Vhalmir was not a tourist kingdom.Not because it wasn't beautiful—it was, in ways that bordered on the supernatural—but because its people, immortal and wise, had learned that opening their doors to the world also meant inviting chaos. For millennia, foreigners had barely set foot in their levitating cities, and this would be the first time in their history that so many outsiders entered all at once.
The result was… an emotional revolution.In a place where eternity had turned routine into a prison, the arrival of Elizabeth and her caravan was like a bolt of celestial fire crossing a frozen lake.
The kingdom had prepared for six full moons. Floating paths were woven with crystal silk, ethereal perfumes were released into the air channels, and balconies were enchanted to vibrate with welcoming songs. The tallest towers were adorned with living banners that fluttered without wind, and in every district, nobles called for open feasts for any who walked their streets.
"You said the poor neighborhoods don't float," Elizabeth whispered to Narel, smiling skeptically as she looked out from the elevator platform."And they don't," he replied nonchalantly.
But even the "grounded" districts were breathtaking. The supposedly poorest area they visited had no beggars, no crumbling walls, no broken streets. Each house was a small work of art, with geometric rooftops made of liquid stone and gardens where singing trees grew beside fountains that recited poetry.
"This is a poor neighborhood?" Dren asked suspiciously, frowning as a girl of eight centuries offered them shimmering flowers that never wilted."They might be dressing everything up to impress us," Mayron suggested quietly but sharply. "Showing us what they want us to see. Hiding what they truly are.""It's natural to think that way," Narel replied, sounding somewhat bored, as if this conversation had repeated every century.
His voice was soft but carried a wisdom that did not seek to impress."You mortals live like flames in the wind—rushed, desperate to be remembered. You hoard power, destroy enemies, sacrifice friendships for a moment of glory. We… we had millennia to burn those ambitions away. All that drives us now is to build something eternal. To correct the mistakes of the past. To care for this place and those who live in it."
"And yet you still desire the Bloodstell," Mayron pressed, like a prosecutor. "Isn't that a contradiction?"
Narel turned his head slowly, like a weary sage repeating the same lesson to stubborn pupils."We joined the last war to prevent your extinction," he said calmly, but with a force that made even the unicorns halt briefly. "Who aided the Aurelians when their third wall fell? Who sealed the Death Hole your grandfather left open like a bleeding wound? Who proposed the truce that kept the six kingdoms from mutual annihilation?"
He turned toward Vincent, who had been listening silently from his mount."With all due respect, Lord Vincent… is it not so?"
Vincent looked at him, pondering the words. Then he nodded slowly."It's true. Many of my allies in that war were from Vhalmir. They never wanted the conflict. Their neutrality is what kept the others in balance… though that doesn't mean they don't desire the Bloodstell as much as anyone else."
Mayron studied him closely. He didn't argue. He simply crossed his arms, considering every word."Bloodstell is without a doubt the most versatile energy source there is," Narel concluded, sounding weary of the obvious. "Near-infinite. Malleable. Powerful. But it's not the only one. Just remember that."
At that moment, the carriage stopped.
Before them rose the Orichalcum Elevators: white towers with triangular bases that rose skyward like alabaster lances. Each floated without touching the ground, suspended by rotating rings of golden crystal pulsing to the rhythm of the kingdom's magical energy. A stream of light spiraled up through the center of each structure, like a living heart ascending into the heavens.
"Now then…" Narel murmured, smiling for the first time in hours. "Let's see what you call 'wealth'."
The elevator doors opened with a harmonious whisper. They were not metal, but solid water, enchanted to dissolve upon contact.Inside awaited a floating circular platform, surrounded by levitating mirrors projecting real-time images of the exterior. They ascended in silence, the lift moving with no vibrations, no jolts… like leaves drawn upward by an invisible breeze.
Through the glass, Vhalmir unfolded before them.A sea of suspended terraces, hanging bridges with no supports, living domes that breathed light. Homes that floated freely, vertical gardens upheld by columns of wind, fountains of reversed gravity. Every corner looked crafted by architects who had long forgotten the ground existed.
Elizabeth felt her heart quicken. Not with fear, but with wonder.They weren't entering a kingdom.They were entering a miracle.
"Welcome to the true Vhalmir," Narel whispered. "The Starborn Realm."And the doors opened… into the cities of the sky.
What Elizabeth saw as they ascended had no name in any language she knew. "A dream" would have been an incomplete description. The paths drifted through golden mists, as if the clouds had been sculpted in marble. The houses were not mere homes: they were suspended domains, vast and adorned with hanging gardens, crystal domes, and floating bridges connecting one territory to another like islands adrift in a sea of light.
If in the lower districts every citizen resembled a noble or philosopher, here in the upper realms, every person bore the poise of royalty. Draped in ethereal robes, they moved with the gravity of those who had spent centuries perfecting every gesture, every word. It was impossible to distinguish a commoner from an aristocrat… and perhaps, in this realm, such distinctions no longer existed.
A woman appeared from the magical mist, stepping forward with composure, followed by a small group of attendants. Her presence radiated grace and authority. She wore a long gown with stellar embroidery that seemed to shimmer with every movement, as if it contained pieces of the sky itself.
"Welcome to Vhalmir," she said, bowing gently before the royal delegation. "My name is Eliathar, though you may simply call me Eli. I will be your guide and companion during your stay, Princess Elizabeth. By order of His Highness, Prince Narel, I am to ensure all your wishes are fulfilled."
Elizabeth replied with a graceful nod."We are grateful for such a kind reception."
Eli raised her hand delicately, and her assistants approached with boxes of silver wood, adorned with arcane symbols. Each held a bracelet engraved with flight runes and personalized designs.
"These bracelets are imbued with aerial magic," explained the guide. "They'll allow you to fly without draining your own magical reserves. Ideal for those who haven't mastered the spell—or simply wish to enjoy the journey. We are now heading to the floating palace for the welcome banquet. I know the journey has been long, but I assure you, you will feel renewed shortly."
Before anyone used the bracelets, Vincent examined each one with an analysis spell. Only after confirming they contained flight magic alone did he nod in approval, allowing their use. No one seemed offended by the precaution. In a kingdom that valued time and experience, even caution could be seen as wisdom.
Once the bracelets were secured, the entire group took to the skies.And then… it happened.
The floating court of Vhalmir received them like a revelation. All rose in unison, effortlessly, as if gravity were nothing but a forgotten memory. With every meter they ascended, the world transformed. The air, instead of thinning, became purer. Every breath was light, invigorating. The clouds lay beneath them like a white ocean, while the firmament opened above.
Elizabeth, who until then had contained her emotions, couldn't help but widen her eyes in fascination. From that height, she saw not one, but two moons: one small and silver… and the other gigantic, colossal, almost suspended directly in front of them like a nearby planet. She had always known of the second moon, but seeing it up close was different—it was like gazing into the heart of a world that defied logic.
The sky grew darker, nearly stellar. The boundary between atmosphere and space seemed to blur. The stars began to twinkle timidly, and the sunlight filtered through like a spellbound vault. For a moment, it was as if they were crossing a threshold between the physical world and the divine.
Vincent didn't take his eyes off the horizon. Dren watched in silence, jaw tense before the inconceivable. Mayron clutched his staff tightly, as if needing an anchor not to lose himself in the vastness. Even Narel, who often feigned indifference, couldn't hide a soft, almost fraternal smile of pride.
And Elizabeth… Elizabeth realized something she had only suspected until then.Everything she thought she knew… might be no more than the echo of an incomplete story.
Because this wasn't just a floating kingdom.It was a declaration.A message.A reminder that in this world there were mysteries older than the Six Realms… and perhaps, mightier than them.
"Prepare yourselves," Eli said without turning, her voice serene and clear like floating crystal. "The banquet begins shortly."
And then, before them, between the twin moons' light and the shadows of the firmament, appeared the silhouette of Vhalmir's floating palace: a cathedral of crystal and gold suspended among the stellar winds, its towers slowly rotating as if dancing with the sky.
The sky at that height was no longer blue. It was a stellar abyss tinted by the whisper of the ether. The atmosphere gently faded, allowing the stars to gaze down upon the travelers with ancient eyes.
Narel floated with a grace almost unreal. His robe waved in slow motion, as if time itself respected him. He glided toward Elizabeth effortlessly, drifting through the air as if born within the celestial currents.
She watched him, spellbound.His eyes—blue as the night over Vhalmir—seemed to reflect entire galaxies. The ethereal glow gave him a celestial aura, and for an instant, Elizabeth felt she was seeing him for the first time. Not as a prince. Not as a warrior. But as an immortal being, melancholic… and beautiful.
A light blush crossed her cheeks. Something in that moment, suspended above the world, urged her to cast off protocol, the crown, the caution. She wanted to smile at him. She wanted to embrace him.She was infinitely grateful to be there. With him.
"You may take your time to enjoy this, princess," said Narel, his voice gliding like soft music through the stellar winds. "And when you're ready… if you so desire, we shall travel together to the edge of the dome. The boundary that separates this realm from pure ether. So you may study it yourself."
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, surprised."Wait… you mean you've actually been there? To the edge?"
Narel nodded with a gentle smile."Of course. At least a few hundred times in my life. For a while… I became obsessed with it. The dome, the ether, the secrets it holds. That's why I was so pleased when you showed interest. I wouldn't mind rediscovering it entirely with you, princess."
His words wrapped around her like a promise.
Elizabeth suddenly felt small. A child before a sage who had lived a thousand lifetimes. A curious soul facing a spirit that had already danced with infinity.And yet… she, too, wanted that. To study the dome. To touch that mystery.
"Then… let it be tomorrow," she said firmly, lifting her chin with resolve.
Narel let out a low, charming laugh."Mortals… are so hasty," he said, with a tone somewhere between affection and fascination. "But that… that is one of the things I'm beginning to like most about you, princess."
He took her hand with elegance and no rush.Elizabeth didn't resist.With reverence, Narel brought her hand to his lips and placed a light kiss upon its back. His touch was warm… and ancient. As if in that gesture, thousands of years of culture, devotion, and beauty were condensed.
And in that instant, Elizabeth's heart beat with unexpected force.There they were: floating at the edge of the sky, beneath the shadow of two moons, holding hands. He, an immortal prince—cultured, diplomatic, intelligent, and beautiful. And she, a heiress from another world… beginning to realize that not all monsters had fangs.Some wore crowns.
She… was beginning to feel something for him.
But then, the sky flickered.And a shadow slipped into her vision like a forgotten whisper.
A vision.A revelation.A scene that struck like a blade of ice: a demonic being, made of living metal, resembling Dren… but it wasn't him. Its eyes were hollow. Its power, absolute. Behind it, an army. The clouds tore apart. The floating castle fell from the heights, engulfed in flame. Screams. Ashes. Ruin.And in the midst of the destruction… Narel.Dying in Elizabeth's arms, his lips speaking her name as a farewell.
The world… collapsing.
"What was that…?" she whispered breathlessly, her voice trembling.
Was it a memory?Or a prophecy?
No one answered.
But the kiss on her hand still burned… and her heart now beat with fear.And longing.The sky, then, seemed darker.And destiny… closer.