Your shadow, like the stars,

will dissolve into the morning sky and disappear.

I have lost your whereabouts,

but my thoughts of you are overflowing.

My heart was able to face

both strength and weakness.

As long as I'm with you,

I won't fear tomorrow no matter what it's like.

Please believe in the times

when the two of us were walking together.

---

Flashback

Somewhere in a human territory.

A large field army was seen marching through vast plains. The army, from a glance, may have numbered close to half a million soldiers. That is, if one was to only see this one particular army, and ignore the other 374 field armies marching all around it. A mobilization of close to 185 million soldiers was a normal sight in Edeortha if not for the fact that they were being led by their emperor himself. Aldric Asonar was mounted, wearing imperial knight armor, as he led his armies.

By his side was a young man with white hair. It was the champion they summoned, Azrael. Azrael was also mounted on a horse but only wore his own equipment. His double scythe nowhere to be found. The reason for this event was due to three days ago.

Within the imperial palace of Regasol, Azrael was standing before Aldric. "Aldric, hearing the news regarding the angels and demons, it would be best if we move in immediately and crush them, yeah?" Aldric was about to say something but Azrael spoke once more, "Come on, how many can you commit? I can probably kill around 2 million in an hour on my own." Azrael was boasting about his abilities making Aldric turn doubtful.

"You're doubting me, aren't you?" Azrael grinned, "Hahaha! That's normal! I could probably kill more with your help. Hehehe..." Bloodlust permeated the room once more, this time even reaching the other floors as servants in the corridors froze up or dropped whatever they were carrying. Aldric grew accustomed to Azrael's bloodlust and opened his mouth, "If what you say is true, I have around 500 field armies of 500,000 soldiers each. I can, however, only commit 375 armies, and leave 125 armies for our defense." Hearing the number, Azrael couldn't help but comment, "Such a large number of soldiers, yet you can't conquer this world!? I might kill your soldiers instead if they get in my way. How long have you been at war?"

Aldric's composure was unperturbed, "A thousand years, maybe more." Although he had a calm expression, deep in his heart, 'Cavaron said the same thing before. We've been warring for so long that it has no longer become a frustration... What is this?' Azrael stood silently, watching Aldric, before speaking again, "Well? Let's go out and kill."

...

..

.

---

Far to the north of Edeortha, vast mountain ranges covered with snow lined up at Edeortha's edge. Upon the largest mountain, stood many towers that shot up into the clouds. Angels filled these towers as they were their homes. Various angels flew in and out of the towers' openings carrying a myriad of goods. Within one tower were numerous stalls that displayed a variety of goods. It was a marketplace. Another tower spewed out smoke from what appeared to be a chimney. Looking inside this tower, numerous furnaces were found, and dirty angels were moving about. This sight gives a different feeling from the so-called divine race of Edeortha.

At the base of these towers were families of angels that were unable to fly. A look upon these people tells the reason why. Torn or broken wings, deformities, and even angels whose wings were too small to lift their bodies. Even for a race of beautiful beings, one can still find their ugly sides. Yet, even with such ugliness, not all was lost as there was an individual among them tending to their wounds.

A young and beautiful angel was with the people at the towers' bases. "Ah, your Highness!" An injured angel cried out. The young angel turned to the source and revealed the face. It was a young girl. "Come now, let me treat your wounds." The young girl said to the injured angel. She placed her hands upon the injured angel's back, and golden light appeared. Little by little, the wings on the injured angel's back began to move once more, and the injured angel took flight. "Ah, thank you! Thank you, Princess Ethra!"

The young girl was Ethra Devai, future Queen of the Sky. Ethra smiled at the happy angel, and turned towards the other injured angels. One by one, she restored the flight of those who once lost it. However, she was not all powerful. Many of the flightless, especially the deformed, were unable to receive her grace. Ethra could only apologize to these people, and even hugged their children.

"Lady Ethra!" A voice came from above them. Turning to look, Ethra found a Sky Knight flying down to them. Releasing the children, she faced and welcomed the Sky Knight. The Sky Knight bowed before speaking, "Lady Ethra, your father is looking for you."

"Alright." Ethra nodded, turned back to the others, "Forgive me for being unable to spend more time with you.", and apologized before leaving with the Sky Knight. When they were far from the face of the mountain, the Sky Knight spoke, "Lady Ethra, why do you still spend time with such trash?" Ethra maintained her composure, although it was clear from how sharp her eyes became that she was angry, "If you, my dear knight, were to have your wings torn off, would you say the same?" Her tone was calm and serene, yet the meaning behind those words were as sharp as a knife that stabbed the Sky Knight. "Pardons, milady." The two of them continued to fly towards the peak of the mountain.

At the peak of this mountain was a larger tower made out of pearl-like materials, and towered over the rest. This large tower stood at a height of 870 meters, and its top even surpassed the clouds. At its very top was a glowing orb that levitated at the very tip. Ethra and the Sky Knight entered one of the towers many openings, and upon passing through, Ethra was greeted and saluted by a large number of Sky Knights stationed within. Within the area she entered was a large room that could house at least 300 people on the floor, and another 200 who would float above them if not for the grandiose chandeliers hanging from the room's ceiling 50 meters above. Right across where she entered was a glowing pillar of light that passed through the middle of the room and, quite possibly, the tower itself.

Ethra headed towards the pillar of light on her own as the Sky Knight who escorted her back returned to his duties. Ethra flew up, following the pillar of light, up to the next five floors. Each floor she passed by had similar design and architecture but the size became narrower as she went up. Five floors up, she arrived at a room with just a door that was 7 meters high and 4 meters wide, and had two Sky Knights with decorated armor posted on either side. The Sky Knights who saw her saluted immediately, and placed their hands on the door. "Wait." Ethra spoke, telling the two guards to wait for a while. She looked at herself, and cleaned herself up. Satisfied with her appearance, she nodded at the two Sky Knights who then opened the door for her.

Past the door was a large hall with nothing but a translucent wall that allows one to see the outside, perhaps through magic, and a throne. A lone angel was standing before then the one, facing it, while holding a book. Ethra swiftly passed through the hall, and was only halfway in when, "Ethra, my child." a male voice came from the lone angel at the throne. The lone angel turned around, and revealed an aged, but still beautiful face. He had shoulder length white hair, and a pair of green eyes. He wore a tunic of white cloth with gold and silver designs, and had a diadem laden with red, blue, and green gemstones the size of a fingernail. He held his arms wide as though to receive Ethra, and came closer to her while still holding the book with his right hand.

Ethra met with her father, and the two locked each other with an embrace. "Where have you gone, my child?" Her father asked. Ethra released herself from the embrace and took a sep back, "I was at the city base." She replied. Her father nodded in understanding, "I see. Hmm, a pity that we couldn't do more than healing the wounded. Even the Byblos in my hand had no answers. The book in his hand was called the Byblos.

Her father's hand was placed on his chin, "Except, if what I've read is true, a new era will dawn upon this world." One must remember that the Byblos can provide its reader any information as long as it had happened already. Whatever it was that he had read, it may be enough for him to conclude so. Ethra tilted her head as she heard what her father said and asked, "What do you mean by that, father?" Her father looked at her, and handed her the Byblos, "Here, it would be better for you to find out yourself. Look for the recent events in Regasol and Central Edeortha.

Ethra received the Byblos and channeled her mana into it. Following her father's instructions, she read about Regasol and learned about the summoning of a champion, the summoning of Cavaron. "They summoned an otherworlder!?" Ethra looked shocked towards her father prompting him to tell her to read further. Ethra learned about the plan for intercepting an elder dragon, and even learned that it was a Dark Fate dragon. "How did they get that!? Dark Fate was a thing that only existed from the time of the gods!" Ethra could not hold back her shock from the events. Even further, she followed Cavaron's journey towards Central Edeortha, "Wait, this location?" Ethra looked at her father, who nodded at her gaze, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

She continued reading, from the time Cavaron marched with Regasol's soldiers and mages, to the time when they ambushed the demon escort, up until to the time Cavaron killed the dragon but was knocked away by the Sky Knight's fireball. She learned that this squad of Sky Knights was merely patrolling the area when the skirmish happened. When she read up to the time Cavaron got hit by the black flames, and was sent hurtling down the cliff, all information stopped flowing as though he never existed. The next information that appeared was about Aldric summoning another champion.

Ethra closed the book, full of sweat, and was shivering. She looked at her father with fearful eyes. Her father took back the Byblos, and held her body close to him to calm her down. "It would appear that what mother said is already happening." He spoke the word "mother" with a voice full of respect, "If it is so, then we must play our... No, my part in it." When he said this, Ethra looked up, filled with tears, "No! Father, if you go, you will die!" and screamed at him.

Her father brushed her hair with his hands, "I know, my dear child." He spoke to her with a soft voice, "But if I, Palu'Angit, am to die just to see a new world for yours and the other children's happiness, then I will gladly carry out my duty." Ethra stayed in his arms silently for a while making Palu'Angit think that she accepted it only for her to break away from him and face him with an expression full of resolution.

"If you're going to mother, then I'm going with you!"

--------------------------------------------

This Ethra was around... 14 years old in appearance.