CHAPTER 357: THE DOMAIN OF THE CELESTIALS

Far above the clouds, far beyond the reach of wind, storm, or time itself, lies the Sanctum of Aeons—the resplendent domain of the Celestials, veiled from the mortal realm by layers of ethereal light and laws that defy the very fabric of reality.

Here, in this sacred dimension, time does not pass. It is acknowledged.

The realm was layered in endless terraces of floating, radiant temples—each sculpted from stardust and divine essence, orbiting a core sphere of pure, pulsating light—the Heart of the Divine Concord.

And within its hallowed courts, the Celestials gathered.

They stood not as beings, but as concepts given form. Some cloaked in robes of cascading galaxies, others clad in armor forged from collapsing stars. Their faces were blurred, shifting eternally between male, female, and formless divinity. Their eyes glowed like twin constellations.

There were twelve of them in all—each representing one of the foundational forces of the cosmos: Judgment, Knowledge, Balance, Origin, Order, War, Peace, Life, Death, Dreams, Time... and Dominion.

At the center of the radiant amphitheater floated a massive crystal prism, spinning slowly with divine data being etched into its every face. And upon one of those faces, two revelations flashed in sacred flame.

The awakening of an Eternal... specifically, the one they once feared above all others: the Elemental God.

The emergence of a new High Seer, the last bloodline of Lyseria, alive and awakened in the Hybrid lands.

A tense silence followed.

Until a voice, deeper than thunder and softer than wind, broke the stillness.

"He has stirred."

It came from the Celestial of Balance, robed in iridescent silvers and bronze, their voice a harmony of two souls. "The Elemental God... sealed in the Vein Crossing, is awakening."

The Celestial of Judgment’s eyes gleamed. "We ensured his containment during the First Fracture. This resurrection should be impossible."

"It was not resurrection," spoke the Celestial of Time, shifting like liquid glass. "It was provoked... by mortals."

The projection shifted again, revealing the figures of Kaelen, Kelvin, Ethan, and their companions—bravely navigating the chamber. When Morris’s hand touched the broken glyphs and the Eternal stirred, a pulse shot through the layered heavens.

The Celestial of Dreams leaned forward, her eyes shimmering like nebulas. "And as if fate conspired, the Seer of Lyseria awakens... not in the Elven realm, but among the Hybrids."

The chamber grew colder.

The Celestial of Dominion finally stood. His form towered above all, a regal being of heavenly armor and blazing wings folded behind his back. When he spoke, the entire realm dimmed beneath his decree.

"Two faults. Two dangers. Both must be corrected."

He raised a hand, and a legion of Celestial enforcers—beings made of divine flame, light, and will—manifested into rank and file along the marble terraces.

"Bring the Seer. Bring the Grey who apparently is this Eternal’s heir. And extinguish the Eternal if it fully awakens."

A pause.

Then, the Celestial of Origin whispered, "What if it’s too late?"

The Celestial of Dominion didn’t respond. His eyes, now burning like twin suns, turned back to the projection of Kaelen’s face.

"Then we remind the realms... that this is still our dominion."

---

Meanwhile... Deep in the Hybrid Capital

In a throne room carved into an ancient, crystalline tree at the center of the Hybrid Domain, the Hybrid Overlord, a divine-looking figure with silver veins running through pale skin and eyes that resembled burning moons, knelt before a projection of the Celestials.

"We have confirmed it. She is the last living Seer of Lyseria’s line."

Behind him, other high-class Hybrids knelt, some pale with dread.

"Her awakening threatens the balance we’ve built," he continued, "and the fragment she carries could rekindle Lyseria’s legacy in full."

"Then silence it," the Celestial of War commanded through the projection. "Or capture her."

"We failed the first time," the Overlord admitted, grimacing. "The Temple defended her."

"Then you will not fail again," the Celestial of Judgment said. "Send everything. And report once she is in your hands. Some of our forces will come as aid if it comes down to it."

"Yes my Lords" The Overlord replied in compliance.

And right after, the projection faded.

The Hybrid Overlord stood, fists clenched, before whispering:

"Forgive me, Lyseria... I will kill your heir if I must."

-----

Back in the Sanctum of Aeons, the twelve Celestials watched as dozens of Celestial envoys, each cloaked in divine auras and wielding weapons that could pierce planets, streaked from the divine domain and plunged down toward Aetheris.

Their targets:

A young Grey named Morris, who now unknowingly bore the weight of the Elemental God’s awakening.

And a half-elf, half-human Seer named Lila, whose bloodline legacy might reshape all of history.

-----

Meanwhile....

The Labyrinth Kingdom, born from the chaotic will of the Labyrinth and now fused with the remnants of the Outlands, was no longer a part of Aetheris in the traditional sense. It had become a world of its own—a twisted realm of perpetual dusk, riddled with impossible architecture, shadow-forged towers, and screaming winds that echoed from every crooked crevice.

At the heart of it all, within a darkened citadel of black bone and floating stone, sat Endless—the forgotten Eternal who was sealed in the void for countless centuries, perched atop his throne of twisted obsidian and pulsing crimson veins.

The Dragonyx Heirloom, now merged with a vast crystal conduit before him, glowed ominously, projecting flickers of Aetheris’ leyline disturbances, mana shifts, and elemental disruptions like specters across the chamber’s massive ceiling.

Endless’ eyes—pools of endless night—watched intently.

Something had stirred again.

He stood slowly.

Behind him, kneeling in eerie silence, were the Chaos Twins—Aron, the dark haired brute whose eyes mirrored shattered stars, and Selene, the gleeful sadist with violet flame trailing her every breath which were caused by the same Labyrinth she finds herself in.

"I see it," Endless murmured, his voice smooth and serene, yet chilling enough to freeze the air.

A web of energy flickered into existence above the throne room—a map of Aetheris with the Hybrid Domain’s perimeter marked clearly.

The mana density in the region had spiked again. The outer perimeter shimmered with celestial defenses, old and new, likely placed to suppress something—or someone.

Endless narrowed his gaze.

"You’re stirring too much, little pawns..."

"Is Lyseria’s legacy... actually alive?"

He extended his hand, sending tendrils of his dark essence toward the projection.

But the moment his presence neared the deeper reaches of the Hybrid territory, a surge of divine resistance—celestial in origin—shattered his reach like glass.

Endless growled, the first hint of genuine frustration crossing his expressionless face.

Even from this distance, he could feel the Celestial barrier resisting him with strength only their realm could provide. Not even the Dragonyx heirloom could pierce into the Hybrid capital.

"So... the Celestials do act when it suits their narrative."

He turned away from the flickering map as it dissolved into smoke and shadows.

But he didn’t dwell on the Hybrids.

Not now.

Instead, another pulse struck his perception. A faint ripple of Seer energy, fleeing through the mountainous borderlands that led away from the Hybrid lands—unfamiliar, but unmistakable.

Lila.

She was no longer hiding. She was moving. Fast.

A small smile curled on Endless’ lips.

"Flee, little Seer," he said to the emptiness. "Run far... I’ll still find you."

He raised a single finger toward the twin void-marked glyphs etched into the chamber wall.

The Chaos Twins rose as if summoned by instinct.

Aron bowed his head. "You called, Lord Endless?"

Selene was already grinning. "Ooh. Let me guess. You want something brought back in pieces or whole?"

Endless’ eyes flashed.

"Take your pick of the Labyrinth-born. The monsters in the Black Vault. Ones forged by my will... and not bound by mortal limitations."

He stepped down from the dais, his robes of writhing darkness trailing behind him like a living tide.

"Track Lila. Do not kill her. Bring her to me. Alive. Broken if you must, but intact."

Aron nodded. "And if the Hybrids interfere?"

"Slay them," Endless said simply. "I doubt they’ll chase her far outside their borders."

Selene licked her lips. "And if the Celestials interfere?"

A pause.

Endless turned, shadows coiling tighter around his body.

"Then I will remind them... that they made the biggest mistake in their lives to let me get to this stage."

---

Moments later, still in Endless’s Kingdom.

Massive vault doors, engraved in dead tongues and sealed by Endless’ own blood, were slowly drawn open in the Blood Vault.

From within, howls and screeches of abominations echoed—Labyrinth-born, creatures with no known lineage, birthed from void energies and memories twisted into flesh.

From the murk emerged five monstrous beings—some clad in chitinous armor, others in cloaks of shadow and bone.

They knelt before Aron and Selene without a word.

"Let the hunt begin," Aron muttered, leading them through the shadows.

Selene giggled.

"Oh Lila~ You’re not ready for this little nightmare."

---

High above them, from the throne room tower, Endless looked across his warped kingdom.

"Your blood sings too loud, Seer."

"And I will be the one who silences it."