Diving down from the firmament was a shooting star, a fragment of the banisher of shadows... or their bringer. It hurtled down, piercing the layers of the atmosphere, its glow attracting the attention of many. But none more so than the ones who were fighting a sudden war in the middle of the godforsaken Trustad Plains.

The Trustad Plains was perhaps the most mysterious place in Corrin. Before the advent of Prisma, it was already a treacherous place that basically prevented any expansion of civilisation northward. It used to be a grand gorge with frequent blizzards and earthquakes, but everything changed with the first Meteor Rain.

One of the first Prisma Cores ever recorded to land in Corrin had crashed down in this area, turning the gorge into something more resembling of a plain. It had flattened the area to a ridiculous degree, but the growth of Prisma continued changing the landscape. And more than that, it caused a strange phenomenon to settle upon the area.

When observing the Trustad Plains from afar, they would not be able to see much of anything at all. There is a curtain of Prisma that veils the lands behind it. This alone was already a great deterrent, but what lay beyond that curtain was an even greater nightmare.

The Trustad Plains was named as such not because the area was a plain, but rather because no one could tell what it actually is. The entire landscape could be a stone plain in one moment and a mountainous tundra in the next. And even then, it could turn into a variety of other things like an arid desert or a volcanic caldera that spews out geysers of magma from vents scattered all around. It is because of this that no one ever ventures into the Trustad Plains, or at least not until now.

Beneath the curtain of Prismatic auroras, multiple flashes of light could be seen as the air was filled with the sound of gunfire and clanking metal. Many voices were shouting over each other, competing for attention in an overly chaotic battlefield. On one side were soldiers with black uniforms, their gears being remarkably state of the art. There were several platoons of them scattered throughout the Trustad Plains and this particular one had unfortunately encountered people from an entirely different group, one that was hostile.

This opposing group was incredibly organised as well. Evidently, they were a paramilitary organisation that had a long history of dangerous operations. This was just the latest in a long line of such missions, but it was proving to be the most perilous one yet. As the commanders on both sides oversaw the battle, their expressions changed when they noticed the sudden change in temperature. The battlefield was currently near the base of a snowy mountain. And while usually, it was the threat of an avalanche that they had to look out for, it was different this time.

[Disengage! I repeat, disengage! Brace yourselves!]

The moment the temperature suddenly started rising, the commanders immediately ordered their soldiers to stop fighting. The fallen could only lament their loss, but the living must continue living. The two forces split up as they braced themselves for whatever changes would occur. And their decision was proven correct when the snow quickly melted, turning the ground into a murky and muddy swamp. The mountain nearby was suddenly freed from the white frost, revealing a lush green.

Green...!

When has Corrin last seen the green of nature outside of the carefully cultivated plants in the cities?! Prisma had stolen Corrin's life. An entire mountain full of it should literally no longer exist! And yet, the Trustad Plains was showing them not just one mountain, but an entire swamp and forest! For a moment, the people present were in a daze. It was not just those who were fighting, but even those in other nearby areas who could see the green were dumbfounded. There was only one thought in their minds at the moment.

Trustad Plains might just be the key to saving all of Corrin.

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But as though to mock their futile hopes, the surroundings began to change once more. From the humid swamp, they were assaulted by a freezing cold. The mountain and all the plants around them disappeared like illusions as they were replaced by large crystalline formations of many different colours. The trees had gone from wood and bark to glittering jewels that had nothing else to them other than charm.

It was like a slap to their faces, waking them up from their stupor. And so, the battle resumed. This time, there was not a lot of obstacles blocking visibility and the other platoons of the black-suited soldiers came rushing to reinforce their allies. The paramilitary had become outnumbered, but the environment began changing once more. This time, however, it seems the soldiers were intent on culling all of them before they have a chance to reorganise themselves.

They started rushing at them with drawn blades while others shot their guns regardless of the shifting environment. And it seemed that fortune was on their side as the crystals only crumbled to sand and dust, leaving the stone ground pretty much the same as before. They were now in an open stone field with nothing to block their sights even as the earth continued to tremble slightly.

One by one, the paramilitary began falling, unable to fight back against the huge numbers of enemies. But it was at that time, that white mist suddenly began spreading. It started low, crawling on the ground like a slithering serpent before it began rising with increasing volume, blocking more and more of everyone's vision. But it was still not enough to keep them from seeing the bright light high up in the sky, hurtling down toward them like an arrow loosed from a celestial bow.

Panic began settling in as everyone scrambled to leave the area. The soldiers stopped their assault, retreating swiftly in hopes of outrunning whatever it was that was falling toward them. Meanwhile, the paramilitary seemed to have almost given up. Their morale was low and over half of them were dead. They were still a long way from reaching their destination, the same destination that everyone else was trying to reach.

And as the light drew closer and closer, the earth began trembling more and more. It was as though the descent of this thing was causing the very land an agony that very few could understand. They could practically hear it, the land groaning and crying. It was an unholy sound that etched itself deep into their minds, an agonising melody that accompanied them in this waking dream. And finally, it reached a crescendo.

There was no crash, no impact that would have created a deep crater. There was only a soft footfall, a graceful descent followed by the explosive force of rushing winds and booming noise. Everyone was swept off their feet and thrown to the ground helplessly as the earth finally gave up and opened its jaws. The land split, dividing the battlefield in two while swallowing some of the soldiers who did not manage to get away in time.

And then, silence. The soldiers in black and the paramilitary that had thought they were finished could only stare at the singular point of light that had suddenly appeared in their battlefield. Even the Trustad Plains seemed to not want to change the surroundings as everything still remained the stone field that it was before, except now it sported a large ravine.

And floating over the ravine was a man in a long white coat, his pair of crystalline wings glimmered with many different colours. The air around him was unnaturally serene, but also seemed energised and full of hidden power. His three silver eyes gazed at everything around him, not at the people, but at something that only he could see. His eyes grew wide in surprise for a moment before closing with a sigh.

"I know you're there. Come out."

His words rang loud and clear in the area, but none of the people present knew who he was talking to. He did not seem to have come for them specifically, but it did not change the fact that he was here. And he was powerful enough to cause such a terrifying scene. With all these facts, everyone knew what he was – a Divine. They wanted to scramble farther away, but they could not as the sound of footsteps echoed in the mist that now lay docile at the their feet.

A woman walked out of the mist as though she had been there all along. There was a steadiness to her every step that seemed both calm and calculated. It was like everything was under her control, from the pace of her movement down to the distance between each step she took. Her black sleeveless dress and tight black leggings combined with her long white jacket were all as Galeon remembered them to be. Her long gold and green hair along with her similarly coloured crystalline horns were as mesmerising as ever.

She crossed the stone ground, stopping at the edge of the ravine where she remained just a couple of feet away from Galeon. Her calm silver eyes seemed to hide an anxiety that Galeon quickly picked up on. With a brief thought, Galeon finally decided on what he would say.

"Vivi, turn back now."