In a dark chamber lit by the light from a wall of monitors, which showed various sectors of the realm on each holographic screen, a cloaked figure sat comfortably in a leather chair as they watched the chaos unfold as the siren wailed throughout the Celestial kingdom.

“Whoops.” The figure laughed while several Ardent Knights cursed the figures name through the monitors.

“Why did you set it up now?”

“Didn’t we talk about this?”

Inside a Victorian style building, constructed of brick and white stone, covered by a dark sloped roof, a woman in a white lab coat lay, sprawled out on a hardwood floor, her blonde hair a mess. Numerous vials and bottles scattered about with different colored substances pooling around them.

“We were supposed to test the alarm before using it! Renfred!” The woman grumbled before looking at the ruined alchemy chamber, remorse clouded her stormy blue eyes as she reached out and grabbed a broken jar dripping in a dark gray liquid. “This one took me a whole week to make!” Sadness etched itself on her tanned face.

On another island, in a darkened field surrounded by a circled copes of thick oak trees, Master Sheninja, sat cross-legged as he meditated. His body which was cast in shadows from the surrounding trees, hovered off the grassy island floor, his dark armor giving him the perfect disguise as a silhouette, allowing him to blend in more evenly with the shadows.

Next to him, Nour Halawa lay on his back, his dark leather raiment gleaming from the starlight filtering through the trees.

His hands covered his ears underneath his short black hair that barely helped against the onset of the noise.

“You fell yet again.” Master Sheninja chastised.

“Yeah, and you didn’t!” Nour shouted out in frustration. “How are you not phased by whatever this is!?” The young ninja sat up fast. “We need to investigate! What if the realm is in danger?”

“The realm is fine. This is the work of the Ark Knights.” Master Sheninja spoke calmly.

“How do you know that, Linky?”

“I just know. If you complete your training you would know as well.”

Irritation flitted in the depths of obsidian eyes as Nour shouted, “And how am I supposed to do that over this noise!?”

“Mind over matter.” Master Sheninja spoke calmly. “You really need to work on your training.”

On the platform, the citizens of the Celestial Realm were thrown into a frenzy, running around while their screams added to the turmoil in the air, Sir Weslo yelled into his tiny robotic communicator. “What the heck is going!? What is this noise!?”

He was practically ran over by several screaming children. “What about Lady Ardent!? I can’t hear over this blasted noise!”

Before he could say anything more, a light blue phoenix flew over the square carrying Seraphina on it’s back, followed by Askerian, the newcomer, leaving a gust of wind in their haste.

“For Arcadia’s sake! What is going on?”

Soft hands covered in snow white lace, pressed tightly over scarlet tinged feline ears as Ardent was bombarded with the noise from the alarm she had unknowingly triggered.

She hissed under her breath, shaking her head before backing away from her escape route. “What is this!?”

She backed up further as dizziness began to take hold on her. “I didn’t put up an alarm system.”

A set of reptilian wings entered her peripheral, blocking her view of the portal, glowing red as the light from the golden pulsating gateway cascaded over Askerian’s body.

“Move!” She ordered, still feeling dizzy from the loud siren going off.

“Not a chance.” Umber eyes met hers, before creasing in confusion.

“Lady Ardent!” Seraphina’s voice, barely a whisper over the obnoxious whirring in the air, interrupted their standoff.

Ardent looked over her shoulder to find her knight of treasury approaching in the distance, upon the back of a magnificent light blue phoenix who was garnished with a gilded harness and saddle.

“Rain, Ham, what’s going on?” The angel shouted over the alarm.

Seraphina held out her hand, holding a tiny replica of Renfred in her palm. Her lips moved without any sound, thanks to the siren and then without warning, the noise died, giving way to awkward silence.

“IS IT OVER?” Ardent spoke more loudly than she intended, instantly covering her mouth with her hands, her face aflame with embarrassment.

“I’m so sorry! It wasn’t supposed to be that loud Milady.” Seraphina apologized, concern in her golden eyes. “You okay? You don’t look so good.”

Vision blurring, Ardent squinted and shook her head, trying to stave off the wave of fatigue plaguing her body. Zeroing in her sight on one of her hands, she frowned. “But I haven’t even been out of the realm, why—”

“We need to get you back to Castle Celeste. Rain and I will explain everything there.” Ham urged.

Brown eyes blinked in turmoil, once twice and then closed again as unconsciousness took over Ardent’s body.