Nora stood at the edge of the battlefield with blood on her cheek and essence burning beneath her skin like silver fire.
Wind screamed across the plains outside Seraphim Citadel, carrying ash and sparks through the dark sky. Flames burned across the ruined ground where attacks had struck moments before, leaving long scars of melted stone.
The battlefield looked like a dying star had shattered over the land.
Ahead of her, enemies moved through the smoke.
Awakened warriors.
Their soul cores blazed like lanterns in Nora's sight—too bright, too dangerous.
Too strong.
Nora's breathing sharpened.
She knew immediately she could not defeat them head-on.
Not yet.
Not as an Initiate.
But Nora had never been foolish enough to rely only on strength.
She raised one hand.
"Come."
Essence spiraled around her fingers.
Two figures rose from the shadows beneath her feet.
Her spirits.
Silver-white and translucent like moonlight reflected on water.
They looked exactly like her.
Same face.
Same silver eyes.
Same long pale hair shifting in the wind.
Like mirror-born versions of Nora herself.
The spirits stepped forward soundlessly.
One bowed its head toward her.
Nora pointed toward the Citadel.
"Go to Kai. Bring backup."
The spirit moved instantly, vanishing through the darkness like a streak of pale light.
Then Nora looked to the second.
"Go to the waking world. Find Mother. Find the elders. Tell them Seraphim Citadel is under attack."
The second spirit nodded and disappeared.
Only one remained beside her.
Sophia stood several meters away, breathing heavily, already bruised from fighting.
Her transformed body was covered in cracks.
Her divine form was nearly breaking apart.
Brown rock armor wrapped around her limbs, but molten fire had blackened parts of it.
Sophia clenched her teeth.
"They brought Awakened."
Nora nodded slowly.
"I know."
Her eyes narrowed toward the enemy.
Three figures walked through the flames.
Their weapons glowed red-hot.
One carried a curved sword burning with fire essence.
Another held chained blades.
The third walked calmly with empty hands.
That one terrified Nora the most.
Then—
A vision struck her.
Her body froze.
A flash.
Sophia.
Falling to her knees.
A blade piercing through her chest.
Blood spilling across stone.
Nora gasped.
The vision shattered.
Her eyes widened.
"No…"
Without hesitation she shouted:
"Dancing Spear!"
A long silver spear manifested beside her instantly, gleaming with flowing essence.
It hovered in the air like a loyal serpent awaiting command.
"Protect Sophia!"
The spear launched forward like lightning.
Meanwhile—
Nora summoned another spirit.
Then another.
Her spirit count was dropping too fast.
Every spirit she created rushed into battle and was destroyed almost instantly.
The Awakened warriors tore through them like paper.
Still Nora continued summoning.
Buying time.
Buying seconds.
Because while her spirits fought—
she wove.
Her fingers moved through the air like an artist drawing invisible lines across reality.
Threads of essence appeared between them.
Silver.
Thin.
Beautiful.
Complex.
A weaving unlike ordinary aspect abilities.
The Trade of Seven Hands.
A legacy older than memory.
A divine inheritance.
Each thread crossed over another.
Layer upon layer.
A growing sorcery forming before her.
Sweat ran down her neck.
Her fingers trembled from effort.
One mistake and it would collapse.
She was trying to cast a forbidden weave—
one capable of weakening another being through their Thread of Fate.
Nora had seen those threads before only vaguely.
But now…
she could almost feel them.
If she succeeded—
she might cripple the Awakened.
Maybe even kill one.
But then—
Sophia screamed.
Nora's head snapped upward.
One enemy had broken through.
A flaming sword descended toward Sophia's throat.
At that exact instant—
Dancing Spear intercepted.
Steel collided against burning steel.
A violent explosion shook the battlefield.
But Nora heard something worse.
Crack.
Her expression froze.
Dancing Spear split in half.
The weapon shattered into fragments of silver essence.
Her bond with it snapped violently.
Pain shot through Nora's chest.
Then the system whispered:
You have lost a spirit: Dancing Spear.
Nora staggered.
The weave in front of her flickered.
Destabilized.
One broken thread—
then another.
Then everything collapsed.
The intricate spell shattered into sparks.
Ruined.
Nora stared at it in disbelief.
She had been so close.
So close—
gone.
She clenched her fists.
Her expression hardened.
No more weaving.
No more distance.
No more waiting.
If she wanted Sophia alive—
she had to fight herself.
Silver-white light erupted around Nora.
Her God Body awakened.
Her hair turned luminous blonde-white, glowing like moonfire.
A brilliant armored dress formed around her body—part battle armor, part ceremonial robe.
Elegant.
Deadly.
Radiant.
Several spectral arms appeared behind her like a halo of divine limbs.
The Seven Arms of Destiny.
Her crystalline eyes glowed brighter than stars.
Nora moved.
She vanished from sight—
then appeared between Sophia and the enemy.
The enemy's sword descended—
Nora punched.
Her fist collided with his chest.
One punch.
But through the Seven Arms—
it became eight.
The sound was horrifying.
Bone shattered.
Air exploded.
The Awakened warrior flew backward through the battlefield like a broken missile, crashing through stone.
He coughed blood.
And looked at Nora in disbelief.
Impossible.
An Initiate should not have enough force to hurt him.
Yet Nora stood there glowing like a goddess.
Sophia stared upward in shock.
"Nora…"
Nora didn't answer.
She stepped forward.
The Awakened warrior rose.
Anger twisted his face.
He raised both hands.
Flames exploded behind him—
then twisted into the shape of a dragon.
A massive serpent of living fire roared across the battlefield.
Its mouth opened.
Then it charged toward Nora.
Sophia screamed.
"NORA!"
But Nora did not move.
Her expression became still.
Calm.
Cold.
She raised one hand.
Threads appeared in her vision.
Everywhere.
Silver.
Burning.
Countless lines crossing existence.
Then—
she saw his.
The warrior's Thread of Fate.
Nora connected her essence to it.
And pulled.
The fire dragon struck.
A massive explosion swallowed Nora whole.
The battlefield vanished behind fire.
Heat surged outward in every direction.
Sophia covered her face.
Stone cracked.
Walls shook.
The enemy smiled.
"She's dead."
Then the flames parted.
Nora stood untouched inside the inferno.
Not one burn marked her skin.
Not one.
Her white armor remained untouched.
But the Awakened warrior suddenly screamed.
His smile vanished.
Fire covered his body instead.
His own flames consumed him alive.
He tried to control them.
Tried to pull them back.
But Nora had reversed the bond through his fate-thread.
The attack had become his own destruction.
Fire devoured flesh.
He dropped to his knees burning.
Screaming.
Twitching.
Then collapsing.
Nora walked toward him through the fire.
Her expression unreadable.
She stood over his burning body.
Then drove her fist downward.
Eightfold force shattered the ground beneath him.
His body stopped moving.
Nora said quietly—
"No one kills the heir of Crimson Fate."
Then:
"Not even fate itself."
The battlefield went silent.
Then—
the system whispered:
You have slain an Awakened Beast.
Second Relic unlocked.
Preparing reward…
Nora froze.
Then another voice came.
Ancient.
Cold.
Absolute.
Relic Received.
Eye Drop
Class: Mythic
Rank: Divine
Type: Genes
Then—
Would you like to fuse it with your first relic?
Nora whispered through heavy breathing—
"Yes."
Pain exploded inside her skull.
Nora dropped to the ground screaming.
Her two eyes burned.
Then—
her third eye burned even hotter.
As if molten metal had been poured into her soul.
She curled against the broken stone, shaking violently.
Sophia called her name.
But Nora barely heard.
Then suddenly—
the pain vanished.
Silence.
Nora slowly opened her eyes.
And saw—
everything.
Threads.
Everywhere.
Countless glowing Threads of Fate stretched across reality like an endless woven ocean.
Silver.
Gold.
Red.
Black.
Millions crossing over one another.
Connecting everyone.
Every soul.
Every movement.
Every decision.
It looked less like threads—
and more like an enormous celestial game board.
Like pieces in shears.
And Nora understood it instantly.
Paths.
Choices.
Possibilities.
Outcomes.
The battlefield became readable.
Predictable.
Visible.
She could almost see what came next before it happened.
Her breath shook.
"What…"
Then memory returned.
Sophia.
The Citadel.
The battle.
People dying.
Nora turned instantly.
She summoned another spirit.
"Take Sophia back."
The spirit lifted Sophia carefully and carried her toward Seraphim Citadel.
Then Nora stood.
Bloodied.
Exhausted.
But stronger than before.
She looked toward the battlefield.
And ran back into war.
Inside Seraphim Citadel—
battle raged across the outer walls.
Warriors clashed under torchlight.
Flames rose against white stone.
Cries echoed through the night.
Nora entered like divine lightning.
Her spectral arms struck enemies apart.
Her fists broke armor.
Her spirits rose and fell around her.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Every time one died—
she summoned another.
And kept fighting.
Then—
she felt it.
A presence.
Familiar.
Ancient.
Overwhelming.
Nora stopped.
The battlefield stopped.
Even the enemy paused.
A powerful aura descended from the heavens like a storm.
The sky split open.
Wind exploded across the battlefield.
Then a figure descended from above.
Floating through the darkness.
Silver cloak moving behind him.
Eyes glowing with terrifying power.
Rylan.
Her father.
He landed before the gates like a falling star.
Stone shattered beneath his feet.
Silence swallowed the battlefield.
The enemies froze.
Fear appeared on their faces.
Nora stared upward breathing hard.
"Father…"
Rylan looked across the burning battlefield once.
Then his gaze landed on Nora.
He saw the blood.
The ruined armor.
The exhaustion.
And the power awakening inside her.
For one brief second—
pride flashed across his face.
Then he turned toward the enemy.
His voice came like thunder.
"Who dares attack the blood of Seraphine?"
No one answered.
Rylan raised one hand.
Lightning erupted across the sky.
And war truly began.