This was no ordinary landmass. The floating continent, vast and sprawling, resembled a paradise untouched by mortal hands. Its immense beauty and complexity could deceive anyone into thinking it was natural. But beneath the surface, it was a marvel of design—an extraordinary creation of Aleric, known as the Archangel of Alchemy. The continent was a miracle unto itself, self-sustaining, capable of supporting millions, and able to drift into the Astral World while keeping its inhabitants safe.

Snowy mountain ranges stretched across the expanse, accompanied by green, rolling prairies. Rivers, long and winding, meandered through the continent, their tributaries cutting across the fertile land. Smaller floating islands hovered near the mainland, connected by sturdy brown bridges. On the continent’s western edge, a massive waterfall cascaded down, spilling into the Atlantis continent below.

In the heart of this paradise stood a magnificent city, with a network of roads linking it to the surrounding villages and towns. It was a thriving hub of life and wonder. But today, a change swept over the land.

Farmers paused their work in the fields. Craftsmen, hands once busy in the capital’s workshops, now stood motionless. In the grand cathedral, worshipers ceased their prayers. One by one, people halted in their tracks, drawn toward the horizon.

The golden rays of the sun, usually soft and nurturing, began to shift. Gasps rippled through the crowds as the warm, life-giving light transformed.

The sun turned white.

Its radiance intensified, becoming a blinding blaze that washed over the entire continent. People shielded their eyes, overwhelmed by the sudden glare. Beneath the sun’s wrathful gaze, many fell to their knees, convinced they were witnessing the end of the world.

The demigods, under Aleric’s command, felt it more acutely. They stood frozen as the light burned their very souls, the god’s fury made manifest. A palpable sense of dread hung in the air, thick as smoke. The once serene paradise had become a scene of apocalyptic terror.

Across the divine realms, the attention of gods was drawn to this very spot. In the Amantha Mountains, from a divine kingdom of towering peaks, one gaze locked onto the scene. In the ruins of a battlefield where gods once clashed, And yet, despite witnessing the chaos unfolding on the floating continent, none of the divine entities intervened.

Amidst the fear and destruction outside, the interior of the tallest bronze tower, in the heart of the capital, remained untouched by the sun’s scorching wrath.

Inside the grand chamber, the golden flames that once swirled through the air had dissipated, leaving behind charred remnants and floating ash. Aurelion sat, composed, in a white chair. Behind him, Thiara, his trusted companion, stood in a daze, still trying to grasp the magnitude of what had just occurred.

Before Aurelion, Aleric stood, his head bowed in submission, his hands clenched tightly in desperation.

He knew his entire life’s work hung in the balance. A single misstep, a wrong word, and the sun god’s wrath would obliterate everything. Aurelion, with a mere thought, could unleash the sun’s unrelenting fury, reducing the continent—and all of Aleric’s dreams—to ash.

The malice of the god bore down on Aleric, a reminder of the cruel reality he faced. Once, he had held hope, however faint. Now, as his anchors faltered and failed, that hope dwindled to nothing.

Aleric was not one to surrender easily. His ambitions had come at a great cost, and he had not ascended to the rank of archangel by possessing a weak will. With a deep breath, he steadied his trembling heart and raised his head to meet Aurelion’s cold, indifferent gaze. Time seemed to stretch, suspended between them as they stood locked in a silent exchange of power.

“It all began with the plan I devised at in the First Era,” Aleric said, his voice unnervingly calm despite the storm that brewed within him. His face betrayed nothing, as though recounting mere facts—yet each word was laden with the weight of his decisions. “After I succeeded in ascending to archangel with help of Old sun god, i thrived in newly obtained powers, reserching and developing new things more vigorously. But it was after his fall that i realized how small and insignificant i truly was, and so with beginning of new era, I too started searching for a way to claim the seat of godhood.”

His eyes flickered with the memory of that fateful encounter. “That’s when Ichor approached me. As if sensing my predicament, he invited me to a secret meeting—one where he said even gods can't gaze over. He promised I would find the answers I sought there."

Aurelion remained silent, his golden gaze never wavering, patiently waiting for the full explanation to unfold. The flickering flames within his eyes mirrored the sun’s rage outside, casting an ominous glow across the room.

Aleric hesitated, glancing cautiously at the sun god before him. “The meeting… it was attended by many of the First era’s angels and archangels. Azazeil was among them though he had yet to ascend to godhood at that time.”

The mention of that name caused Aurelion’s brow to furrow slightly. He knew of that gathering, a gathering called Golden scribe, a momentous event that had shaped the Second Era so far. Two of the participants had gone on to become gods, while another had risen to the archangel Angels of Luck. Yet, in every significant moment that shaped the world, Aurelion sensed the hand of Ichor, the Archangel of Fate pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

“Ichor…” Aurelion mused to himself. The weight of having such a calculating adversary pressed down upon him.

But his attention quickly returned to Aleric, who continued, though it was clear he was gauging Aurelion’s reaction with every word. “Under Ichor’s protection, I succeeded in the first step. I caused the manifestation of the Authority of the God of innovation and Alchemy.”

There was a brief pause before Aleric continued, his voice lower now, as if what he was about to reveal was a burden too great to carry. “But then… I received the piece of information I had never expected...”

He cast a nervous glance at Thiara, who stood behind Aurelion. 

“You may continue,” Aurelion said, his voice firm yet devoid of emotion. “There will be no consequences, even if she learns the secrets you’re about to reveal.”

Aleric took a deep breath, gazing deeply at Thiara, fully aware that it was likely her investigations into the matter that had led him here to stand before the sun god. The realization hit him: Thiara had been the one responsible for his undoing.

Thiara, for her part, snapped out of her daze and focused intently on the unfolding conversation. Her heart was pounding with anticipation. Her intuition, honed as a sage, told her that what was about to be revealed would forever change her fate and the future she envisioned.

“Ichor revealed something to me that was beyond what I had come for,” Aleric finally continued, his voice heavy with the weight of revelation. “He showed me the way to become something greater than even a god. He spoke of a path to ascend beyond godhood itself.”

Aurelion’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Aleric hesitated before revealing the title Ichor had mentioned. “The Ruler of Knowledge—a being who wields the combined Authorities of the God of Knowledge and the God of innovation and Alchemy.”

The words hung in the air like an ominous prophecy. “It made me understand the true origin of our world… and the strange actions taken by the Old Sun God during the First Era. His war agaist other gods, suddenly it all made sense.”

Before he could fully process the weight of that revelation, Aleric recalled another fateful moment. “Ichor approached me alone after the meeting. He explained to me the existence of the creatures from the Void, the terrible corruption… and the veil that obscures the truth of this world.”

Aurelion’s expression shifted—an almost imperceptible change, but it was enough for Aleric to notice. He chuckled bitterly, his laugh devoid of humor. “I’m not sure if Ichor intended me to make such a huge blunder all along or if it was merely a coincidence. I didn't even have an idea about how he uncovered something that even the Old Sun Gods failed to achieve.”

His tone grew more somber. “Before he left, he gave me something… a gift I had never expected.”

Aurelion’s gaze hardened as Aleric revealed the truth. “He gave me the Divine Eyes of the Sage, the manifested Authority of Knowledge.”

Aurelion’s mind worked quickly, calculating every possibility and forming conclusions. One thought stood out among the others. 'It wasn’t that Ichor had found the Eyes of the Sage. Instead he had just inherited them.' The realization Aurelion with clarity. 'The Old Sun God had discovered the Eyes. No! Not discovered. He had them from the very beginning, from the moment previous attempt of ascension of god of knowlege had failed. He had divine eyes of sage in his hands frim the beginning.'

Aurelion’s lips curled into a wry smile as the pieces fell into place. 'That old bastard lied to all of us. Perhaps he was even responsible for the failure of attempter ascension of god of knowledge as well.'

He muttered under his breath, amused by the dark irony of it all. “i can't belive i truly succeeded in betraying that omnious man…”

Unaware of Aurelion’s inner thoughts, Aleric pressed on, “After acquiring the Divine Eyes of the Sage, my thirst for power grew beyond anything I had ever experienced before. I became consumed with the desire to ascend.”

“So, I devised a plan to ease my path to godhood,” Aleric explained, his voice now steady with conviction. “Using the Eyes, I created artificial life—a perfect being that I could control with my Authority as an archangel. My ultimate creation that transcendes the time and growth of any civilization. My key to ascension.”

The room fell silent as confession of alerics grand ambition echoed through the chamber. He looked up at Aurelion, eyes filled with equal parts fear and hope.

"Then, in the future, I planned to dominate it and successfully become the Ruler, without having to worry about the corruption of the void or getting overwhelmed by my own divinity." In the silent room, Aleric's words echoed.