Shimmering light enveloped the three of them. Mina closed her eyes and waited for it to settle.

  “Here we go again… back to that space.”

  Her heart raced.

  “Will I see Mom again? Or maybe… Dad?”

  She waited, pulse pounding, until a familiar male voice reached her from ahead. Tears slid down Mina’s cheeks.

  “Mina… open your eyes.”

  She opened them. Standing before her was her father, Lucariel.

  “Dad…”

  Lucariel wore a halo and white wings, clad in garments of white silk. When he saw Mina, he smiled gently.

  “I’ve missed you, Mina.”

  Tears flooded her eyes at the sound of his voice.

  “Me too, Dad!”

  Lucariel smiled.

  “Seeing you safe and well makes your father very happy.”

  He walked slowly toward her.

  “There’s a lot to talk about, but first… let’s get that wretched collar off you.”

  He produced a slender, oval-shaped instrument from inside his robes and touched its tip to the black collar. Mina watched his profile as he worked.

  “Everyone said it was a cursed collar. Did you make it?”

  Lucariel furrowed his brow.

  “In my days as an angel, my work was investigating ancient ruins. Much of the advanced technology that existed two hundred years ago—like the labyrinth beneath Carnage—has been largely lost.”

  “So this black ring is ancient technology too?”

  Lucariel nodded.

  “After I left, Seraphim must have repurposed it. I never imagined it would be used on you.”

  After a short while, the black ring clicked open and fell away. Mina smiled and rubbed her neck.

  “It’s off.”

  She beamed. She started to reach for Lucariel—then stopped. She couldn’t touch him here.

  “Thank you, Dad.”

  Lucariel smiled. Then he reached toward her hair.

  “This angel halo you’re wearing as an ornament—I made it by studying ancient technology. Only five of these weapons were ever created. The halos most angels wear above their heads are nothing more than proof of angelic status.”

  Mina looked up at him.

  “Wait, Dad! I’ve met someone—an angel who has one of these halos!”

  Lucariel’s expression turned serious.

  “What kind of person?”

  “He’s young and handsome. He’s been helping us from the shadows.”

  Lucariel studied Mina in silence. The silence stretched until Mina couldn’t bear it.

  “Dad, so much has happened—I’m completely confused. You’re going to tell me everything, right?”

  Lucariel nodded.

  “Of course. Why all of this happened—everything.”

  Mina nodded.

  “Right now, this world is split into two territories—the Demon Realm and the Celestial Realm. But originally, everyone was part of the same world.”

  “So angels and demons were the same?”

  Lucariel looked at Mina, Arc, and Nox in turn before continuing.

  “Two hundred years ago, there was no distinction between angel and demon. We all existed simply as ‘children of God.’ But someone schemed to tear that unity apart. His name was Auerios—also known as the Mediator.”

  “The Mediator—Auerios?!”

  Mina recalled the mysterious figure who had hurled lightning from the black clouds. Lucariel continued.

  “A Mediator is one who conveys the voice of God. Auerios declared himself the Mediator and proclaimed that only true ‘children of God’ could call themselves angels. He imposed strict rules on the angels.”

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “What happened if someone broke those rules?”

  “They were cast out of the Celestial Realm as fallen angels and banished to the surface.”

  “So this Mediator was manipulating the rules to create demons?”

  Lucariel nodded.

  “Strictly speaking, not all demons are fallen angels. The Demon Realm always had beings called demons—they were symbols of all manner of evil. The fallen angels simply joined their ranks.”

  “So it’s not just a war between the Celestial and Demon Realms—there’s conflict with the original demons too?”

  “Exactly. Division breeds conflict. The Mediator exploits that conflict to harvest magical energy—the source of all magic.”

  “How does conflict let him harvest magical power?”

  Lucariel nodded.

  “Magical power is, in essence, life force. By taking it from others, he can increase his own. Under certain conditions, he can collect their magical energy after death.”

  Mina remembered how her mother Lilia had shared her magic with Arc.

  “Put simply—he stokes conflict, and the more they fight and die, the stronger Auerios becomes.”

  Mina’s fists trembled.

  “So for two hundred years… everyone’s been deceived, killing each other… and all of it was for one man?”

  Lucariel nodded.

  “That’s why, Mina—I have a favor to ask.”

  She stared at him.

  “Go see Verglies.”

  “WHAT?!”

  Mina gaped at Lucariel.

  “Hold on, Dad. Verglies is the demon who’s opposing Grandma!”

  “That’s true. But we need his power. Please, Mina—I have documents I need you to deliver to him.”

  He pulled a bundle of papers from his robes and handed them to Mina. She stared down at them.

  “He tried to kidnap me. Is it really safe to meet him?”

  Lucariel looked her in the eye.

  “Don’t worry. Once he reads these documents, he won’t harm you. That’s how important they are.”

  Then Lucariel began to shimmer, light gathering around him.

  “Oh no—time’s up.”

  He gazed at Mina sadly.

  “Mina… come closer.”

  “Dad!”

  “Listen carefully. You said you met someone with the same kind of weapon-grade angel halo as yours?”

  Mina nodded.

  “Whether that person is trustworthy—that’s for you to decide. But let me at least prepare you for the worst case.”

  Lucariel took out the oval instrument again and began making adjustments to Mina’s angel halo.

  But even as he worked, the light surrounding them grew steadily brighter.

  “Dad… you’re starting to fade!”

  “Just a little more… almost there.”

  He kept working, glancing sideways at Mina. She watched his hands intently.

  “Listen, Mina—the angel halo is extremely high-performance, but it’s twitchy and hard to control. I’ve adjusted it so it won’t overreact to your hand movements.”

  Mina nodded eagerly.

  “Like image stabilization in drawing software?”

  Lucariel tilted his head.

  “I don’t know what image stabilization is, but… that’s probably right.”

  His feet began to disappear. But his work wasn’t finished. He kept talking.

  “I’ve also limited its attack range to twenty meters and set it to prioritize defense. This concentrates the magical energy supply, making it significantly stronger than the others.”

  By the time his body had faded to the waist, he finally completed his work. He looked at Mina and smiled.

  “Made it just in time.”

  As those words left his lips, light consumed him and he vanished.

  Mina screamed.

  “DAD!”

  The world blazed white before her eyes, and Lucariel’s final words reached her through the brilliance.

  “I love you, Mina!”

  Tears poured from her eyes.

  The light before her shimmered and sparkled through her tears. When she closed her eyes and the drops fell, the light faded to nothing.

  Mina was standing back where she’d started—the altar chamber. A small treasure chest sat at her feet. But what was inside hardly mattered to her now. Her heart was full of nothing but the grief of parting with her father.

  She stood alone in the darkness, tears streaming down her face, and whispered.

  “Dad… I love you too.”

  ◆

  The day after Mina left the ruins, Batanel stood in Seraphim’s chambers, head bowed, being berated.

  Not only had Batanel failed to secure Mina—the treasure had been stolen from the ruins right under his nose. Seraphim seized his staff and shot to his feet in fury.

  “Batanel! You let a mere girl escape—how dare you show your face here!”

  Seraphim’s face was scarlet with rage. Batanel stood rigid, head hanging.

  Seraphim marched over to him, slamming his staff against the floor with each step, and fixed Batanel with a withering glare.

  “Not only did you allow them to infiltrate the ruins—you say they stole the treasure as well!”

  Batanel squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip.

  “I have no excuse!”

  Seraphim struck him with the staff.

  “No excuse doesn’t begin to cover it, you fool!”

  “Aagh!”

  Batanel staggered back several paces and bowed his head. Seraphim glared at him with bulging eyes. Batanel looked up fearfully.

  “Forgive me!”

  But Seraphim’s fury was unabated.

  “And you call yourself an Archangel! Is that halo just decoration?!”

  Under Seraphim’s assault, Batanel clasped his hands in desperate supplication.

  “Lord Seraphim! Please—give me another chance! One more chance!”

  “Another chance?! You imbecile!”

  Seraphim turned his back on Batanel and returned to his seat.

  “As you well know, Lucariel’s treasure is the Mana Collector. If they’ve taken it, the balance of power could shift against us entirely!”

  Seraphim cracked his staff against Batanel’s bowed head. Blood streamed down Batanel’s face. Still he kept his head lowered, letting the blood drip onto the floor.

  “I beg of you! One more chance! Without redemption, I cannot die in peace!”

  “Die? Don’t be dramatic, Batanel! You have no such intention!”

  Batanel looked up at Seraphim, tears streaming.

  “No—I stake my life on this! I swear on my life I will bring that girl back!”

  Seraphim reached into a drawer and produced a small sphere roughly the size of a baseball.

  “Lord Seraphim… what is that?”

  Seraphim regarded Batanel coldly.

  “This is a magical artifact called a Dimension Grab. When thrown at a target, it drags them into a prepared pocket dimension.”

  Batanel stared at the sphere.

  “And you want me to…?”

  Seraphim gripped the ball and fixed Batanel with his gaze.

  “I intend to seal you inside this Dimension Grab.”

  “Me?!”

  “Yes.”

  The two locked eyes.

  “Don’t jump to conclusions, Batanel. I’m not imprisoning you.”

  Seraphim studied him.

  “I have a subordinate—an angel named Cashiel. The man has an exceptional throwing arm. He’ll hurl this sphere at Mina.”

  “So I wait inside this space for the girl to arrive?”

  Seraphim gave a small nod.

  “Capturing prey that’s been caged for you—it would be harder to fail, wouldn’t you say?”

  He walked slowly to Batanel’s side.

  “Listen well, Batanel. The Mana Collector is certainly in Mina’s possession. You will beat it out of her and take it.”

  Batanel met Seraphim’s eyes with fierce determination.

  “Leave it to me. I will bring back the Mana Collector without fail!”

  Seraphim pressed the artifact against Batanel’s chest. A dark vortex swirled open, and Batanel began to be drawn inside.

  As Batanel vanished, Seraphim shouted after him.

  “Listen carefully! I’ve laid every piece of groundwork for you. I cannot fathom failure at this point. Retrieve the Mana Collector at all costs. And if that’s what it takes—you have my permission to kill the girl!”