Where the Titans had built cities from stone, and the Dragons had carved the skies with flame and fury, there was a realm where silence blossomed into song, where the breath of life stirred softly like dawn's first light.
It was here, amid the vast meadows of Verdara, that Liora, Goddess of Life, prepared to give shape to a new form of existence—one not born of fire or law, but of grace and hope.
The Garden of Whispers
Liora's domain was unlike any other.
Verdara was a boundless garden floating in the ether, where flowers bloomed in colors unseen and trees whispered secrets to the stars.
Streams shimmered with pure essence, and the air was heavy with the perfume of dreams.
It was a place of gentleness and potency, a cradle for beginnings.
Liora walked barefoot across the grass, her footsteps sending ripples of light.
She gathered the petals of the Soulflower, a cosmic bloom birthed from the Harmony soul-current, and crushed them between her fingers.
From the fragrant dust, she molded the first Angel.
The First Lightborn
This being did not arise from flame or stone but from the purest breath of life.
Her skin shimmered with a gentle radiance, eyes deep pools of shimmering gold.
Her wings were not made of feathers but of soft light, glowing with the hues of dawn and twilight.
Liora named her Seraphiel, the First Lightborn.
Seraphiel opened her eyes and smiled—not with knowledge, but with recognition.
She rose gracefully, stretching wings that seemed to hum with the music of creation itself.
The Gift of Grace
Liora approached, her voice like the rustle of leaves.
"You are the breath between heartbeats. The song that mends broken things. The light that guides when shadows fall."
She laid her hands on Seraphiel's brow, bestowing the Gift of Grace—a blessing that would allow angels to heal wounds of body and soul, to soothe pain, and to foster hope where despair took root.
Seraphiel knelt, feeling the warmth of the gift spreading like sunbeams within her.
"How shall I serve?" she asked softly.
"Not as servants," Liora replied, "but as guardians. You will walk among mortals and guide them through darkness. You will teach them to cherish life, to embrace love, and to find strength in mercy."
The Covenant of Light
One by one, more angels were born, each carrying a shard of the Gift of Grace.
They took flight across Verdara, their wings scattering petals of light as they moved.
Unlike dragons, angels did not roar or rage.
They whispered blessings.
They sang lullabies to restless spirits.
They were the keepers of hope.
Liora gathered them beneath the Great Tree of Whispers.
"You are bound by the Covenant of Light," she said.
"To walk in compassion, to protect the innocent, and to challenge cruelty wherever it may rise."
"But remember—light without shadow cannot exist. You must embrace both, or you will lose your way."
The Birth of the Choir
Angels soon formed themselves into the Choir of Verdara—a council of voices united in purpose.
At its center was Seraphiel, radiant and serene, chosen to lead.
The Choir sang not just for the living, but for the dead, the lost, and the unborn.
Their melodies wove through the realms, weaving bonds between life and death, between mortal and divine.
Their voices became a bridge across the realms—a soft song of comfort and strength.
Guardians Among Mortals
The angels did not remain in Verdara.
They descended into the mortal realms, invisible to most, but present in times of great need.
They healed broken warriors on battlefield fields.
They whispered courage to those trembling before despair.
They carried the dying to peaceful rest.
Over time, mortals began to sense their presence—a warm breath on the neck, a soft glow in the dark.
And from this, faith was born.
Not blind obedience, but trust.
The Struggle Within
Yet not all angels embraced their roles with equal zeal.
Among them, the angel Elyndra questioned the nature of mercy.
"Is it right to shield mortals from pain?" she asked Seraphiel.
"Does not pain teach as much as joy?"
Seraphiel answered softly, "Pain is a teacher, yes, but it is also a wound. We are here to ease suffering, not to deny growth."
Elyndra struggled with this, torn between her desire to protect and the recognition that suffering shaped the soul.
Her doubts grew into a quiet rift within the Choir.
The Whisper of Kael
In the shadows of Verdara, Kael, the God of Death and Reflection, watched the angels with silent interest.
He approached Seraphiel once, his voice a velvet shadow.
"Your light is bright," he said, "but do not forget that all life must end."
"Without death, there is no meaning. Without endings, there can be no beginnings."
Seraphiel nodded.
"We do not deny death," she said. "We embrace it, as part of the cycle."
Kael smiled faintly.
"Then your Covenant is true."
The First Test
A great calamity soon tested the angels' purpose.
In the mortal realm of Thalora, a terrible plague swept across the lands, bringing death and despair.
Angels descended en masse, healing what they could, comforting the dying, and lifting the spirits of the living.
But as the plague's shadow spread, even their gifts faltered.
Mortals cried out to gods, demanding relief.
The angels sang their soft songs, but could not stop the relentless tide.
Liora's Lament
Liora watched from Verdara, her heart heavy.
She whispered into the winds, "Is mercy enough?"
Luke answered not with words, but with a touch—a subtle flame that warmed her spirit.
"Mercy is a beginning, not an end."
Liora understood.
The angels would not save all.
But in their light, mortals would find strength to carry on.
And in strength, there is hope.
The Growing Light
The Choir of Verdara expanded.
They learned from their failures as much as their triumphs.
Some angels chose to remain close to mortals, walking among them as guides and healers.
Others stayed in Verdara, singing the ancient songs that bind life to death.
And as their light grew, so too did the faith of mortals—faith not in gods who demanded worship, but in the quiet presence of guardians who walked with them through shadow and flame.
A Seed of Conflict
But beneath the surface of harmony, tension stirred.
The angels' mercy clashed with the Titans' law.
It challenged the dragons' freedom.
It questioned even the divine will.
And in the midst of this delicate balance, a shadow watched—the echo of Eryxis.