Four years had passed since the incident that reshaped their lives, leaving bonds shattered and trust irreparably broken. Rose, now a goddess, ruled Regalia with a calculated sense of justice, reshaping the world in her divine vision of balance. Her celestial city stood as an untouchable symbol of order, its towering spires a testament to her ascension. Yet, beneath the divine glow of Regalia lay the weight of decisions that had driven a wedge between those who once stood together. Among the gravest of those decisions was the banishment of Tsukina, an outsider from Elysumia. Her expulsion came after an attempt on Rose’s life, a desperate act fueled by an unbearable grief: the accidental death of her sister, Angel. She had been caught in a catastrophic power malfunction during one of Rose’s divine manifestations—a tragedy Rose deeply regretted but could not undo.
Tsukina, unable to forgive Rose for what she saw as recklessness masked as godhood, sought vengeance. When her attempt to end Rose’s life failed, the goddess was forced to act. Despite her pain, Rose decreed Tsukina’s exile to preserve Regalia’s stability. Cast out and abandoned, Tsukina vanished, leaving her former companions reveling in her absence. For Ryuu, Tsukina’s banishment was a wound that refused to heal. Now a skilled assassin, his work often took him to the outskirts of Elysumia, where he quietly sought information about her. With Each rumour and every whisper leading him to dead ends. Yet, Ryuu never gave up hope, holding onto the charm she had given him as a symbol of the bond they once shared and his lingering hope of finding her alive. Serenity, on the other hand, became a known enemy of Regalia. Once a trusted ally, she turned against Rose, aligning herself with a special forces unit determined to dismantle the goddess’s rule. The tragedy of Angel’s death and Tsukina’s banishment only deepened her distain for Rose’s reign. Now, Serenity’s rebellion was a growing threat, her defiance carving a path of destruction across Regalia’s borders. Within the walls of Regalia, Jayce remained Rose’s loyal servant, his devotion unwavering even as the fractures between his friends deepened. But even Jayce, for all his faith, could not ignore the tensions that simmered beneath the surface.
One evening, as Ryuu returned from another fruitless mission near Elysumia, he walked into Rose’s divine chamber, his expression dark.
“Still no sign of her,” he began, his voice taut with frustration. “Not even a whisper of where she might be.”
Rose, standing tall, turned to face him. “Tsukina made her choice, Ryuu. She tried to kill me. You know why she had to be banished.”
Ryuu’s eyes burned with anger. “And you think that excuses what you did? You killed her sister, Rose, You might call it an accident, but to her, it’s murder. She’s out there because you refused to take responsibility for what happened.”
Rose’s clenched her fist behind her back hiding it from ryuu she clenched so hard as the memory flashed in her mind her nails sunk into her Palms till they started to bleed , her voice remained steady. “I’ve carried the guilt of Angel’s death every day. But I can’t let that guilt destroy the balance I’ve worked so hard to create. Tsukina endangered Regalia with her actions, and I had no choice.”
“You always have a choice,” Ryuu snapped. “You could’ve tried to make amends. You could’ve given her a reason to stay instead of pushing her away.”
Rose’s bit the bottom of her lips , a sign of her rising frustration. “And what would you have me do? Let her kill me? Let her anger consume everything I’ve built?”
“She’s gone now !” Ryuu replied bitterly. “And that’s what you wanted right for her to be anywhere but here, under your rule.”

Somewhere at the edge of elysumia Unbeknownst to them, While the search for Tsukina continued, she remained entirely aware of the hunt. Her new hideout was none other than the laboratory where she had been created—a cold, desolate place the walls painted in memories both painful and profound. It was here that she found shelter alongside Lilith, a figure she had come to see as a guardian. Tsukina’s rage lingered from her the death of her sister, fueling her resolve to stay hidden. Plotting to take her revenge on rose Lilith, ever resourceful, had devoted her energy to creating a stronger amulet capable of taming Tsukina’s mist, a volatile and unpredictable power that mirrored her emotions. Over the years, Lilith trained Tsukina, teaching her how to fight, defend herself, and channel her anger into something precise and purposeful.

To the world, Lilith was a well-known figure in Elysumia, celebrated as someone who brought new life into existence. But the truth of her work was far darker. The laboratory’s containment rooms were filled with the failed remnants of her experiments—twisted human trials that had not survived the process. These failures haunted the sterile halls, reminders of the line Lilith had crossed in pursuit of perfection.

Among Lilith’s rare successes was her biological daughter, Tori, who had inherited the form of a “beast with wings.” Tori, a siren unlike any that roamed the seas, was a blend of grace and power. Initially, she bonded with Tsukina, the two finding common ground in their shared connection to Lilith. However, their friendship began to strain over time, fractured by Tsukina’s stubbornness.

Tori often grew frustrated with Tsukina’s inability—or unwillingness—to move forward from her pain and anger. Their arguments became more frequent, and though Tori cared for her, she eventually chose to distance herself.

Flashback

“I’ve tried, Mama,” Tori said , exasperated, after yet another heated exchange with Tsukina. “I’ve tried so many times, but she’s too damn stubborn. I’m 20 years old. I don’t have time to babysit an adult who refuses to grow up. If she wants to stay stuck in the past and act like a bitch, then she can.”

Lilith sighed, her voice soft but firm. “Give her a chance, Tori. You know what she’s been through.”

Tori shook her head. “I’ve given her plenty of chances, Mama. I can’t keep trying if she won’t meet me halfway.”

In the distance, they noticed Tsukina walking away, her fists clenched and her eyes filled with a glare of pure resentment. She had overheard their conversation, every word a fresh wound on her already scarred heart.

Lilith sighed again, watching Tsukina’s retreating figure. “She’ll learn in her own time. But until then, all we can do is wait.”

end of flashback

Back in Regalia, Ryuu reunited with his brother, Jayce, in the castle that Ryuu called home. The air between them was thick with unspoken tension. Jayce had allied himself with Rose, a decision that Ryuu still struggled to accept. Despite the bitterness lingering between them, Jayce refused to let it affect how he treated his younger brother. He still saw Ryuu as the boy he’d grown up protecting.

“Anything?” Jayce asked, breaking the silence. His question referred to Ryuu’s ongoing search for an old friend.

Ryuu shook his head, his worry evident. “No. Not even in Elysumia. What if she… y’know… did the unpredictable?” His voice wavered slightly, betraying the anxiety he tried to suppress.

Jayce stepped forward and pulled Ryuu into a reassuring hug. “Don’t think like that, Ryuu. I’m sure she hasn’t done anything drastic. She knows how much you care about her. If she hasn’t come forward, it’s not because she’s gone—it’s because she’s not ready to be found. She’ll come to you in her own time. You just need to be patient.”

Ryuu nodded, though the unease in his heart remained. “i know It’s hard, ryuu. I’ve been going behind Rose’s back to see if she knows anything, but… nothing. Every lead is a dead end.”

Ryuu sighed deeply, his own frustration bubbling beneath the surface. “I’ve been trying too. Rose was always so kind to Tsukina before. I don’t know what changed… why she would keep her hidden—if that’s what’s even happening.” jayce wondered