Levi looked up to see Vex reforming in the air, his clawed hands wreathed in darkness. But as the Avatar descended, Elena was already moving.
She tossed her crossbow aside and placed both hands on the ground, speaking words in a language that seemed to make the air itself shiver.
"By the light of the first dawn, by the promise of the final dusk, I call upon the ancient compact!"
The ground beneath them began to glow with silver light, and suddenly Levi could feel his strength returning.
The Fragment of Dawn pulsed stronger than ever, and he realized Elena hadn't just healed him—she'd enhanced his connection to Aseraph's power.
[Temporary Buff Applied: Divine Resonance]
[Light-based abilities increased by 200%]
[Duration: 5 minutes]
"Now, Levi!" Elena shouted. "While the circle holds!"
Levi didn't need to be told twice. He reached deep into the Fragment's power, feeling Aseraph's memories guide his actions.
His entire body began to glow with golden light, and when he thrust both hands forward, the Light Burst that emerged was unlike anything he'd produced before.
The beam of pure light caught Vex mid-descent, and the Avatar's scream of pain and rage shook the windows of every building in the district.
But even as the light tore through his shadow-form, Vex managed to extend one hand toward Mera.
"If I cannot have the fragment," he snarled, "then you lose your guide!"
Tendrils of darkness shot toward the tiny fairy, faster than light itself. Mera's eyes widened as she realized she couldn't dodge them all.
"No!" Levi lunged forward, but he was too far away.
The shadows engulfed Mera, and her light began to fade. But just before she disappeared entirely, she managed to cry out: "The Academy! Find the Academy of Divine Arts! Aseraph's... greatest student... still lives!"
Then she was gone, and Vex's laughter echoed through the alley as his form began to dissolve.
"This is far from over, little light-bearer," he said, his voice already fading. "The Shadow God has what he needs now. Your guide knows things that would interest my master greatly."
"Wait!" Levi shouted, but Vex was already gone, leaving only the lingering scent of winter and the taste of despair in the air.
Elena's silver circle flickered and died, and she swayed on her feet before Levi caught her arm. Up close, he could see the exhaustion in her eyes, the way her hands trembled from the effort of channeling such powerful magic.
"Are you alright?" he asked, though he could barely focus on her answer.
Mera was gone. His guide, his connection to Aseraph's memories, the tiny fairy who had become his first real friend in this strange new world—captured by a god's Avatar.
"I'll be fine," Elena said, though her voice was strained. "But we need to talk, Levi. There's a lot you don't know about what's happening to you, about the gods, about—"
"About why you have blessed weapons and can cast divine magic?" Levi interrupted, his voice harder than he intended. "About why you knew exactly what Vex was?"
Elena met his gaze steadily. "Yes. About all of that."
The Fragment of Dawn pulsed against his chest, and for a moment, Levi could swear he felt Aseraph's approval. Whatever Elena's secrets were, the Light God's remnant trusted her.
"The Academy of Divine Arts," Levi said, repeating Mera's final words. "You know what she was talking about, don't you?"
Elena nodded slowly. "It's not just any academy, Levi. It's built on the ruins of Aseraph's greatest temple, and it's run by someone who knew the Light God personally. If anyone can help us rescue Mera and understand what's really happening, it's him."
"Then that's where we go," Levi said, though his heart ached at the thought of Mera trapped in shadow. "But first, you're going to tell me everything. No more secrets, no more mysterious knowledge. If we're going to save her, I need to know who you really are."
Elena looked at him for a long moment, then nodded. "You're right. But not here—the shadows have ears now, and Vex isn't the only Avatar who might be listening."
As they made their way out of the alley, Levi cast one last look back at the spot where Mera had been captured. The tiny fairy had risked everything to guide him, and now she was paying the price for his ambition.
"I'm coming for you, Mera," he whispered to the darkness. "I promise."
The Fragment of Dawn pulsed once in response, and Levi could have sworn he heard Aseraph's voice, faint but determined: "The light endures, my successor. Even in the deepest shadow, the light endures."
Vex had called him a threat to the divine order, and if one Avatar had found him, others would follow.
[New Objective: Infiltrate the Academy of Divine Arts]
[New Ally: Elena Voss - Divine Scholar]
[Status: Mera captured - Rescue mission unlocked]
=
The Academy of Divine Arts rose from the mountainside like a crystalline crown, its towers catching the morning light and scattering it into rainbow fragments across the valley below.
Levi had never seen anything so beautiful or so intimidating. The stone walls seemed to hum with barely contained power, and every window blazed with inner light.
"Remember," Elena whispered beside him as they approached the main gates, "you're John Matthews, a transfer student from the Eastern Provinces. Your specialty is light manipulation, but you're still learning control."
"And you're Dr. Elena Voss, here to research the medical applications of divine energy," Levi replied, adjusting the enchanted spectacles that disguised his distinctive eyes. "How did you get us these identities so quickly?"
"I have my ways." Elena's smile was mysterious. "The Guild has more resources than most people realize."
Three days had passed since Vex's attack in the slums.
Three days of planning, preparation, and growing desperation. Mera remained captive somewhere within the Academy's walls, and without her guidance, Levi's connection to the system had become unstable.
He could still access his abilities, but the warnings and recommendations that had kept him alive were growing weaker.
"Are you certain she's here?" he asked for the dozenth time.
"The divination spell was clear," Elena said patiently. "Mera's life force is somewhere within these walls. But Levi... the Academy isn't just a school. It's one of the most heavily warded places on the continent. If we're discovered..."