Taegrin Caelum was an impregnable fortress. Nothing entered or exited without its High Lord's explicit consent. The further deep you ventured, the more secure it became.
Deep within the bowels of the unholy castle, in perhaps the most secure room of them all, a lone, lithe man encased in darkness itself, seemingly embraced by the shadows, stood before a small altar.
Atop the altar, placed in the centre of a dark room barely illuminated by the glowing runes carved into the walls, were three small candles, each glowing a sickly green, an iridescent blue, and an astral purple. The candles were placed in a triangle, delicately surrounding a large worm-like creature writhing on the altar.
The worm's flesh was almost clear, showing strange purple symbols carved deep within its bones.
Bringing his arms up and to his side, Agrona Vritra spoke in an almost pious tone,
"Aether's waking conscience has spoken. It whispers a single name. The Monarch of Decay."
He clasped his slighting shaking hands that clutched a silver dagger enscribed with runes, raising it before his chest, and with a short breath, drove it through his black heart.
The shadows, once comforting and embracing their ruler, suddenly began to swallow their sovereign whole as his sickly green blood poured from his wound.
The King had fallen,
The Mad God vanguished,
The High Sovereign, overthrown.
*****
"Please be careful, young master."
"How many times have I told you not to call me that, Reid?"
Pacing ahead of his guards, the young noble child daringly proceeded through the Beast Glades dungeon. Despite frequent warnings, Leon Snarner continued his prideful stride toward the depths of the cavern.
Weaving between stalactites and stalagmites of crystalline mana, the trio found themselves peering over the edge of an unimaginably tall cliff. Beneath them lay a ruined temple floating atop an azure blue lake, consumed by its environment.
Thick branches entangled the temple in a firm grasp, trees and plants sprouting all around it. Various small creatures had declared parts of the dilapidated temple as their own, and many birds flew through the fresh air with an unbridled grace.
"This doesn't look like an ordinary boss arena... We should turn back, we cannot risk the young master's safety." A short lady with flowing blonde hair flowing down her navy mages robe spoke in an uneasy voice.
"I agree with Daly. This isn't normal. I've run this dungeon before." A tall, broad-shouldered man with short black hair donned a resplendent silver armour set bearing the mark of House Snarner proudly across his chest and spoke in a heavy, grave tone.
"Not you, too, Reid." The young boy's lavender eyes rolled in response to their opinions. "It'll be fine. We'll just stay for a little, have a look, and leave after."
"No. Forgive me, young master, but we are under very strict orders from Lady Marienne to keep you safe. An unforeseen danger like this must be avoided." Placing his hand over his chest, Reid bowed slightly before continuing,
The town of Coldbell is nearby. We will walk there and rent a first-class carriage back to Xyrus City."
"Fine. You're right. I'm rather tired anyway."
Despite being tired, he had actually barely done any work.
Born with the curse of a Pale Heart, Leon Snarner was bound to no elements, with a slowly growing mana core. Despite awakening fairly early, at the age of 9, he had only managed to reach the dark red stage.
For his 12th birthday present, his mother gifted him a thin silver ring embedded with a clear gem swirling with light, and his father, the trip into the Glades.
Taking a final step forward and sending a few rocks tumbling over the edge, the silver Eye of Truth ring manifested around his finger. Suddenly, the image before him changed.
With the mystical sight granted by the Eye of Truth ring, Leon could see deep into the past of whatever scene he was looking at. This strange phenomenon was said not to consume mana, yet it has such an unfathomable power.
Passed down through generations of his family, none had ever managed to uncover its secrets or origin.
The temple, once partially caved in and encased in wildlife, was now bustling with native creatures yet untouched by the wilderness itself. The triangular temple of ancient brown stone stood as a pillar of magic and order within the active environment.
"What do you see, young master?"
"It's - The temple has returned to its former glory." A bewildered smile grew across the young boy's face, and his blonde hair blew gracefully in the wind.
"Hold on, I see a person!"
Suddenly, a figure draped entirely in a brown robe walked slowly from within the centre of the temple, stepping lightly onto the walkway sitting above the almost clear water.
The figure stopped, turned its gaze up for a moment, locking eyes with Leon through the fog of history, before turning around and leisurely walking back from where it had come.
"It saw me! Holy Spell, how is that possible!?" scrambling away from the cliff's edge, Leon fell back onto his bum, gasping for air. He hastily ripped the ring off of his finger, storing it back into his dimension ring.
"Young master! Are you alright?" The female mage's concerned voice rang against the stone walls as she quickly summoned a small earthen wall at the edge of the cliff, preventing anyone from slipping over.
"Yes, yes. I'm fine. I don't know what happened. I saw the image of the past, but someone from the past looked straight at me. I could have sworn they stared right into my eyes."
"But that's impossible, right? They probably just happened to be looking where you stood."
"Yea, you're probably right, Reid. Let's get outta here." Climbing to his feet, Leon and his guards trekked back the way they came, through the meandering caves of the D-class dungeon, Stonemason's Path.