In the distant past, when the World consisted of 3 lands not separated by the Barrier, but by a core element known as water, things were much simpler. Nature was unchanged, pure, Balanced.

But no. They wouldn't accept it. People are selfish. People are foolish. They fear the unknown. They fear death. And if stressed enough, people succumb to that fear. They'd listen to anything. They'd do anything to prolonge their lives.

And when "danger" came, blinded by their engraved fear of dying, people did everything they could to satisfy their selfish desire to keep on living. They trembled. They listened. They decided. They approved. And they created the Barrier...

Then came parallel worlds, isolation, hatred, greed, fear... For 400 years, Our World has been tainted by such blemishes. Our World has lost Balance. Yet the people who made that happen, keep on living. Unfair, don't you think?

But in life, all actions have respective consequences. And all beings shall be judged based on those actions. Call it God, call it karma, call it fate, call it whatever you like. The time has finally come. Now, it's Mankind's turn to atone for their sins...

————————————————————

An incomprehensible mystery has arisen. The Barrier is broken. And the separated worlds, converge. The "First Phase" of The New World, as they call it, is here.

It is not the first time something like this has happened. A world-wide shockwave and a particularly strong earthquake synergising viciously to kill thousands-- or, millions. No. I'd even add a few more zeros in the end... Especially around the northern and southern parts of the New World, where the geography will forever change, where the lands will forever meet, the situation is dire.

The United States connecting to the North Shrine of the Lingering World on the one hand, and the gulf between England and Japan that now tightly accomodates the "mouth" of the Underworld on the other hand, these are the areas of the New World more vulnerable to destruction.

People die... die... die... And keep on dying... I am so sorry for those of you Humans who were caught up in this mess. You did nothing wrong. You deserved better, just like me, the primordial victim. It's unfair. It's painful. It's sad.

But the other races? I will not show the slightest sympathy...

——————————————————

The northern regions of the Lingering World are in shambles and the shrine she is currently in is utterly destroyed. Yonuro Tokiyama, wearing her Angelic Veil Ramael as a shield to avoid as much damage as possible, slowly removes it and sees The New World with her own two eyes.

The "First Phase", as Sachrist described, is over and the sight it left behind is unreal.

On the Lingering World's side, the Northern parts seem to lack a lot of their man-made structures and many natural habitats are forever lost. Countless forests, lakes, rivers, valleys have all changed shape and become unrecognizable. Some of them have even merged together in unique ways, beyond all logical explanations.

As of the United States, the southest region of the Overworld, things are similar, but not the same. The most notable damage is the unfathomable amount of skyscrapers that have fallen. These structures are less sturdy than the prestigious ones in the Lingering World, where we see less of them fall. It seems like a war has occured from afar, not an environmental disater, as the environmental changes are not as severe as we see in the Lingering World.

The same state of affairs is prevalent in the northern regions of the Overworld, in Japan and England. This chunk of land that now connects to the southest region of the Underworld has also been severely hit by the shockwave and the earthquake. Things are looking pretty serious there, too.

Regarding all the other regions of the "worlds", however, the damage is not that significant. It appears just as if it was some intense earthquake. The other Shrines in the Lingering World, for instance, not only haven't fallen, but the Angels are unaware that The New World has been formed.

The same applies to all the other regions of the Overworld and the Underworld that weren't close to the points of convergence—the 2 connection points. The casualties are not that noticable and people moved on with their lives quickly.

Summing up the total amount of deaths, it appears that 31% of the overall populace has perished. 25% is just from the southern parts of the Underworld, the Nothern parts of the Lingering World and the southern and northern regions of the Overworld— the United States and England/Japan respectively.

Yonuro learns the key pieces of information I stated above from another letter written by the Omniscient Archangel, Sachrist. And in this second letter, she is also informed about an important figure, in desperate need of help, who must be rescued at all costs. It's... Sachrist's old enemy, the Demonic Lord, Aniik.

Yonuro widens her eyes after learning what's at stake. Her mind puts anything and everything aside. She disregards all of this chaos. She doesn't look back. She doesn't hold back. She runs faster than she has ever run before.

Yonuro- Ramael, lend me your strength! We need to hurry! It's—It's— Aniik...

———————————————————

The only thing she is able to see, among this wreckage of metal that she is burried in, is a small opening from which light barely reaches her closed eyes. But even this small sign of life, she cannot process. Her nervous system is dysfunctional. As a result, it's not surprising that she cannot also hear the voice of the person who tries to get her out.

There's nobody to help Yonuro move those metal scrap aside. Only Ramael can empower her limbs to help her sooth the pain from lifting all this weight. Otherwise, she's all alone. She's the only one who can save her friend, Aniik.

Yonuro- Hol— there— -niik. Jus— littl- lon— er—

Aniik's ears pick up Yonuro's words incoherently. It's all fuzzy and incosistent. Thus, Aniik doesn't wake up. In the next moment, though, Yonuro has moved aside a lot of the debris and is barely able to pull Aniik out of the ruins. Yonuro touches Aniik's left cheek and calls out her name, but no answer is given.

Yonuro- Ra— en. Ma— these- word—hea— tortured -oul!

Yonuro sheds a tear after perfoming an incantation that needs no introduction and prays that it is enough to wake her up.

A pair of shiny grey eyes slowly open. They make contact with two indigo coloured ones from which tears keep on falling.

Yonuro- Aniik... Can you hear me...?

Image and sound are all crystal clear. Aniik has regained all of her senses and is slowly getting up.

Aniik- This voice... I'm so glad to hear it again, Yonu...

Yonuro hugs her injured friend and conveys her feelings as well.

Yonuro- You can't imagine how much I wanted to see you again... I missed you so so much...

Aniik- Same here... We've missed you so much... I'm so happy to see you...

Ramael- It's been a long while. Thank goodness you came around...

Aniik- I couldn't miss such a reunion, am I right, blankie?

As soon as they let go of the hug, Aniik points something out that doesn't really fit the mood.

Aniik- Yonuro, did you perhaps get taller, or have I always been on the short side?

Yonuro and Ramael laugh a bit and then remind her of the time flow difference among worlds. Aniik says "How silly of me, I've even read the Pandonomicon!" while slightly chuckling.

Even though they all seem to be genuinely laughing, deep down they are doing it purely to keep their anxiety at bay. They desperately need a way to relieve the stress. And laughters such as these fall real short real quick.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Aniik- Listen, Yonuro... I need to ask you a few important things. I don't think we have the luxury of laughing anymore...

Aniik takes a look around and says in a very serious voice.

(...) "What the heck is going on...?"

Yonuro- The only thing I know for sure is that... This is... The New World...

Aniik- The New World...? No way... Those rifts actually...? What the—

Aniik tells Yonuro about the multiplying rifts back in the Overworld and the latest news she has about the others (Geord, Samei and Ikki).

Ramael- I hope they are safe...

Yonuro- Knowing Geord, he must have an ace up his sleeve. He's been through a lot and got out unscathed. They'll be safe in his care. Though we're not sure what's coming... It's an unprecedented, inconceivable situation. The New World...

Aniik- Do you know what may be the cause of this?

Yonuro tells Aniik about the sudden increase in energy drain of the Barrier and the peculiar Vision she saw.

Yonuro- Other than that, I'm still clueless.

Aniik starts walking in circles while thinking about it.

Aniik- This is so weird... If we have no clues whatsoever, then what are we supposed to do?

Ramael speaks up and reassures her. It's not over just yet.

Ramael- Don't worry, Aniik. We do have an ace up our sleeve to help us out. We have the support of the Omniscient Archangel with us.

Aniik scratches her head and utters "Zein?"

Ramael- No that's the previous bearer. The Angel I'm talking about is Sachrist.

Aniik- Oh, Sachrist. I haven't read much about him in the Pandonomicon. Though the name Zein popped up frequently.

Yonuro- Anyhow, Ramael's right. We have to depend on Sachrist, who's also dependent on us. In the two letters he sent me, it felt like the situation is more than dire. And even Sachrist seems desperate. He desperately needs our help. We need to meet him as soon as possible...

Ramael- Yeah, but don't lose hope just yet! Sachrist should know what's going on and as he needs our help, he must have a plan, too.

Aniik senses the determination and hope in her friends' hearts. It gives her courage.

Aniik- Okay, that makes sense. If he needs our help, then he must have a solution in which we play a role in. That's something. So, what Shrine's he at? South? West? East?

Ramael- I know the place very well. Our destination is the Holy Shrine of the West.

Aniik's thinking about teleporting there, but before doing so, she realises that she'd just leave the others behind by doing that.

Aniik- If only you were a Demonic Lord like me, Yonuro, we'd get there in an instant.

Yonuro gets the Pendant of Immortality out of her shirt and says the following

Yonuro- Yeah.. this thing is kinda dangerous to use.

Aniik decides to have a better look at it. From a close up look, it seems to emits a faint, really dark version of the already "Dark" Essence. Aniik's tilts her head from being puzzled.

Aniik- What is this essence? I haven't seen it before. It looks like some sort of ancient Dark Essence or something... I can't put my finger on it.

After literally putting her finger on it, however, the Demonic Item reacts in an unexpected way.

*Ouch! "What the hell?"

The faint aura around the Pendant changes colour. From the colour of absolute darkness, it turns to the classic midnight purple, the colour of all Dark Essence particles.

Aniik- Okay, even though I've read the Pandonomicon, I'm not a lore expert. I don't know what happened to it but it seems... to be working?

Yes, the Pendant absorbed some Dark Essence from Aniik and seems less "savage" than before. It even looks more powerful than the time Yonuro first used it. I think Aniik's theory should be correct.

Yonuro- Alright, listen. With Ramael's guidance, I'll try to use it. We need to take some risks, we have no time to waste. If I pass out for more than a minute, try to bring me back Aniik, okay?

Aniik nods a couple times acknowledging the high risk, but the significant reward as well.

Yonuro does some unnecessary stretches after saying "it's been a hot minute!" and then uses the Demonic Item's teleportation ability.

The experience is not that special and confusing anymore. Therefore, It is quite easier for Yonuro to focus on the destination. And on top of Ramael's guidance, the Pendant's power also appears to be restored. All of this combined makes for an easy, smooth sailing, trip.

Aniik- Yoshi.

It's her turn now. Aniik, who has mastered the ability, gets there with no trouble whatsoever.

——————————————————

The girls quickly teleport to the Holy Shrine of the west with ease. Contrary to their expectations, the western region of the Lingering World has almost no casualties. Since the North shrine was hit so severely, they thought the same principle applies to here, in the west.

It's quite the opposite, however. This region is the most awestrucking area of the Lingering World by a mile. Such prestige you could only find in Saintdom, prior to its destruction at least. Now only this region holds the standards of the holyground the previous Archangel, Zein, envisioned.

And even from all this unparalleled beauty, the Holy Shrine stands out even brighter.

Yonuro- Is this... A Holy Shrine..?

Yonuro's jaw has dropped. Aniik's on the same boat. Unsurprisingly so, I'd say. The sight they're looking at is that of a really tall watchtower, which pierces through the clouds. What stands out the most are the circular, glossy, golden walls covered in multiple spots with prestigious flags depicting Angels, Eyes and symbols of Life and Peace.

The higher you look, the more see-through, glass windows there are, which are aesthetically pleasing. The entry door is also embellished with beautiful candles, complex carved shapes and even some caligraphy; "The Eyes of Omniscience." It's outstanding beauty is worth staring at to say the least...

Aniik- Sachrist sure had budget...

Yonuro- You can say that again. Woah...

Ramael feels her "heart" fluttering and beating faster than usual. She remains silent till she gets ahold of herself.

Yonuro asks the guards for permission to go in, which access is given. The more serious looking guard gives Yonuro a bright, golden key which is imbued with Sachrist's Holy Energy.

Yonuro uses it on the huge door. After reacting with the Holy Energy, a complex mechanism activates. As a result, the door slowly opens and Yonuro, followed by Aniik and Ramael, enter the most profound Holy Shrine ever built.

The interior is as beautiful as the exterior. It is quite similar to that of Ramael's but even more elaborate. It has the look of a grandiose church and it also has an outstanding elevator made out of platinum. It's built in a way to leave small openings like a rectangle cage. The purpose of this must be to take in the view while ascending.

The cage-like elevator serves another purpose, if you take a closer look. A letter seems to be hanging from a small opening, between two platinum bars.

Aniik- "Meet me at the top" it says.

The girls do as instructed. They use the Holy Energy-powered elevator to go up. It even has a few buttons you can press, alternating between different speed levels, if you want to go there faster or let's say to admire the view. Yonuro presses the "medium speed level" button and then the "ascend" one.

Although the girls cannot see this as they are inside the elevator, I notice a spike hanging from the bottom of this mechanism. What purpose does this have? Don't ask me. The builder had the surname Gibson, that's all I know.

Anyway, after savoring the view from above while inside the elevator, Yonuro, Aniik and Ramael reach the top.

The elevator's door opens and in sync the top floor's huge door also automatically slides its way inside the wall, making room for the girls to walk in.

And there he is. The Omniscient Archangel, Sachrist, turns around and greets them.

Sachrist- Hi. We finally meet. Come on in.

His appearance has always been a mystery. For some, even a legend. All Lingerians have had theories about him, since he hasn't shown hiself to anyone for 400 years. Some speculat he has a divine aura, some that he is as beautiful as he is wise, some that he even wears a lamp on his head (?) , the guesses are countless and wild.

But now, the invisible veil surrounding his looks is removed and his genuine appearance is revealed.

Sachrist is a handsome, tall man, looking around 30 years old. He has long, raven hair, brown green eyes, he wears glasses and a long white cloak, his Angelic Veil, that almost touches the floor.

His body stance and manner of speech give him a prestigious aura, that of a serious man, but one that you can also rely on for everything. He has a strong sense of duty and never gives up no matter what he aims for. Finally, due to his Omniscience, his perseverance, his patience and his calm, slightly deep voice, he appears to everyone as a reassuring and pursuasive figure.

The vivid, anxious spirits of everyone calm down upon listening to him speak. Only Ramael seems more anxious than before, but for a completely different reason.

Ramael- Sa-Sachrist! I'm so-so glad to see you a-again!

Sachrist- Me too. It's been a long time since we last talked in person, Ramael. "In person" huh... Well, I need to get used to talking to a Veil. Your situation is unheard of but interesting to say the least.

Ramael feels embarassed about talking to him in her Veil-form and blushes in response.

Ramael- Ah ha! It's nothing thaaat unusual... I'm still my old self!

Sachrist- This enthusiastic and assertive way of speech, I'd recognise anywhere, anytime, Ramael.

Aniik and Yonuro look at each other, while being confused. "Assertive?, Enthusiastic?" "Is this Ramael?". Before they can think of a proper explanation, however, they are adressed by Sachrist.

Sachrist- Oh, I'm sorry for only talking to Ramael. It's a pleasure seeing you two here, as well, Yonuro, Aniik.

Yonuro- Oh, it's okay. The pleasure's ours!

Aniik doesn't know how to respond so she just points her index finger on Yonuro and awkwardly says "Exactly what she said."

Sachrist- Alright, let's not waste any more time, then. We have a lot to talk about. Take a seat.

As soon as she sits on one of many magnificent armchairs, Yonuro takes a look around the room. As she was previously amazed to see Sachrist in the flesh, she didn't pay much attention elsewhere.

But now, quite a few things catch her eye. First, the layout of the room. Instead of normal walls. it is all covered in expensive sturdy glass that forms a see-through sphere. Then, the rectangle shaped glass chamber, responsible for the efficient absorption of an Angel's Holy Energy, is stationed in this floor, not in the ground floor. So that basically means that this is where Sachrist spends most of his time in.

And that makes sense considering the other things Yonuro notices. There's a telescope posisioned beside the sofa, where Aniik currently sits. It seems really old but still well-maintained. There's also a chess board with the pawns in attacking positions on the other side of the room. Finally, on the door of the room, there's an old picture of Sachrist playing with his dog when he was younger. The picture has a description that reads "Alexander, the thief-eater."

"Interesting hobbies" murmurs Yonuro, just before the serious conversation commences.

Sachrist- Shall we begin?

The girls show signs of agreement either by nodding or simply uttering "yes".

"Buckle up. This will take a while." Sachrist says after coughing.

Aniik- There are so many things I want to ask, where do we start?

Sachrist- I like being upfront so I'll address the most important issue first. In 7 days from now, The New World will abruptly lose Balance before it ultimately stabilizes. And after this devastating "Second and Final Phase" of The New World, 99% of the population will forever be lost.

Silence fills the room. Ramael, Yonuro, Aniik, they all widen their eyes. The stakes are higher than ever. The future of the World is well and truly in their hands...