The sky of the Celestial Dominion stretched endlessly above a world that no longer resembled the paradise it once was.
Golden clouds drifted slowly across the heavens, illuminated by a twilight that painted the skies in shades of crimson and violet. Floating continents hung in the distance like ancient Celestials resting in the firmament. Rivers of Celestial Energy flowed through the air like glowing veins, nourishing the vast lands of the dominion.
Once, this realm had been filled with life.
Now—
It was silent.
A colossal palace stood at the center of a floating continent.
The Celestial Throne Citadel.
A structure so massive that its towers pierced through the clouds themselves. Marble halls, golden pillars, and endless courtyards stretched across the floating land.
But today, the palace felt hollow.
Empty.
The thousands of soldiers, servants, and cultivators that once filled its halls had already left.
Evacuated.
War had finally reached the Celestial Dominion.
Standing on a balcony overlooking the vast floating lands was a woman whose presence alone seemed capable of bending the heavens.
Elara Veyndral.
Empress of the Celestial Dominion.
Her long, Dark blue hair moved gently with the wind as she gazed at the empty horizon.
Her expression remained calm.
But the silence surrounding her felt heavy.
Behind her, footsteps echoed softly through the marble hall.
A woman in a dark maid uniform approached slowly before stopping several steps behind her.
She bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty."
Elara did not turn around.
Her gaze remained fixed on the distant floating cities that now stood empty.
"What is it, Olivia?"
The maid straightened slightly.
"Reports suggest that the evacuation is complete."
Elara's eyes remained steady.
"What about the Eight Pillars?"
Olivia responded immediately.
"Vane had difficulty evacuating. People from The Sovereign Sun attacked."
A faint coldness appeared in Elara's gaze.
"But with her army, she evacuated on time. Everyone escaped safely with the people of their domains."
Elara spoke again.
"Casualties?"
"None, Your Majesty."
Elara closed her eyes briefly.
"Good."
A moment of silence followed.
The wind continued to flow across the empty palace.
Olivia hesitated slightly.
"If I may, Your Majesty."
Elara spoke calmly.
"Go ahead."
Olivia lowered her gaze respectfully.
"The Eight Pillars are dissatisfied with your decision."
Elara raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Oh?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Olivia continued carefully.
"Even though they understood your decision regarding the evacuation…"
She paused briefly.
"They are dissatisfied with one matter."
Elara remained silent.
Olivia finished the sentence.
"Your decision to send the young prince away."
Elara's gaze hardened slightly.
"Alone somewhere."
Olivia continued.
"With Lyra… whose cultivation is not on par with the Eight Pillars."
She quickly added,
"Please do not misunderstand, Your Majesty. Lyra's loyalty is not questioned."
Everyone knew that.
Lyra had served Your Majesty since her childhood; She had been raised with absolute loyalty and was destined to become the young prince's personal maid.
"She would die before betraying you."
Olivia bowed her head again.
"This concern is purely about the safety of the prince."
The air around Elara grew colder.
"You and I both know," Elara said quietly, "that those bastards will do everything possible to capture my son."
Her voice carried a quiet fury.
"Placing him in any of the Pillars' domains would only increase the risk."
Olivia nodded.
"I understand that, Your Majesty."
"But you could have sent more people to protect him."
Her voice softened.
"You could have sent one of the Eight Pillars."
"They were ready to give their lives to protect the prince."
Elara remained silent for a long moment.
The wind lifted strands of her dark blue hair.
"I know," she finally said.
Her voice was quieter now.
"But this evacuation has taken too much from our people."
She slowly turned toward Olivia.
Her dark blue eyes held the weight of an entire realm.
"The Eight Pillars must remain where they are."
"stabilize their territories and protect our people."
She looked back toward the empty cities of the Celestial Dominion.
"If they leave their domains now…"
"Chaos will follow."
Olivia remained silent.
Elara continued.
"Lyra will be enough while they remain in the Lower Realms."
Her gaze softened slightly.
"But once they ascend…"
Her voice grew firm again.
"They will need more support."
Olivia nodded slowly.
"And when that time comes?"
Elara answered without hesitation.
"I will reveal his location to one of the Eight Pillars."
"They will go to him."
"They will support him."
The wind passed between them again.
Olivia bowed respectfully.
"That is good news, Your Majesty."
"The Pillars will be relieved to hear this."
She straightened again.
"I will report this to them."
Elara nodded slightly.
"Very well."
A brief silence followed.
Then Elara asked calmly,
"Anything else, Olivia?"
Olivia hesitated.
Then she bowed deeply.
"Nothing more, Your Majesty."
Her voice softened slightly.
"Let us meet again… in a few years."
Elara gave a faint smile.
"Same to you."
Then her expression became serious again.
"I want you to join one of the Eight Pillars' domains as soon as possible."
Olivia nodded.
"That has already been arranged, Your Majesty."
"Good."
Elara turned away slightly.
"Then we will meet again when the time comes."
Olivia bowed deeply one final time.
"Take care, Your Majesty."
The air around her suddenly distorted.
In the next moment—
She vanished.
Teleportation.
The vast balcony became silent again.
Elara stood alone.
For a long time—
She said nothing.
The wind continued to move across the empty Celestial Throne Citadel.
The once-living palace now felt like a tomb of memories.
Elara slowly walked forward and rested her hands on the balcony railing.
Her gaze traveled across the abandoned lands.
Everything she had built.
Everything she had protected.
Gone.
Evacuated.
Her people were scattered across domains.
Her armies were preparing for war.
And her son—
Her son was somewhere far away.
So far away that even she could not reach him.
The moment Olivia had left…
The composure Elara had maintained began to crack.
Her fingers trembled slightly.
Her breathing slowly grew uneven.
All the strength she had shown in front of her people…
All the authority she had displayed as an empress…
None of it mattered now.
Because in that moment—
She was just a mother.
Her golden eyes trembled.
A single tear slowly rolled down her cheek.
"Evan…"
Her voice barely escaped her lips.
For the first time since the war began…
Elara allowed herself to feel the weight of everything she had sacrificed.
Her kingdom.
Her armies.
Her people.
Her home.
And now—
Even her son was far beyond her reach.
Another tear followed the first.
But only for a moment.
Slowly—
Elara wiped it away.
Her eyes hardened once more.
The empress returned.
She straightened her posture.
The wind lifted her dark blue hair again as power began gathering around her.
It was time.
Time for her own battle.
Time for the seclusion that would decide the fate of the Celestial Dominion.
The space around her twisted.
A teleportation formation formed beneath her feet.
Just before disappearing—
Elara looked toward the distant horizon one last time.
"Grow strong, my son."
Her voice carried across the empty heavens.
"Stronger than anyone."
The light of the teleportation formation flared brightly.
And in the next instant—
Elara Veyndral vanished from the Celestial Dominion.
Leaving behind an empty throne.
And a kingdom waiting for war.
To be continued.