The moon shone brightly in the starry sky, like a silent spectator. Dark clouds drifted slowly, carried by the wind.
The night breeze rustled the leaves and branches of the trees, producing an eerie whisper. Tiny golden and blood-red flashes floated in the air: fireflies of light and blood, giving the place a magical yet mysterious appearance.
In the green adow, moon and blood butterflies danced delicately. The air carried the scent of wildflowers and a slight dampness.
From above, as if looking down with the eye of a three-eyed blood eagle, one could see Mount Chrysar bathed in countless lights, resembling a shining ribbon of fireflies.
Chrysar Mountain was the territory of the Beck family, whose village had a unique and deeply rooted culture.
In a small hut with a beautiful lake behind it, where the light reflected off the water and there was a panoramic view of the city, Lyra watched the streets calmly, her expression lifeless.
On the avenues, coffin-shaped carriages, pulled by skeletal horses, glided slowly along. The image was both disturbing and fascinating.
The houses, old and worn by ti, seed to have been torn from another era. The inhabitants wore elegant suits and top hats. Despite their strange culture, the streets were brimming with vitality.
Several tents made of bone displayed strange products. Lyra found nothing unusual about this: the mountain dwellers had a strong belief in Death, and for them, all of this was part of their daily life.
However, her thoughts wandered far away, oblivious to the peculiar street of that city. The news had already reached her: the dici Clan had been destroyed.
The blow was devastating. She rembered well her trip to Kiran Mountain with her father; all they found was rubble and a stench of rot that perated the air, as if the place itself had been corrupted.
Now, only she and her father were still alive. There was no trace of Soren and Kael; their bodies were never found, but Lyra assud they had also died. When she left the mountain, they were both barely at rank 9, and with the magnitude of the destruction she witnessed, the chances of them surviving were almost nil.
Since they arrived at this mountain, Zephyr had disappeared, and she knew nothing about him.
"If I had stayed... none of this would have happened," she whispered, letting out a long sigh filled with sadness. The loss of her family weighed on her like a mountain.
Even though they were peculiar, she loved them... and now, all of that had ceased to exist.
Lyra leaned against the edge, watching families wander from stall to stall while their children examined various bone products and exotic coffins.
At that mont, she sensed soone approaching. She turned with a fiery gaze, her eyes flashing dangerously.
But that glint faded imdiately when she recognized the person who had arrived: her father, Zephyr dici, forr head of the dici Clan.
"Father, where have you been all this ti?" she asked, with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
Zephyr sat calmly, pouring himself so rice wine in which the silvery moonlight was reflected. He took a sip, letting the silence linger before sighing.
"I’ve been investigating the destruction of the clan," he said finally, his gaze lost on the illuminated streets below, where the lights reflected in his red eyes, as intense as glowing gems.
Lyra’s brow furrowed in confusion.
"And what does the destruction of the clan have to do with coming to this mountain?"
Zephyr took another drink.
"Reth Beck... he’s soone special. He has the power to see the mories of the dead."
Lyra’s eyes flashed at this revelation.
"So you managed to find out anything about those responsible for the fall of our clan?"
A cold smile curved Zephyr’s lips, revealing his perfect white teeth.
"Yes... I got sothing." His voice was calm, almost lazy. He said nothing more, simply raised the glass to his lips and continued drinking.
For Lyra, that evasive answer ca as no surprise. What surprised her was that her father had deigned to answer her at all. However, sothing about him had changed; on Kiran Mountain, Zephyr was an imposing pillar, a figure whose authority felt like invisible pressure in the air. Now, that weight seed to have dissipated, as if he were carrying a shadow he had not yet revealed.
Lyra looked away, turning her gaze to the unique sight unfolding before her. In her heart, the haze of uncertainty thickened... unaware that sowhere, her two brothers, Soren and Kael, were still breathing.
...
In the moonlight, Kael and Michel followed the old man through the purple forest, which was quite dangerous. Anything could kill them at the slightest mistake.
Several purple dots could be seen in the air, flashing on and off, as if all the creatures inhabiting this mountain had the sa purple the.
The man showing them the way moved nimbly through the bushes, avoiding all kinds of extrely poisonous plants and animals.
As they advanced, Kael could see a large number of animals that, if touched for even a second, would an certain death: black-hearted toads, widow insects, rattlesnake ants, myo butterflies, and much more.
All of these species were only found on this mountain, which was quite far North on the Border, but it still had a long way to go before it could beco one of the unique mountains in this region.
They continued under the pale moonlight, which cast several distorted shadows on the damp mountain ground.
After an hour and a half, they finally arrived in the territory of Baron Aiden Blander. The city stretched out before them.
Curved, dark roofs. In the streets, purple paper lanterns rose in multiple levels, forming a maze of passageways. The air was filled with the scent of incense and street food; the distant murmur of conversations and laughter mingled with the deep tolling of ceremonial bells.
Wooden bridges crossed illuminated canals, where slow boats carried goods and passengers, while children ran along the docks laughing, dodging street vendors hawking their wares.
From above, the sound of drums and purple lights crackling could be heard.
Michel looked at the city with slight surprise. It seed as if every street and every house breathed in unison with a life of its own, vibrant and inexhaustible.
As they continued down the streets, they saw that people dressed very differently from other parts of the kingdom, giving them a rather unique and attractive look.
If it weren’t for where they were, it would be a perfect tourist spot.
People walked with calm movents, wearing yukatas in navy blue, dark gray, and other colors. The sa was true for the won, whose yukatas were pastel colors with floral patterns and other designs.
Michel looked around and heard laughter and exchanged glances. The children were enjoying sweets. So were biting into caralized purple apples, others were enjoying crispy, sweet dango skewered on sticks, or spun sugar that lted with each bite.
The sweet aroma wafted through the air, mingling with the murmur of the crowd and the distant sound of drums.
Kael and Michel, as they made their way forward, received many glances. Which was quite normal given their appearance.
Kael wore a mask made of coins covering the lower half of his face, and on his back was the coin sword. Michel, on the other hand, possessed an extraordinary beauty that attracted attention wherever he went.
Of course, these glances were ignored as they followed the old man without saying a word. It wasn’t that they trusted him, but rather that they were curious about what would happen once they t the leader of the Blander family.
After about ten more minutes, they finally arrived at the mansion, which looked similar to the other houses, with the only difference being that this one was much more noble.
Upon arrival, Kael and Michel were sent directly to the guest rooms to change their clothes, as the ones they were wearing were destroyed.
After changing, Kael wore a black yukata with a gold flower print, and Michel wore a white one with blue lines that further enhanced his appearance.
"Please follow this way," said the maid who was waiting for them to change their clothes.
Kael, wearing his coin mask, simply tied back his long black hair, and they followed the woman.
They walked down the corridors lined with purple paper lamps until they reached a large hall.
There stood the old man, a middle-aged man with purple hair and blue eyes, dressed in a purple and black yukata: Baron Aiden Blander. At his side was his daughter, Elizabeth Blander.
She had black hair, purple eyes, and above-average facial features, but she was not wearing a yukata, but a simple yet noble black and purple dress.
Aiden pointed with an elegant hand and, in a firm voice, said:
"Take a seat, young heir to the Abraham family, Michel Abraham, and Kael dici."
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