"Just give me a second..."

Still holding Seraphiel’s hand, I raised my free hand and tore open the fabric of space itself by waving my hand like a blade.

A serrated silver rift bloomed in front of us.

Then I expanded my energy.

Black chaos surged outward from my body like an invisible wave, spreading across the entire universe in a single pulse.

Then, I started searching through the universe.

Countless worlds quickly flashed through my consciousness: barren planets, thriving realms, dying stars, and even hidden dimensions.

I filtered through millions of realities in the span of an instant, looking for one that matched her description perfectly.

Twin moons, constant twilight, a perfect balance between light and darkness, floating cities, crystal rivers, and even singing flowers.

It took only a few seconds.

There.

One world stood out among the endless sea of stars... a beautiful, twilight planet wrapped in soft purples and deep blues.

Two moons danced around each other in perfect harmony. The energy signature was unmistakable.

I smiled faintly.

"Found you."

Without another word, I snapped my fingers.

Snap!

Space folded around us instantly. The desert city vanished in a swirl of silver and black, and we were pulled through the rift.

"Uhh..."

The moment our feet touched solid ground, the air changed.

It was cooler and much gentler, filled with a faint, sweet fragrance that reminded me of starlight and night-blooming flowers.

Seraphiel froze beside me.

"T-this..."

Her voice cracked.

I looked at her.

Her mismatched eyes were wide, already glistening with tears. Her six wings trembled violently as she stared at the world around us.

We stood on a floating platform made of living crystal, overlooking a breathtaking twilight landscape.

Two majestic moons hung in the sky, one being pure white, and the other pitch black, slowly circling each other in an eternal, graceful dance.

Below us, rivers of liquid starlight and flowing shadow wound through floating gardens filled with flowers that glowed and sang softly in the breeze.

In the distance, entire cities hovered above the land, their crystal structures shimmering with shifting colors that reflected the emotions of the people living inside.

It was exactly as she had described.

Seraphiel covered her mouth with both hands, tears spilling freely down her cheeks. Her body shook as she took in the sight just before her.

"It’s... it’s really Elyria..." she whispered, her voice cracking, unable to realize if the place in front of her was reality, or a simple illusion.

"I... I never thought I’d see it again..."

Then, she turned to me, her eyes red and overflowing with emotion.

The usually composed and stoic Seraphiel looked completely overwhelmed, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to speak even a single word.

"My Lord... you... you actually brought me home..."

She couldn’t finish the sentence.

Instead, she stepped closer and buried her face against my chest, her wings wrapping around both of us as quiet sobs escaped her.

I gently placed a hand on the back of her head, letting her cry as much as she wanted.

"Take all the time you need," I said softly.

"We’re not in a rush."

Eventually, her breathing steadied.

She pulled back just enough to look up at me, her mismatched eyes red and glistening, cheeks wet with tears.

But the smile on her face... it was radiant.

Pure, unguarded happiness I had rarely seen from her.

"I’m sorry," she whispered to me with a voice that was a little hoarse.

"I didn’t mean to cry so much. It’s just... I never thought I’d come back here."

I wiped a stray tear from her cheek with my thumb.

"No need to apologize. This is your home. It’s okay to feel it."

She nodded, still smiling through the lingering tears. Then she stepped back slightly, though one of her hands stayed holding mine, as if she needed the anchor.

"Would you... like me to show you around?" she asked, almost shyly. "I know it’s been hundreds of years, but... I still remember the important places."

I smiled softly.

"I’d like that very much."

Her eyes lit up again.

"Yes!" she said quickly, almost bouncing on her toes.

"Then let’s start from here. This floating platform is one of the outer rings of Celestara, the capital city. Come on!"

She gently tugged my hand, leading me toward the edge of the crystal platform.

A glowing bridge of light extended itself automatically as we approached, forming a safe path toward the main floating districts.

As we walked across the bridge, the wind carried soft melodies from the crystal flowers below. Seraphiel’s wings fluttered happily behind her.

"This bridge is made of memory crystal," she explained.

"It reads the emotions of those walking on it and adjusts its color accordingly. See? It’s turning soft gold right now because I’m happy."

I looked down.

The bridge was indeed glowing with a warm golden hue beneath our feet.

"Interesting," I stated, raising an eyebrow in actual surprise.

She really wasn’t lying.

"It’s responsive to emotion rather than just weight or movement."

"Exactly!" she beamed.

"Everything here is alive in some way. The buildings, the paths, and even some of the clothes people wear. It’s all connected."

We reached the end of the bridge and stepped into a wide, open plaza surrounded by floating gardens.

The ground here was made of smooth, translucent crystal that showed faint shifting patterns underneath.

Seraphiel’s grip on my hand tightened with excitement as she pointed things out.

"This plaza is called the Heart of Celestara. When I was little, my mother would bring me here every time the Twin Lights aligned. We’d lie on the crystal floor and watch the reflections of the moons above. It felt like the whole sky was dancing just for us."

She led me to the center of the plaza, where a large circular fountain bubbled with liquid starlight.

The water shimmered and changed colors slowly.

"Try touching it," she encouraged.

I dipped my fingers into the fountain.

The liquid was cool and tingled against my skin, sending faint waves of calm energy through my body.

"It feels... peaceful," I spoke in a surprise tone.

A very weak negative emotion seemed to escape as soon as I touched this foundation.

"It’s supposed to. The fountain absorbs negative emotions from people nearby and turns them into light. That’s why this plaza always feels so nice." Seraphiel nodded, smiling brightly.

Oh....

That explains it.

We continued walking.

She showed me a row of floating stalls where vendors sold fruits that shifted flavors depending on the time of day. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

She bought two small star-looking apples and handed one to me.

"Taste it," she said eagerly.

I took a bite.

The flavor was sweet at first, then turned slightly tart, then mellow and floral. It was unlike anything I had tasted before.

Seraphiel watched my reaction anxiously.

"What do you think?"

"It’s incredible," I admitted.

"The flavor keeps changing."

"Right!? That’s what I missed the most. Food here is never the same twice," she grinned happily, clearly pleased at my words.

We kept exploring at a comfortable pace.

Then, she tugged me gently toward a beautiful garden path lined with glowing flowers.

"Come, look at these," she spoke in an excited tone.

As we stepped closer, she reached out and brushed her fingers across a cluster of soft blue flowers.

The moment she touched them, they began to sing... it was a gentle and melodic chime that sounded like distant wind chimes mixed with soft humming.

Seraphiel’s face lit up instantly.

"Do you hear that? They sing when you touch them! On Elyria, we used to call them lullaby blossoms. When I was little, I’d run through fields of them just to hear the whole garden harmonize."

I smiled, reaching out to touch one myself. The flower responded with a warm, soothing note that vibrated pleasantly against my fingertip.

"It’s beautiful," I said.

"Almost like the planet is alive and responding to you."

"Exactly!" she beamed.

"Everything here feels... connected. Not like the Divine Realm, where power is something you fight for..."

Well...

No wonder she wanted to come back. Everything about this planet is extremely beautiful, especially those twin moons.

They fit each other perfectly...

A little further ahead, the trail opened up to a stunning overlook.

Below us, entire floating districts drifted gracefully in the twilight sky, connected by glowing bridges of light.

The view was mesmerizing.

Seraphiel leaned against the crystal railing, her eyes seemed distant with what seemed to be... nostalgia?

"That one over there," she pointed to a cluster of elegant crystal towers, "is the Harmony Academy. That’s where I first learned how to properly balance my light and darkness. I was terrible at it in the beginning; my shadows kept overpowering my light and making everything too dark." She laughed softly at the memory.

"My teacher used to say I had ’passionate shadows.’"

"Sounds about right." I chuckled.

She turned to me, still smiling.

"And that long crystal bridge over there? That’s where I had my first flight lesson. I fell into the lake three times before I got it right. My siblings teased me for weeks."

Her voice was warm, full of fondness.

Seeing her so happy made me wonder... how could someone like her, who has such a fondness for her planet, actually leave it?