The following morning, Sorey woke up. He sat up on the bed and found Mikleo, Illumia, and Lailah gathered around.

"Hey," Mikleo said.

"Well, well. Good morning," Lailah smiled.

"Three days on the dot," Illumia laughed. "Hope you slept well, Sorey."

"Morning, you three," Sorey replied. "And yeah, I did."

"You okay?" Mikleo asked.

"Better than before." He glanced between the three seraphim. "What happened to me afterward?"

"After you collapsed, Alisha had one of the knights carry you to the inn. She kindly took care of all the arrangements," Illumia answered.

"You really were asleep for three days straight, you know," Mikleo told him.

This surprised Sorey. "Was I?"

"Yep," Illumia responded. "You were out like a light."

"Now that Sorey has awoken, why don't we all take a walk around town?" Lailah suggested.

"It's a wonderful idea. He could use the fresh air after sleeping for quite a while."

"I'm game," Sorey agreed.

"All right. Let's go," Mikleo said.

The seraphim and Sorey leave the room. The human boy was immediately stopped when he entered the lobby and found the owner of the inn and his family expressing their enthusiasm for the new Shepherd.

"Literally an overnight celebrity," Mikleo commented.

Lailah smiled. "Indeed he is." She then returned to the boy's body.

After Sorey spoke to the owner, the group left the inn. Lailah reappeared as they began their stroll, but they stopped when they saw the somewhat empty streets.

"There's almost no one out. I guess it's still pretty early in the morning," Mikleo said.

Sorey suddenly groaned, almost as if he was in pain.

"You all right?" The water seraph asked.

Sorey folded his arms across his chest. "I just felt strange all of a sudden. Like a weird pressure was crushing down on my chest."

Mikleo gasped. "What?"

Lailah was surprised. "You can sense it already?" The boys and Illumia turned to the fire seraph as she continued. "What you're feeling is the malevolence all around us. Now that you have become my vessel, you can sense it. This is proof that your body has already grown accustomed to my power."

"You don't say. You mean there's really that much
malevolence out there? Even beyond this city?" Sorey asked, turning away from her in disbelief.

"Indeed. And this is only a taste. As people start
to crowd the streets, you'll feel it even more."

Sorey glanced at the light seraph. "Is this what you've been feeling the entire time, Lumi?"

"Yes, but I've become accustomed to it over the years. I believe you should get used to it as well," Illumia answered. "Perhaps even much quicker than me."

Lailah took the lead, wishing to take them to a secluded spot of Ladylake. "Come this way."

The three friends followed behind the fire seraph all the way to the area outside the aqueduct entrance. Walking up the stairwell behind Lailah, Sorey gasped in awe when the lake came into view. "Oh man, what a gorgeous lake!"

"It truly is. But amidst this spectacular scenery, the town of Ladylake is being corrupted by malevolence," Mikleo said as they walked over to the fire seraph.

"Yeah. Now that I can sense it, I can feel the
corruption everywhere. We can't let this go on."

Illumia hung her head in sorrow. "The corruption isn't just here, sadly. It's all across this world and it threatens to consume everything."

"I'm afraid Illumia is correct," Lailah chimed in, eyes gazing across the lake's surface. "The scenery may be splendid, but you can feel that this place lacks the blessing of the seraphim, can you not?"

"Yeah. In Elysia I could always feel Gramps' blessing. But here... Nothing," Sorey responded.

"But Lailah, this little walk of yours isn't just to reconfirm the situation in Ladylake with us, is it?" Mikleo questioned.

"You've got something to tell us," Sorey added.

Lailah turned to face the three friends. "Yes. I touched on it before, but now I must clarify to you... The true purpose of the Shepherd. The Shepherds can quell the hellions--beings who bring chaos
to humans and seraphim alike--with the power of purification. That is the power of the Shepherd. However, that in and of itself is not the Shepherd's duty. What the Shepherd must quell is the source of all malevolence, the being who gives rise to the hellions: The Lord of Calamity."

"The Lord of Calamity?" Mikleo and Sorey reiterated in unison.

Illumia couldn't help but isolate herself at the story of the Shepherd and the Lord of Calamity. She had heard it many times from Altul and Asura during their travels.

She turned her back to the others as Lailah continued. "Yes. This figure has been known by this name for countless centuries. Whenever hellions run rampant, this figure is always there. A Lord of Calamity, who begets hellions with the overwhelming amount of malevolence he possesses. Given enough time, a Lord of Calamity can even permanently alter the world itself. Such is the Calamity he brings."

"Wait," Sorey began. "If I remember correctly, the Celestial Record said that a Shepherd hasn't appeared for the last 200 years."

"And 200 years ago, there are records that the world was overcome by an unprecedented calamity. Could there be a connection?" Mikleo wondered.

"I understand. So, the Lord of Calamity is the source of all the malevolence, and it's the duty of the Shepherd to find and put a stop to him."

"That's all well and good, but where is this guy?"

"For now, it is enough so long as you understand the duty of the Shepherd," Lailah stated.

This puzzled Sorey. "Huh?"

The fire seraph turned to face the lake. "The answers you seek are those you must discover for yourself, Sorey. Answers of your own that you will not regret... Stay true to yourself. Forget not your duty, but be not a slave to it either."

"That was Asura's downfall..." Illumia mumbled, her words being heard by all. Lailah, Sorey, and Mikleo faced her with worried gazes.

"I...do not know the full truth of Asura's demise," Lailah spoke up.

"Not many do. Only three seraphim know the whole story," Illumia said.

"Does that mean Mikleo and I don't know everything?" Sorey asked.

"Yes. Zenrus only shared what we believed would be enough. But now that you've become the Shepherd..."

"Wait," Mikleo interrupted. "You don't have to force yourself to tell us, Lumi."

She smiled reassuringly at him. "It's okay. Perhaps telling the whole truth will take some weight off my shoulders, and...help with the guilt."

Sorey's eyes widen. "Guilt?"

She couldn't look at them as she began to tell the whole story. "Asura was indeed a great Shepherd, but he became obsessed with destroying malevolence. He was so obsessed he forged his own mythril blade to slay any and all that generated malevolence. Soon, he was consumed by the same malevolence he swore to annihilate. Before he lost himself, Altul and I tried to make him see reason. He refused..."

A look of sorrow bloomed on Mikleo's face. "And you blame yourself for what happened to him..."

She slowly nodded. "Yes. I still blame myself for not being able to prevent his downward spiral into madness. I couldn't stop him from being transformed into a hellion. To ensure Altul did not suffer the consequences, I severed the pact between us. It was the only way I could have prevented him from being corrupted with malevolence."

Lailah gazed at the light seraph. "You were Asura's Prime Lord..."

"It was only natural considering I possess the power of purification without needing to make a special oath. I thought I could purge the malevolence from Asura before I too was consumed, but I couldn't. Altul saved me by physically pulling me out of Asura's body before I was consumed entirely." Illumia lifted her head and met Sorey's gaze. "I know you're a much different person from Asura, but I do want you to heed Lailah's words. Find your own answers, but do not let those answers alone control you or alter the path you wish to take. You may find answers you might not agree with, but that is the way of this world."

Her words were engrained in his mind. "Answers of my own..."

"I wholeheartedly agree with Illumia," Lailah said. "And to that end, Sorey: I know you want to ask about the effects the Lord of Calamity has on this world, and how earth-dwellers and seraphim go about their lives, but...I want you to discern these for yourself."

Sorey lowered his gaze. "It's true that I'm completely clueless when it comes to just about everything in the world."

"And that's okay." Illumia found herself smiling. "What fun would a journey be if you didn't learn along the way?"

"Yes," Lailah agreed. "I want you to travel the world and discover all sorts of things. Only then can you take the answers you have found for yourself and make a stand against the Lord of Calamity."

Sorey hummed in thought. "Hmm..."

Mikleo offered a simplified version of what the fire seraph was asking of his friend. "It's not that tricky a concept. Pretty much boils down to, "Hey Sorey, let's take a trip around the world"."

Lailah nodded. "Yes."

Crossing her arms behind her back, Illumia giggled. "It's been a dream of yours for a while. It's time to make it come true."

"Heh," Sorey chuckled. "Got it."

Suddenly, there was a low grumbling noise.

Illumia tilted her head when it sounded like it came from Sorey. "Was that your stomach?"

"Yeah..." Sorey groaned and grabbed the sides of his head. "Can we start by investigating some food?
Talk about calamity--I'm gonna pass out!"

"Shall we head back to the inn? I don't want to have to carry our Shepherd around," Mikleo commented.

The light seraph tapped her chin with her finger as she pictured it. "The new Shepherd mysteriously floating around the city... People would freak out."

"Exactly."

Sorey laughed. "Yeah. Let's head back to the inn."

Lailah vanished and returned to Sorey's body. Illumia stared at the boys' backs as they started to walk off. She looked back at the lake, wondering what would have happened if Altul hadn't saved her. She didn't get to think too long before she heard someone call her name.

"Lumi."

She turned to see Mikleo offering her his hand. Behind him, she saw Sorey smiling at her. She didn't hesitate to take his hand with a gentle smile and they returned to the central district.

Walking down the path past the waterwheel, Sorey was smiling like a child with a new toy. "You know, I've always wanted to travel the world. But I never imagined it'd be so important! It's kinda weird, but I can't say I'm not excited."

Lailah appeared just as Illumia said, "As humans like to say, "two for the price of one!" Or something like that, I think..."

Mikleo stopped walking and chuckled. "Heh... I think it's safe to say you're probably the most, uh, sheltered Shepherd in history."

Sorey turned to the water seraph. "You really think so?" What Mikleo said sparked a bit of curiosity in him. "Hey, Lailah, What kind of people were the other Shepherds? I know about Asura thanks to Lumi, but what about the others?"

All eyes fell on Lailah.

"Huh?" the fire seraph hummed before she quickly looked away. "Oh! Sorry! I missed what you said."

Sorey decided to repeat the question. "So, what were the other Shepherds like?"

Lailah continued to turn away from the others. "I missed what you said."

He tried to grab her attention. "Lailah?"

"Yes?" She asked, refusing to look at him.

"Hiding something?" Mikleo asked.

Illumia, having been centuries old, knew why Lailah was avoiding the question. "Oh, I see..."

The fire seraph continued to act aloof. "Oh my! Isn't this lovely weather?"

"Looks like she doesn't want to talk," Mikleo grumbled.

"It's not that she doesn't, she can't," Illumia spoke up.

"What do you mean?" Sorey inquired.

"Remember when I mentioned oaths earlier? Well, it seems Lailah's made an oath." The light seraph glanced at Lailah. "Can we ask what this oath is?"

She still seemed a little hesitant but shared in the end. "As Illumia has said, I... I have forged an oath with myself. So long as I uphold that oath, I may wield certain extraordinary powers. However, the terms of the oath also prohibit...things."

Sorey seemed to be understanding. "So wait, does that mean there are certain things you can't discuss?"

Mikleo was also gaining some comprehension. "By powers I assume you mean the power of purification?"

Lailah looked away again and tried to change the subject again. "Oh wow! Look at the pretty butterfly!"

"You're kind of bad at this, aren't you..."

Illumia stepped in to clarify for Lailah's sake. "You're both correct. It would make sense for Lailah to have made an oath to receive the power of purification since only light seraphim are naturally born with the ability to purify. And considering Lailah has been contracted with a previous Shepherd, she would need that ability to help purify malevolence from this world."

Sorey rubbed the back of his neck. "I think I understand."

"So we need to go investigate each land's Shepherd myths?" Mikleo questioned.

Lailah immediately turned back around with a giddy smile. "Yes yes yes! That's 1000% correct!"

"We know light seraphim possess the ability to purify, but are there other seraphim like you who wield the power of purification by creating an oath?"

Avoiding the question, Lailah clapped her hands together. "We should get back before Sorey collapses from hunger and we have to sneak his body through the back alleys! We'd better get going, chop chop no time to waste! The food is probably ice cold by now!" She quickly vanished, taking shelter within Sorey's body.

Sorey just laughed it off. Mikleo and Illumia glanced at each other. The light seraph simply shrugged her shoulders before they both followed the boy back to the inn.

While Sorey enjoyed the food prepared by the owner, Mikleo, Illumia, and Lailah stood on the other side of the lobby. As they were waiting for him to finish eating, Mikleo asked the fire seraph, "Do you know anything about light seraphim, Lailah?"

This stunned both the light and fire seraphim, more specifically Illumia. "Why're you asking that all of a sudden?"

The water seraph crossed his arms and stared at the floor. "You've lost so much of your memory. You can't even remember where your real home is. Don't you want to know?"

"Well..." She had no reply.

"I'm sorry," Lailah apologized with a frown. "I'm afraid I don't know anything about light seraphim besides their natural ability to purify. Out of all the elements, light seraphim are still an enigma. It is said light seraphim do not mingle with other seraphim and live in seclusion from the rest of the world. I was surprised to see Illumia traveling with you and Sorey even though she had traveled with Asura many years ago. I would have thought that if the information was correct, she would have returned home after she was freed from Asura and remained in seclusion."

Illumia gripped the hem of her dress with a melancholic frown. "Even if I knew where home was, there would be no point in returning. Asura killed all of the light seraphim, except for me..."

Lailah gasped in horror. "You are...the last? Are you sure, Illumia?"

She held out her hands, gazing at her palms. "A Shepherd had been taken over by madness. It was only natural for the light seraphim to see to his annihilation, but...he used me to kill them all... I remember the day clearly. I wish it was a memory I had lost..."

Mikleo's eyes widen in horror. This was the first time he's heard this part about her past. "What...? Th-that's...!"

A few tears cascaded down Illumia's cheeks. She didn't even get to wipe them away before Lailah hugged her tightly.

"You have gone through so much, Illumia," the fire seraph whispered. "Know that you will not have to fear such things ever again. I know Sorey won't travel down the same path as Asura."

She hugged her in return. "I trust Sorey won't become Asura. Thank you, Lailah."

"Of course!" She smiled.

As the hug ended between the two girls, Mikleo mumbled, "I understand why you wouldn't tell me or Sorey..."

Illumia hummed. "My past is tainted with darkness. And you two are both beaming rays of light. Why tarnish such brilliance with wickedness?"

"I don't care about any of that!" Mikleo remarked. "It's all Asura's fault, not yours! Stop blaming yourself, please..."

She forced out a small apologetic laugh. "Seems I've dampened the mood again..." Pushing herself off the wall, her back faced Mikleo and Lailah. "Sorry... I think I'm gonna go for a walk."

Before she could take a step toward the door, her hand was seized and she was pulled into Mikleo's arms. She was surprised at the sudden hug and couldn't say anything.

Mikleo held her closely. "Just stay, idiot..."

She couldn't help but laugh as she wound her arms around him and hugged him back. "Okay."

Lailah was smiling as she watched the two seraphim before walking away to give them some space.