Many a great year passed, and like predicted, the world moved on. The downfall of Heaven plunged the Great Races into chaos. The death of the Human Emperor and the Elven King ruptured the undercurrent of the war of succession and ignited civil wars which span half the world.

As the Great Races suffered from their internal conflicts, the Arachna launched an unprecedented attack. The remaining Authorities took charge of the defence and battled against the Arachna, successfully directing animosity to a common enemy.

Chaos reigned everywhere, except atop the cloudy sky, where Shifting Mist floated. Its majestic castle-like appearance mellowed down into an ancient, soothing floating island. On the depressing grey bricks which made its surface, countless greenery fluttered with the gentle winds and released their forestry fragrance.

At the tallest tower, Angelica sat alone. She held a teacup filled with herbal tea and sipped it while breathing in the flowery scents of the garden. Her sparkling eyes shifted from flower to flower before turning upwards. A dragon cast its shadow and provided shade, shielding Angelica from the sunlight.

Pallear landed and transformed into a handsome young man, dressing in black and white diplomatic uniform. From his side, Venetus walked out with his hand holding a golden cane.

"Thank you for your hard work," Venetus said and smiled.

"It is what I must do."

Angelica turned to a tombstone at the middle of the garden. With multiple flowers enveloping it, the monument radiated the gentle, elegant, and amicable temperament of whom it represented, Peritia Memorae. Though the world had already forgotten about her, her friends would never.

"Miss Angelica, you must be lonely," Venetus said. "If only I could be here with you."

"It's all right. In here, I have some friends, as well as Mistress, by my side."

Angelica chuckled and turned to the staircase which led up to the garden she resided. A series of footstep echoed before Consimia and Ancil came out of the building.

"Apologize for my late welcome, Mister Venetus," Consimia said and gestured for Ancil to prepare the drink.

"Your highness, your personally welcoming us is already a blessing."

"I'm not a princess, Mister Venetus. I'm merely a feeble Elf who lives with an android and a maid."

"I know you won't go anywhere, but if you ever feel like leaving, I can arrange a few places for you to settle down."

"Which place is as good as this?" Angelica said. "There is nowhere better than here, where Mistress's dream comes true."

Everyone silently agreed. Angelica beamed a smile and stood up. She led the group around the garden and showed them her gardening skill. She explained to them countless species of flowers and plants before inviting them to dine with her in the inner part of Shifting Mist.

"A stargazing tower and a garden atop the floating island . . . Angelica, you really did bring Peritia's dream to life," Pallear said.

"Of course, we are inseparable," Angelica whispered. "If I'm happy, Mistress would be, too."

...

Somewhere in the Rocky Mountain Range, detached from the outer world, an old man sat on his rocking chair, which stationed at the porch of his wooden house. Alone, he admired nature and reminisced the past long gone.

In front of him was a small grave where the lady he loved resided.

Since the downfall of Heaven, Inemas and the Arachna Queen vanished from the face of the earth. They left the chaotic world and spent the last of their life in the Rocky Mountain Range, where few would venture. They remembered Princess's request and acted according to it.

Now, as the Arachna Queen exhausted her life force and succumbed to death, Inemas sat alone, guarding her tomb and waiting for the day he would join her.

"The First Authority and Peritia, you two planned everything, didn't you?" Inemas muttered.

Since the downfall of Heaven, Inemas had researched countless books and records to piece together an answer to the question he had.

The First Authority, Primach, and the last incarnation of Lady Fate, Valerin, they weaved a scheme to end the curse of Heaven.

Unlike the ending of the Countryside Man and the Elven Maiden, the real story didn't end at the separation between Primach and Valerin. The world continued, and Primach, in the depth of the moonless sky, took out the handkerchief Valerin gave him and saw the hidden message in it.

Though Valerin wished not for Primach to suffer, she couldn't bear the guilt of a liar and gifted him the painful truth. She filled him with happiness and frustration against Heaven, which fueled his determination, the determination that led him to Elementia and began the forbidden research.

Decades later, he created countless mutants and perfected the art of life, formulating the secret to escape the shackle of Fate and ascended to the same realm as Gods.

To become an Authority, one must reject the rules of the world. The more one could reject, the stronger one could become. In the end, Primach became the First Authority, the strongest Authority and the harbinger of the Dark Age.

In his ascension, the Gods interfered, but he unleashed the mutants he created onto the world, bringing the great destruction and chaos to the world. These creatures, mindless and hyperactive, were the very first appearance of the Arachna.

Nevertheless, the might of Heaven was out of mortal's reach. Primach, though powerful, came to kneel before the God of Light and almost lost his life, if not for Valerin to strike a deal with Heaven.

Because Lady Fate was too cunning, Heaven decided to scatter her consciousness across the great void of the BEING and anchored her with a mortal vessel, which would hold only the tiniest fragment of her knowledge.

By using Valerin as Lady Fate's vessel, Heaven gained partial control over Lady Fate, but it also left the glaring weakness, Primach, alive.

Then, the rest was history. Lady Fate helped Peritia's mother and made her the new Arachna Queen. Primach helped Peritia to become the harbinger of the new era. Those two in-turns freed them from their shackles.

"All of this, in the end, is just one giant love quarrel, isn't it?" Inemas sighed.

...

In what used to be the ruin of Elemental Labyrinth, Medoria and Specria stood side by side on the ruin of the Library of Knowledge. The birds chirped and sang its magical melody as the praises for the well-deserved compensation.

"Miss Specria, are you ready?" Medoria said. Her voice also trembled.

"As ready as you are, Medoria."

The two turned to the other and nodded. They drew their hands forwards and, in sync, channelled their will power, creating an intricate spell formation. They had been studying the knowledge which Princess had left behind. With the power of the Authority, they finally came back to fulfil the promise they couldn't before.

The Trial of Time gradually manifested in front of them. Inside the hazy scenery, two figures stared at Medoria and Specria. They were confused at first, but when they stepped forwards and passed through the foggy membrane, their eyes swelled and exploded into rivers of tears.

The False Medoria and False Specria at long last managed to leave the illusionary world and became new beings. Though they had the same appearance with Medoria and Specria, their gazes and airs were different and innocent.

"Medoria . . . thank you," False Specria said as she hugged Medoria. "I thought . . . I thought that I wouldn't be able to see you again."

"Silly girl, you had helped me once, so how could I leave you?"

"Then why are you so late?" False Specria sobbed and tightened the hug. "Everything you told me, I want all of them! Medoria, you must never leave me again."

"Gladly, my dear."