth, wildflowers, and ancient bark.
Kai blinked, awe rising in his chest like the tide. He took a long, slow breath, filling his lungs with the scent of serenity itself. Then he exhaled and let out a soft chuckle. "...Oh-kay now," he said, grinning as he turned to glance at Saphielle, "I wouldn't mind living in a place like this." Saphielle opened her eyes and looked at him, the faintest smile tugging at her lips, calm and knowing. "Most individuals don't," she said, her voice quiet in the warm breeze. "But paradise like this is nothing more than a luxury. What I'm about to show you is a necessity." She turned and began to walk toward the heart of the valley, her steps soundless on the grass. Kai followed without hesitation now, his curiosity burning brighter than ever.
Kai followed closely beside Saphielle as she glided effortlessly through the valley, and he found himself slowing more than once, not out of caution, but awe. The deeper they walked, the more the world around him felt..... alive. The air was crisp, pure in a way he hadn't known air could be. Every breath carried the scent of dew-drenched grass, earthy wood, and the sweet floral notes of wildflowers blooming in vibrant colors around them. He spotted tiny blue blossoms peeking out between roots, golden petals that shimmered like sun-kissed metal, and pale lavender vines curling lazily around the trunks of massive trees.
His boots sank softly into the springy, healthy grass, and he crouched once to press his hand against it, amazed by the texture. It felt impossibly soft, like velvet threaded through with warmth. "This place is.... unreal," he muttered, not even bothering to hide the wonder in his voice. "It feels like I am walking through a dream." Saphielle glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her expression amused in that poised, ever-so-slight way. "You're acting like a child," she said dryly. Kai straightened up abruptly, blinking at her. "Wha- hey, I'm not-"
But she'd already turned back ahead, and when he caught sight of the subtle rise of her brow and the faint twitch of her lips, he sighed in defeat. A light flush crept over his cheeks, and he rubbed the back of his neck, falling silent. Saphielle didn't press the matter, but the amused glint in her sapphire eyes said enough. They walked in silence after that, until the trees parted, and the valley offered its crown jewel.
Before them lay a massive waterfall, the tallest by far. It thundered down from a towering mountain cliff high above, an endless torrent of silver crashing into a pristine lake below. The sound was powerful, yet not deafening, it was like nature's pulse, deep and steady. Where the water struck the lake's surface, it foamed and churned with frothy white energy, but further out, the water was so still and clear it looked like glass. The lake stretched wide, reflecting the surrounding trees and the golden sun overhead in perfect clarity.
And at its center, a colossal stone platform rose from the water's surface. It looked ancient, smooth and weathered with time, yet unwavering in its presence. The flat top of the rock was large enough to host several people, and from a distance, it resembled a natural arena: isolated, sacred. Saphielle came to a stop at the edge of the lake, the wind teasing strands of golden hair across her face. Her wings adjusted slightly as she turned toward Kai. "This," she said, her voice soft but resolute, "is where the veil between instinct and understanding is torn. Where your true potential begins to unfold." Kai stared out at the stone, a quiet unease stirring beneath his awe.
Saphielle took a step forward, then another, until she stood right at the edge of the lake. Her wings unfurled slowly, stretching wide in a display of elegance and power. The sunlight shimmered across her snow-white feathers, casting soft golden reflections on the surface of the water. Then, with a single beat of her wings, she launched herself into the air. Kai watched in silence as she glided just above the lake, her form slicing gracefully through the air with ease. Her reflection danced across the water beneath her, blurred only by the occasional ripple. With fluid motion, she landed softly on the center stone, the crystal-clear water around it barely disturbed.
She rose to her full height, wings folding behind her like a royal mantle. Looking over her shoulder at Kai, she called out with a calm smirk, "Well, how long do you wish to keep me waiting? Hurry up." Kai blinked, glancing down at the sparkling lake that now stood between them. "Uh.... how the hell am I supposed to get over there?" he called back. Saphielle tilted her head, expression unbothered. "Do you know how to swim?" Kai gave her a dry look. "Yes?"
"Then get going," she said, folding her arms as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "Or would you rather wait here and admire the scenery while I teach the rocks instead?" Kai let out a groan under his breath, muttering something about how Time-Keepers needed to offer flight benefits. He commanded his boots, coat and vest to dissolve away as braced himself, and then dove into the cool water with a splash, his breath catching at the sheer freshness of it. Saphielle waited patiently, arms crossed, an amused gleam in her eye as Kai swam toward the platform, the current pushing slightly against him.
Whatever she was about to teach him.....it clearly wasn't going to be something he could coast through.