Bright, holy, glorious, serene, and powerful. These words, once a perfect description of the Lands of Luminaria, humanity's ancestral home in the upper realm, were now a cruel irony. The majestic structures that stood as symbols of the human empire's fortitude were now reduced to chipped landmarks; their golden luster replaced by desolation.

Streets that once echoed with the laughter of children and adults, soaring with majestic wings and halos, were now desolate, filled with the corpses of humans, their trusty steeds the winged-horses, and shadowy beings reeking of corruption. Life seemed absent, save for occasional sounds of struggle, ominous laughter, and clashing metal.

Flames devoured the once eternal greenery and botany, fueled by the corpses of both friends and foes alike. The air was thick with the scent of burning herbs, once meant to heal Luminaries, now used as a source for the fire storm.

In the distance, the royal capital Thalor still stood, a beacon for the surviving humans forming a line. Groups huddled together, passing through a magical gate with warriors in golden and white armor fending off dark creatures.

The bustling gate formed a ring-like structure, encompassing a broad circular platform where individuals gathered for transport. Adjacent to it, a control terminal stood, emanating animperial aura. A magnificent creation, it seamlessly blended futuristic technology with divine insight. Despite its grandeur, the gate served as a solemn witness to the tragic exodus unfolding before it.

Both the line of survivors, and the paladins defending against the relentless dark creatures, dwindled with each passing moment for two starkly different reasons.

Beside the control panel stood a tall and thin man, disheveled blonde hair and beard clinging to his sweating face. His clipped right wing hinted at past battles, and by his side, an adolescent girl, quietly clutching his regal lab coat adorned with runic-like sigils. Desperation etched on his face, he drew mysterious symbols on the control panel with a peculiar fountain-tip pen, urgently commanding the group.

"Hurry, hurry! Form tighter groups and pass through the warp gate. The void tunnels can bear hundreds at once. The enemy is on our tails; now is not the time for complacency. Carry the younglings in your arms and pass!"

His fleeting composure failed to diminish the faith the people held in him. Confirming their commitment with solemn nods, the next group, meeting his aqua blue eyes, immediately responded with a resolute "Yes, Lord Elric." They scooped up their children, tightening their ranks until zero free space remained on the platform. In this manner, groups numbering around 500 or so passed endlessly through the portal without hesitation. As the lineup lightened, the shouts of the Paladins diminished, signaling their imminent defeat.

After the final group passed, the aura of the last remaining paladin faded, and the breaths of the enemy drew near.

A child of no more than twelve stood before him, adorned with platinum, long blonde hair and golden irises. Her petite, hourglass-like figure exuded a delicate beauty, complemented by a clean, jade-like complexion. Wrapped in a pristine white skirt with golden hues, a rapier-like weapon was securely strapped to her waist. Despite the devastation around, her white wings and halo still radiated brilliance, devoid of any visible specks of dirt or dust.

Her presence, akin to a fragile glass shoe admired from a distance but never to be touched, made a striking contrast with Elric's demeanor. Oddly befitting, this disparity did nothing to lessen the distance between them.

As he observed the child, a thought flickered in Elric's mind: "She looks just like her mother." He promptly pushed these reflections aside, reminding himself of the urgency at hand. "Focus. Time is precious. Stop wasting it!" he chided himself.

Lirael," he began, "it's time for you to go." With a telekinetic force, he lifted her invisibly, an aura guided by his hand, gently placing her on the platform.

"Wait, daddy, WAIT!" Lirael struggled to free herself. "I want to stay with you."

"No way, Lirael, it's too dangerous."

"Then why are you abandoning me? Where are you going?"

"I'm doing no such thing. You're just going ahead. I'll be right behind you. I'm going to get your mom and uncle."

"So why can't we go together?"

"I just said it's too dangerous!"

"Then at least let me go with Alex and Lucas!"

"Your cousin and friend have already left with the first wave alongside their clan members."

"What?! Why didn't you send me with them?"

"Would you be willing to leave without me? No, you wouldn't, as you just proved. That's why I kept you by my side, knowing how difficult you could be."

"You're so mean… I'm going to tell mom when I see her. Plus, you're acting really weird."

"Enough wasting time, Lirael, and stop being stubborn. I'm sending you off now."

"...."

“Lirael.”

"Lirael?" repeated Elric, looking up from the monitor to her face where he was left stunned. Silent tears streamed down from her eyes as she gazed at her father with a mix of betrayal and longing, as if preparing for an eternal separation.

Caught off guard and careful not to make a slip-up, Elric quickly composed himself and attempted to steer the conversation. "Lirael, you're a big girl now. You shouldn't cry so easily. What would your friends think? Just wait a little, and we will all be reunited."

However, his daughter continued to look at him for what seemed like eons, trying to burn his image inside her mind. All the while, her tears seemed to dry, and the light slowly started to fade from her eyes.

Elric's heart bled with pain, knowing his daughter had caught on to the truth. He wished to go up to the platform and embrace her in a hug as he had always done, but he couldn't, knowing he had lost that privilege and would never be able to hold her again. Cursing himself and desperately trying to salvage the situation and alleviate her mood, he began to speak, "Lirael… um, listen. You see, your mother and I-".

"STOP, father, please just stop."

"Father," she says, that's not a good sign; she seems pretty serious.

"Mom was right, you're a really bad liar. The way you looked at me was the same as Granny before she passed away. You and she are too alike. I know this is goodbye for good, and I'll never see you, or Mom, or Uncle ever again. So please, just please, look at me, REALLY look at me and tell me what's going on. Granny said to me the day before she passed that people shouldn't say their goodbyes while leaving some regrets and let loose everything they're holding in. So why can't you do the same?!"

Stunned, Elric immediately dropped what he was doing at the monitor and truly looked at his daughter for the first time today. What he saw was no longer a weak little girl that he needed to protect but a confident young woman who simply wanted to share a sincere final conversation with her father.

"You've really grown up," he thought as tears welled in her eyes.

"Thanks, Dad." But at that moment, the enemy had zeroed in on their location, and multiple shadows were poised to strike Elric, who had his back turned to them.

"Dad, lookout!" screamed Lirael.

"Sphere," Elric chanted indifferently, just as the shadows were about to hit him. A bluish protective dome encircled not only him but Lirael and the warp gate.

The shadows surrounded and continued to pound away at the sphere, causing it to dim slightly with every strike.

"I'll deal with you a lot later; right now, I'm having a conversation with my daughter." Elric then turned to his daughter with a slight smile.

"Dad, thank goodness." Relieved, Lirael unconsciously stood up straight to hear her father out, who seemed to have regained some of his confidence.

"You're right, Lirael. I shouldn't leave any regrets, and I'm sorry for trying to shelter you at this time. Being a kid doesn't make you immature and incapable of handling the truth.

The reason I can't come with you is that someone has to stay back and destroy the gate. If it falls into the enemy's hands, they can easily trace its destination, rendering all our work and sacrifices useless.

Moreover, to be honest, I'm not even sure your mom and uncle are still alive. I was never the greatest fighter, so tracing their presence in all of the shadows' corruption is impossible for someone like me. I know they are strong, but given the situation-."

"They're still alive."

Huh?

"I can sense them; they're still alive, and their auras are still strong," Lirael stated while grasping the area above her heart.

"I don't know why, but you've got to trust me; I can feel it."

You really are your mother's daughter with that raw talent. "I believe you," he stated simply.

"Really?!"

"Of course, I'd be a terrible father to even consider you lying about something like this."

In response, Lirael’s mood seemed to brighten a bit as she let out a low chuckle. Though her countenance quickly gained a somber aura as she heard a low crash.

BANG!!!

Whipping her head to the dome shield, she realized the once bluish aura had been replaced with a sickly transparent glow, and small cracks could be seen throughout the dome.

“Honey,” Elric called, a term he hadn't used in a while, thought Lirael as she turned her head back to her father. “It's time to go, for real this time.”

“Al… Alright,” Lirael meekly responded, knowing the time to argue was over and nothing was going to change.

“You need to promise me something.”

What now. “O-okay?”

“Never reveal your lineage to anyone, nor your family name; you can use mine if you truly want.”

“W-What? Why?”

“Promise me,” replied Elric, dead serious.

Noting the grave tone in her father’s voice, Lirael replied, “Alright, Dad, I promise. I just wish you could explain things to me more. Is it so much to ask for a reason?”

CREAK, the dome grew even weaker as the shadows' assault seemed to ring the bell for another wave.

Sorry, Lirael, but Daddy is going to lie once more. You’re going to go somewhere a bit far away from the rest. This is for your safety. Just as Elric finished gathering his thoughts, he also concluded writing in the new coordinates for Lirael and activated the gate.

Looking at the slowly vanishing form of his daughter, Elric bid his final farewell, “I love you, Lirael Luminous.”

Giving him a tearful smile, she responded, “I love you too, Daddy.”

Just as the warp concluded, the dome shattered. Channeling his powers into the pen, it changed shape into a mage-like staff with an orb at its head.

“Red lightning,” chanted Elric, causing such to flow from the top of his staff towards the gate, right as the shadows lowered their weapons on him.

A wide explosion adorned with red electricity erupted from Thalor’s heart.