⁂~(Updated 2022-07-04-)~⁂

*Ready for professional edits*

(This is the free version.)

Word Count: 4013

The soft chirps of nightingales awoke Kazuki. As he slowly rubbed his eyes, he peeked around. Countless colourful rocks, emerald-hued flower buds and rainbow-glazed mushroom caps overlaid in pink silage. Cherry blossoms trees unhitched their rosy petals to dance against the teal breezes, and multicoloured rays of spotted sunlight glittered throughout the enchanting grove.

"Am I dreaming?" asked Kazuki.

"I am afraid not."

Kazuki turned around and squinted past his blurred vision to see a floating black-winged man. The man brushed back his long white-pink hair as he settled into the nearby snapdragon flowers. Swinging his black trenchcoat to the side, he flourished his silky black feathers and knelt to help Kazuki to his feet.

"What's going on? Who are you?" asked Kazuki, hesitant to take the man's pale palm.

His pink eyes illuminated like a sakura tree as he leaned toward Kazuki to pull him up.

"You're standing on the flowers, kid. Why do humans always step on the flowers?" he asked.

An invisible aura of energy reverberated from the mystical being and instantly numbed Kazuki's toes.

"Your mana. It feels different from mine. It's almost giving me a headache," said Kazuki, finally taking the man's hand.

"The gravity here is a little heavier as well, but you will get used to it. Let me give you a hand," said the stranger.

The man grabbed Kazuki's forearm and pulled him up from the odd pink earth. An immediate shock rushed through Kazuki—the overwhelming surge of the man's unusual magical power amplified and threw Kazuki's consciousness to the past within a stream of enlightenment.

⁂~(Kazuki Flashback)~⁂

"Master Kenji, I want you to read this one," said young Kazuki as he shoved a scroll onto Master Kenji, who sat in an old wooden rocking chair beside a cushy blue bed.

"Be careful with these scrolls, Kazuki. They're older than soil. Wait, this one again?"

"Please, Master Kenji! It's my favourite story."

Whipping his pale veiny hand through his thin grey chin whiskers, Master Kenji, the brilliant and old mind-sage, chuckled.

"Oh, alright, but it is off to bed afterwards!"

Master Kenji grabbed the rest of the ancient scroll from his wicker-basket backpack and carefully placed it over his crossed lap. Unravelling the archive, he wet his old chapped lips and leaned back into his wooden rocking chair. While clearing his throat, he began to read out loud. A young Kazuki scurried to the blue cotton bed underneath his linen-stitched blankets.

"Once upon a time in an unfamiliar world laid a race more powerful than any other. A time long before humans and before the yokai bonded to our souls. Though ancient, these people, known as, The Faye, are relatives of elves and dark elves alike. They lived to protect the Crystal Palace—a sacred artifact in the form of a massive crystalline structure," read Master Kenji as he unfolded more of the scroll.

"Diaxis, the king's son, had returned home after fulfilling his duties of protecting the Heart of Mana for over four hundred years. Journeying home, he found that his entire kin and family had been murdered by a magical entity calling itself the Sun-Titan. The Faye were no more, and Diaxis was now the last Faye in existence," continued Master Kenji, unravelling the final segment of the chronicle.

"As he wept upon the ashes of his homeland, Diaxis transformed. His brilliant diamond-enriched wings had turned black, and his wavy locks began to fade their traditional pinkish colours. His appearance developed to reflect his sorrow throughout many generations—psychically and magically altering his body.

"Diaxis then conceived a personal vow. Never let anything happen to the Crystal Palace, for it would cause the anatomy of mana-affinity to be snuffed out forever. I write this chronicle in hopes of one day seeing his face again. Blackened wings of an untold summer. The last rainbow watcher ascends to the Netherskies to preserve the most magnificent power of the cosmos."

With gleaming eyes, young Kazuki gently pulled off his linen blankets and stared out of the nearby windowpane towards the glowing crimson moon saturated within a grey fog.

Master Kenji hummed.

"What is it? You like that story, don't you?"

Young Kazuki gazed into the eventide and watched the red moon and its neighbouring stars twinkle.

"Yeah, It's just that... I feel sorry for Diaxis. But, I don't feel sorry for myself," said young Kazuki.

"Well, that is a good thing. Kazuki, it would be best to care more about others than yourself. As my master used to say, 'Kenji! Wake up and join the others, you sloth. It's time to practice! How often do I have to tell you that you can break one arrow by yourself, but when you bunch them together, Kenji, that is what makes them unbreakable," quoted Master Kenji as he chuckled, impersonating his biblical Master, Emeric Sirus.

Young Kazuki giggled.

"I want to be just like Diaxis someday, Master Kenji. I will protect my destiny just like him! I don't know who my mom and dad are, but I can't feel sad about that. You are my papa now, Master Kenji."

"You are the greatest I have ever trained, and I will be there when you need me the most, I promise," smiled Master Kenji.

"I can't imagine losing all the people you love, as Diaxis did... Master Kenji, do you know if Diaxis truly existed? Or was Lord Sirus just writing a story?"

Master Kenji frowned and took a deep breath before answering.

"I am not sure, Kazuki. Lord Emeric did not tell me much of his past. He was ancient even by the time he began to teach me. He was an elder elf, you see. He only seemed to have time to share the secrets of his people and his celestite near the end of his life. I wish I could have gotten to speak with him further about his legendary adventures and how he united the world all by himself. However, I am afraid I could not," said Master Kenji as he swung back and forth in his oak-carved rocking chair.

"When I was in my early teens, almost one-hundred years ago, during The Lion's Head War, Emeric had grown ill. A form of magical cancer that has claimed many celestite bearers' lives throughout history began to take its toll on his body. Emeric had been hiding the disease for almost fifty years before we noticed. The mana eventually rejected his body, and he was dying.

"He had to choose one individual among five-hundred other students at the Temple of Sirus to acquire the core Celestite of the Mind. He picked me—the worst student in the academy. I honestly couldn't believe it. Nobody did. I was just a bit older than you are now.

"You were the worst? Like me?"

"Yes. It was painful for me growing up. That is why I always carry these old chronicles around on my back. They are very precious to me. Emeric read them to us before we slept like I read them for you. I was a kid once too, you know. Although a storyteller, I have never known him to lie. I believe my master truly did meet beings beyond our comprehension."

⁂ ~(Netherskies)~ ⁂

The mysterious white-pink-haired man smirked, brushed back his long black coat with a gentle sweep of his pale hand, and addressed himself with a charismatic bow. He adjusted the pads on his shoulders and tightened the alloy while his black feathery wings blossomed from his backside.

Kazuki gasped with sudden disbelief and reflected on one of his favourite tales as a child. He could suddenly feel the retention wash into view.

:: Master Kenji :: Kazuki Memory Quote: "Blackened wings of an untold summer. The last rainbow watcher ascends to the Netherskies to preserve the most magnificent power of the cosmos".

"Diaxis?"

Diaxis chuckled as he brushed back his long white hair and popped the collar of his long black coat—attempting to be fashionable.

"Sorry if I scared you," he said. "It has been far too long since I last spoke with a communal of Azmoria. You are lucky my mortal scout found you when he did. Normally I do not allow humans here."

"I—I can't believe it. I remember you. Are you the real Diaxis?" asked Kazuki with a gleam in his eyes.

"You know me?" asked Diaxis, crossing his arms and black wings.

"You're considered to be nothing but a myth. I remember Master Kenji telling stories about you and what happened to your family."

"A myth? I certainly hope not. Has it really been that long since I travelled to Azmoria? Hmm. What's your name, kid?"

"My name is Kazuki. It all happened so fast. One minute I was training to awaken my mana. Then we were attacked by The Carnation Empire. Then not just one legendary creature, but two ambushed us," said Kazuki.

"I believe your yokai friend is here as well. He likely tracked you to a secret portal I have hidden in the jungle. Before my friend found you, I saw the wolf demon travel towards the Crystal Palace, but he will not get inside. I have seen this fearsome beast before. Is he your yokai, Kazuki?"

'Thee' Crystal Palace?' thought Kazuki.

"No, Angelo isn't my yokai. He's Agatha Haru's yokai. She freed him to protect me while I figure out how to master my yokai," he said.

"Agatha and Angelo..." hummed Diaxis. "Agatha Haru and Anjelico, the Demon of Faith... She and I were both in the Order of the Iron Rose. But, what would The Carnation Empire want with you three?"

"You're one of the Iron Rose members?"

"I was the leader for a while. Emeric had placed me in charge after he died. As for Agatha Haru, I have not seen that little squirt in ages."

"Little squirt? I guess you haven't seen her lately at all. I hope she's okay. She sacrificed herself or something. I'm still not sure what happened to her," sighed Kazuki.

Diaxis tapped his chin in question.

"I feel an odd energy inside you," he paused.

Kazuki stepped backward and hesitated as Diaxis attempted to touch his celestite.

"What are you doing?"

A mystical pink current came from Diaxis's index finger and resonated with mini-bursts of sparkling hot-white light.

"Impossible!" exclaimed Diaxis as he sprang back and flapped his black wings in alarm. "You have all eight core celestite crystals! What is happening over there, Kazuki? How did you get these?"

Kazuki closed his eyes and frowned.

"I know. I don't know what's going on. I need to learn more about what is happening to me. Not only that, I can't remember much of anything. All I get are these weird flashbacks. I had one with you earlier. It's my first one. So, uh, thanks, I think."

Diaxis stretched out his hand and stepped closer to Kazuki.

"May I scan your mind?" he asked.

Kazuki shrugged.

"I guess. Just don't make me feel like a baked potato, whatever you're going to do."

Diaxis laughed. "It will only take a moment," he said. "Allow me to read your most recent memories. I must ensure you are not a threat to the Crystal Palace."

Diaxis began to probe into Kazuki's most recent remembrances by placing one of his hands on Kazuki's unique crimson soul-crystal. Flickers of white-violet energy had pulsed from his fingertips for only a few seconds. Diaxis's eyebrows clenched as if he was in pain.

After a few more moments, Diaxis frowned, opened his rosy eyes and stepped away.

"I have observed what you have been through, Kazuki. Your memory is distorted... and unique. To tell you the truth, kid, I have not seen one like it in my entire life. It is as if a grey cloud saunters your past. If there is anything I can do to help you, do not hesitate to ask. I do not know much about how the celestites work, however. I do not possess one. I only possess nature magic, to put it simply. If you would like, I could try to locate Angelo's mana source?"

Kazuki placed himself on a multicoloured boulder next to a blooming sakura tree gently rained its dawn-tinted leaves.

"Can you really do that for me? I have no idea where we are. Angelo is the only one that has been guiding me in what I am supposed to do, and so far, all I know is how to control nature—mostly water and wind. I'm not even that good at it yet."

"I will help you find Angelo. We just need to reach the Crystal Palace," said Diaxis. "However, keep in mind that bearing these celestites holds much more responsibility than you may think. With all these yokai, you must take care of your world now. The Celestite of Life, for example.

"You must take care of the Jungle of Yuun now. Its roots carry the mana to everyone's mana source within Azmoria through microscopic vesicles. If anything were to happen to the Jungle of Yuun or the Crystal Palace itself."

"Most of the Jungle of Yuun has been off bounds for decades," said Kazuki. "Plus, I don't know where I am going without Agatha or Angelo. The Carnation Empire probably wants to arrest me or worse for having the sages' powers. There is so much to learn. So much to remember..."

"Well, as for where you are, this is the realm I have protected for the past one-thousand years, ever since the Sun-Titan destroyed it. It is my sanctuary. My father, the last king of the Faye, had titled our home the Netherskies. Your first emperor, Emeric Sirus, had a theory that the Netherskies was an uncharted moon of Jupiter in astrology—If that means something to you."

"Wait, we are on another planet? Okay, I have to be dreaming," said Kazuki, looking high above into a checkered starlit atmosphere filled with colourful constellations.

"As I said before, I am afraid not. This is all real," chuckled Diaxis.

"It's true, then, isn't it?" asked Kazuki.

"I am glad to see that your memory is healing. Whomever your celestite mentor was, they were incredibly wise to know my story. It seems Emeric documented them. Tell me then, Kazuki, what can you remember about me?"

"Master Kenji would read me many stories when I was a kid. I remember that he carried a lot of old scrolls on his back in a big wicker basket. Your story was one of these scrolls and was one of my favourite archives. I remembered it when you picked me up... I was right about not knowing who my birth parents were. Master Kenji raised me, but where did I come from?"

⁂

Sorrow empties the heart and turns temperament into ebony.

"Hey, kid, you know something? Your face looks a little familiar to me. But I cannot quite put my finger on it," said Diaxis as he led Kazuki through his otherworldly realm.

"I've been getting a lot of that lately," said Kazuki. "So, what about the Crystal Palace? It's real, right?—like in your stories?"

"That's right," said Diaxis as he cleaned tattered blue mushrooms from a grave marker.

"Wow... a lot of people don't like to talk about it—like it's some conspiracy theory of where yokai magic truly came from."

"They did. That's a long story for another time. But that reminds me... I hope those bothersome imps did not harm your yokai friend. I forgot about those little scamps," he said.

"Imps?" asked Kazuki as he joined in, sitting on a gnarled sakura trunk.

"They came by themselves here somehow not too long ago. I may have to banish them. Perhaps you could help me, Kazuki? I have not spoken to them yet."

"If you say so. As long as we find Angelo. But, just what exactly is the Crystal Palace, Diaxis?"

Diaxis finished cleaning off the decayed florae from another gravestone, crossed his arms and smirked.

"You will see when we get there. I mean, you mortals have always wanted to see it, haven't you?"

Kazuki jumped from the gnarled branches and darted his fist into the teal air.

"You bet I do!"

"Who wouldn't! You would have to be out of your mind to pass up a chance like this. I don't think a mortal has ever been inside the Heart of Mana. At least, not since Emerac. But you are rather extraordinary. You have no idea, kid. The Crystal Palace will welcome one like you with open arms. I am undoubtful about that. It was your power that created it, after all," said Diaxis.

Kazuki and the Last Faye, Diaxis, passed through vast fields of marked gravestones. All of which were kept perfectly clean while wild vines intertwined with the encompassing chromatic vegetation. The scene went on as far as Kazuki could study, traversing through curvy rainbow-hued mountains that caressed junctions of rivers running with violet waters and rainbow mushrooms.

While travelling through these enchanted, sorrowful groves, Kazuki began to ponder the tale written by Lord Emeric Sirus, the leader of the Azmorian Twelve and the First Emperor of Azmoria.

"Diaxis, if you don't mind me asking, how did your story get out to Azmorians? Emperor Emerac Sirus wrote that archive almost six hundred years ago when he was still a young elf during the Elder Days of Celestite. He must have known you personally," said Kazuki.

Diaxis turned his head back and gawked at Kazuki. Soon his face filled with grief as he gazed into an alleged barren of self-thought.

"Emerac Sirus was a wise and powerful elder elf. The first to bear one of the most powerful cores—the Celestite of the Mind and... a good friend," said Diaxis.

"So you did know Emerac Sirus? That's unreal. What was he like?" said Kazuki.

"It was a very long time ago, and it is something I just rather not talk about anymore."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"I just rather not talk about it right now," replied Diaxis as he returned to the purpled vegetation trails.

"What about this entity mentioned in your story? What is it? Is it a yokai? I can help you defeat it when I get stronger," said Kazuki.

Diaxis ignored the remark and shook his head while leading Kazuki through the colourful forest.

This world embodies sorrow and has made Diaxis the same way as the story. He's very compassionate about his past, thought Kazuki. But, if Agatha is right, pain can be tamed and moulded into ambition, and with ambition comes strength and courage.

"No. It is not a yokai. It is something far more dangerous if disturbed," said Diaxis. "It is one of the Four Titans of the Universe. Do you not know about them?"

"Four Titans of the Universe?" asked Kazuki.

"They are the four supreme beings of the cosmos," said Diaxis.

Diaxis spun around and flicked his left hand in the air. A golden ringlet curled from each of his fingertips and shot a projection of images in front of Kazuki. Four reflections shined like charmed blankets that levitated inches off the ground. Diaxis lowered his casting hand and roamed to the first flowing animation.

The first magical blanket image looked like a massive indigo star to Kazuki.

"This is the first entity. It is known as the Power Titan. This large god-like entity has never caused aggression but fuels it for all creation. It streams endless amounts of mana into the Crystal Palace and, thus, everyone else through Azmoria's roots.

"The magic travels through the roots of the planet and into floral pollens. This raw magically-infused pollen then spreads across Azmoria. Yokai harness this raw mana with the help of their bearer—then they can use their magic in your realm, and so can you. You are connected to them through your mind, spirit and body because of the Power Titan's connection to the Crystal Palace." explained Diaxis.

Kazuki stepped closer to the collage of images in wonderment and descended his hand down the magical projections.

"Are they... the gods?"

Diaxis crossed his arms and folded his black feathery wings to his back.

"The Power Titan is what creates raw mana. Its only purpose is to ensure that the Crystal Palace acquires enough magic. Because if it does not, all celestites will shut down, and the yokai that hosts them would probably die in a worst-case scenario. The natural magic within me would not be affected. I draw my power from the stars. However, my strongest powers still require the presence of the Crystal Palace," explained Diaxis.

Kazuki followed Diaxis to the next golden blanket-like image. A hideous blazing orb levitated around a halo of mini red giants and sprinkled ruby matter across space.

"This is the sun that sits in your mortal skies. I can feel it calling me sometimes—like a distant echo across a vast sea... The Sun Titan. One day I will find it and destroy it in the name of my father and kin, but for now, my only concern is the safety of the Crystal Palace.

"The Sun Titan's role is unclear, but Emeric believed it might be the creator of life within this galaxy. I have worried about this, for if it was to be destroyed, I wonder if it would ruin the process of creating life itself. Emeric assumed it would not—for the gift of coincidental biology had taken over its responsibilities.

"The Sun Titan consumes realms, nourishes its hunger with the magical sources occupying them, and absorbs the energy to sustain itself. It has no other purpose but to survive by any means necessary. My people had a different name for it. Whereas you call it the sun, we, Faye, call it the World Eater."

Kazuki stepped closer to the third blanket of light.

"This next sample is the Nether Titan."

"I can barely see it," remarked Kazuki, squinting.

"Oh, sorry..."

Diaxis snapped his fingers, and the illusion zoomed in closer. A colossal horned demon, veiled in nefarious flames and vermilion skin, developed onto the magic blanket image. Red-orange tattoos faintly glowed around the hellish body and demon's face. Kazuki vaulted back in surprise and fell to the ground.

"That's the All Demon. Isn't it? That big monster that tried to come out of Vizran's Realm of Styx."

Diaxis tugged Kazuki's hand and lifted him.

"Yes, the All Demon, the creator of the Realm of Styx, is the third titan. My father told me its purpose was to construct hosts for the celestite crystals of power. One might think he would create something with heart. Sadly, that was not the case. The All Demon had implanted the celestites within his own body, making him more powerful than the Power Titan and the Sun Titan combined.

"When he did this, he birthed the Realm of Styx and then embarked on producing mythical beasts of extreme power to fill the empty pockets of his soul. He had branched pieces of the core celestites into these beast's bodies—this is where the celestites came from, as far as I know.

"Over one thousand years ago, Emeric and eleven others led the assault against the All Demon and his minions, who had entered your realm. They believed the All Demon sought to absorb the planet's magic to become more potent than the Time Titan. After the Nether Titan's defeat, the core celestites left its body and joined with the twelve warriors' souls. They then became known as the Azmorian Twelve and went on to form the Council of Sages to maintain peace."

"The Time Titan?" asked Kazuki, trying not to think too hard.

Diaxis bowed his head slowly as if all hope instantly collapsed.

"Sagax. I hate looking at it. It gives me the creeps," he said, pointing to the last magic blanket image.

Kazuki walked to the final floating image with discretion, while Diaxis almost seemed afraid to do so.

"Why are you scared of it? What is it?"

A humanoid silhouette, constructed of limitless energy from the galaxy, seemingly gazed into Kazuki's eyes through the mana picture.

Diaxis shook his head.

"I do not know what it is. The environment is also different. I do not recognize it as Azmoria. The elders of my kin called the creature: The Architect. If the All Demon were to fear such a being, it would have to be very powerful. Thankfully, it has never shown up, and I do not think it will any time soon. My mother, Tiberia, until her dying breath, did not even believe in its existence."