(Crown Plane - The Zenith Castle)

At the heart of the Crown plane stood the grand abode of the Soul King; the Zenith Castle. Its majestic presence emanated a radiant light that extended throughout the entire spirit realm. However, this divine light never reached the underworld. The cursed existence of the underworld denizens kept them deprived of the king's radiance, forcing them to dwell in perpetual darkness, a painful existence.

The Zenith Castle was a complex structure, its various parts split into several blocks or sections, ominously hovering above the Imperial city, rotating around each other in eerie silence.

Access to the castle and its golden radiance from below required permission from either the Blades or the King himself.

Within one of the hovering sections, a series of buildings lined up orderly, serving as the health zone of the castle. Skilled spirit warriors, specialised in healing, were stationed there to provide healthcare to injured comrades brought back from the field.

Inside a particular building with a feather symbol on its wooden doors, a silver-haired girl stirred uncomfortably in her bed.

Beside her stood a young lady in her early twenties, donned in a white uniform, attentively watching over the awakening spirit warrior.

Xoese slowly opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the ceiling for a moment.

"The health ward…," she murmured.

"I'm glad you're finally awake, Miss Xoese," the lady said in a professional tone.

The silver-haired girl sat up, meeting the lady's eyes.

"You have been inactive for a day," the lady informed her, bowing her head. "The King wishes to see you."

"The King?" Xoese's eyes narrowed.

The lady humbly placed her right palm on her chest and bowed even deeper. In that instant, a bluish portal materialised in the centre of the room, and two spirits emerged from it, a male and a female.

Both were clad in the characteristic black uniform of the spirit warrior corps, with the symbol of a feather on their backs and the number '3' boldly printed on their sleeves.

"Miss Xoese!" the female spirit warrior beamed, her clear eyes shining with relief. "You're okay!"

"Pearl," Xoese acknowledged her.

Pearl's friendly smile widened as she heard her name mentioned.

"Ray and I were so worried when we heard about your injury," Pearl said, approaching Xoese's bed. "Tell us, what was the shadow soul like?"

Xoese's eyes flickered as she recalled the intense battle with the shadow soul. Anger swelled in her heart, regretting her failure to destroy her target's soul core.

"Pearl, now isn't the time," Ray interjected, his red hair and large eyebrows giving him an intimidating aura. "We're here to take Miss Xoese to the Sacred Grounds."

"Oh!" Pearl snapped back to reality. "I apologise, sorry about that."

Ray let out a sigh, "Pardon the inconvenience, Miss Xoese. I'm sure you would've preferred more rest."

Xoese turned to the side of the bed and placed her left foot on the floor. She looked at her legs, briefly remembering the pain of getting her leg blown off. Gratitude filled her heart for the skilled medical squad that had helped her heal.

"I don't mind at all," she replied, standing on both feet.

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She picked up her short cloak from the wooden rack beside the bed and put it on. The cloak bore the feather symbol, effectively concealing the number '4' tattoo on her right shoulder.

"Let's go", she firmly said, walking into the portal.

Pearl and Ray exchanged glances and respectfully bid the medical lady farewell before following Xoese.

The portal shrunk and reappeared in the middle of the Sacred Grounds. The Sacred Grounds housed the throne of the Soul King, and only the most powerful and trusted spirit warriors were allowed entry.

"Well, we can't go any further than this," Ray smirked lightly. "Maybe we'll talk later, Miss Xoese."

"Bye-bye!" Pearl waved enthusiastically before walking into the portal after Ray.

Xoese waved back with a forced smile that immediately faded the moment they left. How long was she going to keep pretending?

Working for the Soul King as a Spirit Warrior never made her happy. The only thing that kept her going was the fact that she had an important goal to achieve. Unfortunately, working for the Soul King seemed to be the only way to get closer to it.

Looming before her was the royal palace in its splendid grandeur. Its walls glowed pure white with intricate gold details as light emanated from within.

Xoese walked into the building, passing by large pillars at the entrance and finding herself in the interior. A long hallway led to a single door at the far end.

The palace was a mysterious structure. It held several rooms, but access to those rooms was controlled by the spatial spirit warriors responsible for the Soul King's safety.

Currently, a spatial spell was active, making only the throne room doors visible to the wind warrior, something she was accustomed to by now.

She walked down the hallway, finally reaching the gargantuan doors.

"Soul King," she whispered to herself.

Immediately, the doors opened, and a powerful gust of wind blew out from within. Xoese knelt on one knee and bowed her head.

"Soul King Lyzel."

Sitting nonchalantly on his golden throne was the most revered soul in the entire realm. Soul King Lyzel lightly smirked, and the radiant light surrounding him intensified.

"Xoese," he spoke in a soft voice as he stood up.

The Soul King resembled a young man in his early twenties, despite his age of a hundred thousand years as a soul. To call him handsome simply wasn't enough; his appearance rivalled that of the gods and goddesses. His golden hair and elegant regalia added to his divine aura.

Xoese raised her head, finding herself right beneath the king's throne, which sat on a highly raised platform.

She blinked, and in that instant, King Lyzel stood before her.

"Stand up," he smiled. "I don't mind if you're informal with me. None of the Blades or members of any of the royal families are around, after all."

The silver-haired warrior slowly rose to her feet, avoiding direct contact with his surreal eyes.

"Still," she kept her gaze fixed on the ground.

King Lyzel patted her head, his height far surpassing hers.

"Remember, Xoese," he began, "you have something that no other soul in this realm possesses."

He held her hand and took her up the flight of stairs that led to his golden seat.

"Now more than ever, that 'something' needs to awaken and fight for the sake of the spirit realm," Lyzel continued, finally reaching his seat.

Xoese never tried to look at him directly. There was something about the Soul King that made her feel uncomfortable. It was as if she willingly let herself dance to his tunes whenever he willed it.

"Xoese," Lyzel let go of her hand. "I still haven't forgotten."

The wind warrior's attention sparked as she keenly listened to what he was about to say.

With seriousness and determination, Lyzel spoke, "I'll still be behind you, and I'll do everything in my power to help you find your sister."

Xoese felt her heart weaken at those words. It always made her feel better whenever he reassured her that she would find her long-lost sister.

"While I do that, I'm also tasked with protecting the spirit realm," his face drew inches close to hers. "And, as I said before, the spirit realm is in dire need of the power only you possess."

Xoese hesitated for a moment. It was this same power that had caused her to face so much stigma within the spirit warrior corps. She couldn't understand why her comrades despised her for possessing that strength. It sometimes made her feel as unwanted as a shadow soul.

But, if it was for the sake of the Spirit Realm, then...

She closed her eyes, agreeing to the Soul King's request.

Lyzel smiled, "That's it, Xoese. Your strength will win you the love of the Spirit Realm once you get rid of the threat."

He snapped his fingers, and instantly, a bright white light burst out from within Xoese's forehead. A small slit appeared, and a crystal-like object revealed itself as the source of the light.

Xoese's spirit energy flared in response, synchronising harmoniously with the light radiating from the object in her forehead.

King Lyzel caressed her shoulders, swiftly moving behind her and whispering into her ear.

"No one can understand you as much as I do, Xoese," his voice, soft and seductive, delivered the message deep into Xoese's heart. "Don't fear anyone. I'll protect you for as long as I exist."

The white light streamed out from the palace, rising high up into the deep blue skies.

An enormous power had awakened, and it wasn't going to rest until it devoured the impurity that roamed the Spirit Realm's lands.