Melchior was a beautiful city boasting a large assortment of establishments that catered to the wants of both locals and tourists alike. Whereas Therion's architecture embodied the freedom its people sought and the Lux Holy Land shaped their city to accommodate people from all the different parts of the world, Melchior was a literal melting pot of cultures. In fact, the very thing that Melchior exemplified the most was culture.
Tracing its history back to a time before the advent of Prisma, its architecture style mainly focused on homogenising different styles through the same material, Corroid. This was the name given to natural rocks grown in areas that still remained untouched by Prisma. This was a necessary distinction as they could not be classified under Igneous, Sedimentary or Metamorphic.
They are much harder than metamorphic rocks, but much easier to find. The reason for this is because as Prisma spread across the lands, they did not only corrupt the land, but also created new ones. And because of this, some areas of Corrin have been displaced from their original positions, pressed back by Prisma and subjected to their strange power. They were not as tough as Prisma, but they were certainly easier to handle.
The buildings of Melchior were all made from corroid rocks, giving them a lighter shade than most other buildings in other cities even without paint. They resembled classical buildings, entire theatres and museums always welcoming bustling crowds. Their focus on old Corrin culture while developing it to suit the new age has made them the most popular city in the world. But all those flowery words seemed moot in the face of the chaos wrought about by the appearance of the heaven-reaching mountain.
Melchior had suffered a lot of damages from the quaking earth. It was not only the land that cracked, but even buildings. While most were left with just these minor infrastructure damage, important landmarks like the Grand Theatre and even some government buildings had crumbled on one side. This, however, was not the fault of those who constructed it. Rather, the land itself opened like a gaping maw, breaking those above it. Several other buildings in a line had been damaged in much the same way and many people even fell into that depthless pit.
This was the sight that greeted Galeon when he arrived in the skies over Melchior. His heart was pounding fast as he swiftly dove down, navigating his way toward Lily's clinic. It did not take him much time to find it, but getting in was a tougher task as the chaos had spread uncontrollably. Debris and injured people were dropping like flies along the streets, blocking much of the way forward. In the end, Galeon had to enter through a window on the upper floors of the clinic.
The moment he got in, the first thing he noticed was the unusual silence. Unlike what was happening outside, the inside of the clinic seemed untouched as though it was stuck in time. He spread his light everywhere only to find that the clinic was completely devoid of life. There was no one there at all. At a time when so many people were injured right outside the door, it was glaringly peculiar that no one was manning this place.
Anxiety slowly crept up Galeon's mind as he changed his approach. If Lily was not in the clinic, then she might be home. And so he tapped into the Light that he left within her bangle. As he closed his eyes, he sensed the surroundings of the bangle and found... nothing. It was an empty room and the bangle seemed to be resting on a desk.
Galeon's eyes opened as he stared in the direction that he sensed the bangle in. He immediately rushed to it, his heart growing heavier and more sombre with every passing second. There were questions in his mind, but he understood the simplest and most apparent thing.
The moment he arrived at an empty house that was left relatively unharmed by the earthquake, he entered the room where he found the bangle. And there he confirmed his suspicion. Lily was gone and she left the bangle here along with a note.
'Hey, if you're reading this, then it means you came to find me. Don't worry, I'm fine. It's just that my brother and I had to leave in a hurry and I couldn't tell you. Please, don't come looking for me.
Anyway, I wanted to tell you something the next time we met, but it might be a long time before then. I learned a lot about many things recently. About you... about us. When we meet again, I hope I can get some answers. And maybe then I can finally tell you how I feel. Stay safe.
Love, Lily
PS - I'm sorry'
Galeon felt a lump stuck in his throat. He had already expected it, but seeing it for himself just made him feel even more miserable. He did not know what to think of this. He came back to Melchior to make sure Lily was safe, but all he returned to was something that felt like a betrayal. Should he really be feeling this way?
They had only known each other for a few days. They did not have that sort of relationship. There was no justified reason for him to feel betrayed. But at the same time, he felt a spark with her. Her presence was a safe haven, a sanctuary that he yearned for so dearly. For it to leave him alone in these dire times made him feel helpless.
And then there was the bangle, the gift he made for her as a token of his gratitude. He had no need to do it, but he decided to bear his heart to someone for the first time. And who was more fitting than the one who knew him for the first time, not through a helmet, but in the flesh? Who was worthier than the one who gave shelter to a vulnerable stranger in his time of need? It was like everything clicked into place at that moment. Meeting Lily was one of the best moments in his life. Galeon never doubted that one bit. And this one note tore his heart more than she knew.
'I'm sorry'
The last words she offered him stung more than having his arm burnt to ash. So many thoughts and so many emotions she wanted to convey, and yet she compressed it all to just these two words that she could not even punctuate. He did not say it aloud, but he knew he had fallen for her. She was his first love. But Lily had decided for both of them and he would respect that. No matter how much it hurt him to go through this whole mess, he had to let go of it for now. There were much more pressing things to deal with at present and he could not afford to be distracted.
He took the bangle and released the power binding it, letting it melt back into his body as he left the house in silence. He shot back up into the sky as he stared at the towering spiral mountain in the horizon. In the time that it took for him to reach Melchior, it had grown even more, not just in height but overall. No longer did it seem as thin as a needle. It was now a veritable tower, and up close, possibly a gargantuan mountain.
"What was it that you saw, Helena?"
He wondered out loud as he brought out something that he had been holding onto since he left the Lux Holy Land. In his hand was a Prisma Core floating silently, its docile aura harmoniously mingling with his own. It was strange as Galeon could feel a strange familiarity with it. It did not compel him to do anything, it merely floated over his palm silently, ready to serve its purpose in any way. When Galeon turned to look at the distant mountain once more, he paused because in front of him was someone he never expected to meet again.
A shadowy silhouette that seemed exceptionally alive yet inexplicably not. Its incorporeal form was like that of a black flame that barely minded the winds so high up in the sky. It turned to look at the heaven-reaching mountain as well before looking back at Galeon and the Prisma Core in his hand. The message was as simple as could be. And with a nod, Galeon pressed the Prisma Core to his chest, allowing himself to devour it.
[Shaper has devoured a unique type of Prisma Core with undefined qualities and complexities.]
[Shaper has gained an undefined unique quality.]
[Shaper of Self defines the unique quality: Clarity]
[You have obtained the trait: Eyes of Clarity]
Even as the notifications came, Galeon could barely pay them any attention as his head threatened to burst open. His eyes became like ravenous beasts that devoured waves upon waves of pure power and authority from him that he swore he had already gone blind for more than just a brief moment.
His eyes seemed to become mediums of a unique authority contained within Shaper, something not entirely detached from his authority as the Shaper of Self. But with this authority, his silver eyes had become something similar to Helena's. They were crystalline masses of power and authority, no longer merely flesh and blood. But that was not the end.
An audible crack rang out in the sky as Galeon's head was finally split open, but with the authority of the Shaper, he could not die from it even if he wanted to. He had to endure the excruciating pain even as everything began to mend once more, leaving only a hole in the middle of his forehead. And there, another eye grew similar to the ones he already had.
These were the Eyes of Clarity.