The carriage rolled onward, moving from Cinderspire Way toward the refined streets of Valcrist District.
Here, the roads were paved with deep black stone, polished smooth and reflective, exuding an air of quiet sophistication. Faint silver inlays shimmered under the daylight, growing more luminescent as night fell. Wide streets stretched beneath ornate gas and arcane lamps and elegant iron railings, lined with towering mansions and grand avenues of the noble families.
Eventually, the carriage came to a halt before a mansion.
Above its entrance, a Celestial Black Phoenix clutching a Gilded Orb before a hidden sun was carved into the stone, the sigil of House Veylmont. The mansion itself was an imposing structure, built from black-veined starlight marble, its towering spires casting long, watchful shadows over the street. In front of the massive Gate, a cascading silver-waterfall fountain shimmered like liquid moonlight.
"Tell Dorian to come outside. Also, inform the family butler to give him 1,000 Solari. If he asks why, just say: Cassian Veyrathis ordered it."Levi instructed Veylan without stepping out of the carriage.
The servant nodded, bowing slightly before making his way toward the mansion, exchanging a few words with the Veylmont staff as he entered.
Levi then turned his attention to the boy beside him.
"What's your name?"
The boy met his eyes and said without hesitation."Jonas. And you… you're Cassian Veyrathis, of the noble bloodline."
"No, I'm Levi. He's my older brother." Levi corrected before shifting the topic. "What talent did you display during the trial?"
Jonas met his gaze steadily, his expression unreadable. After a brief pause, he answered, "Order 6."
"Whoa..." Levi raised a brow, genuinely impressed. "You passed the trial in just six minutes without even knowing your spirit senses? That's incredible."
The boy tilted his head. "It's nothing compared to you. You showed an Order 3. The whole city is talking about the Veyrathis family's prodigy. You're just one step away from the legendary Order 2."
Ascending beyond Order 3 was considered legendary, a feat so rare it was akin to defying time itself. The average lifespan of Senthora's common folk was ninty to hundred years, but those who became Echoes experienced something different. Their Echo Aura slowed cell degeneration, cured illnesses, and strengthened their bodies.
And with power came survival.
The higher one ascended, the less they were bound by biological limitations. The risk of disease, aging, or even falling to a beast or spirit race dwindled. At the peak, death itself became a distant shadow.
Still, to many, the idea of reaching Order 2 or Order 1 was nothing but foolishness beacuse the Domains tied to these these orders—Life and Death—had never once appeared in Senthora's recorded history. But if they ever did… the world would drown in blood.
Ancient monsters, those who had refused to die, had been waiting for centuries, lurking in the shadows, ready to claim the treasures of these orders at any cost. Morality? Laws? Those meant nothing to them.
Through Soulbinder and Soulforger Echoes, they had bound their souls to spirit races forming unbreakable contracts. Spirit races have lifespans far surpassing those of humans. Some had fused with weapons, others with artifacts of power, all for the lure of glittering treasures and for some purposes far more sinister.
Yet, despite their denial, the truth remained, Order 2 granted a lifespan stretching centuries. Those who failed to ascend simply dismissed it as an impossible dream, unwilling to admit their own limits.
But Levi was different. As a Sovereign, he had the potential to ascend even to Order 1. And if fate willed it, he might even claim the Throne of Wisdom, a seat no Sovereign in history had ever touched.
Yet wisdom alone was never enough. No throne is taken without blood and brilliance.
After some time, a boy stepped into the carriage. His gold-rimmed glasses gleamed over light blue eyes, his flawless skin radiated a quiet elegance, and his refined jawline bore the unmistakable mark of nobility, untouched by hardship.
"Dorain, did the butler give you the money?" Levi asked.
He nodded, "Yes. He handed it over without a single question." He gestured toward a sack, tucked beneath the ornate belt of his finely woven tunic, crafted from fabric so rare it shimmered subtly in the light.
Levi frowned. "What's wrong? You look upset. You didn't even come to the academy today."
Dorian barely reacted, but his gaze flicked to the unfamiliar boy sitting across from Levi. His brow furrowed, lips pressing into a thin line. After a moment, he asked, "When did you change servants? Where's Anderson?"
Before the boy could protest that he wasn't anyone's servant, Levi cut in. "Don't worry about him. He's not a servant but one of us. As for Anderson, I don't know, I haven't seen him or Big Brother since we left the airship."
Dorain hesitated, then sighed. "Well…" He began recounting the events of last night's family gathering, carefully skipping certain details, mindful of the new boy's presence.
After listening to Dorain, Levi leaned back. "Hmm... so you need to earn two thousand Solari before your arena match."
He then called to the driver, "Veylan, head toward the southern gate."
Veylan, ever obedient, his voice calm replied, "Young master, reaching there by carriage will take at least two to three hours. Why not take an airship? Or if you prefer a carriage journey, we could return to the estate and switch to a mechanical one."
"No need. Reaching there is what matters, not how long it takes." He said as he thought to himself,"And I want to see what's changed in city."
With a silent nod, Veylan flicked the reins, and the carriage set off.
They left behind the luxurious domed mansions and grand avenues of Valcrest District, merging onto Cinderspire Way, the main road leading straight to the Southern Gate.
The streets pulsed with life. Mechanical carriages hissed and whirred alongside, their brass fixtures gleaming in the morning light. At regular intervals, Aethergate stations hummed with energy, ferrying passengers across the sprawling metropolis.
Noblemen in tailored coats strode toward their businesses holding brass-tipped canes tapping against cobblestone. Factory workers, their clothes stained with soot, trudged through the crowd. Scholars clutched stacks of parchment, while laborers moved with quiet purpose, vanishing into the labyrinth of industry.
Arbiters patrolled the roads, ensuring order. A few moved to halt the Levi's carriage, frowning at the sight of a horse-drawn vehicle on the main thoroughfare. But the moment they noticed the insignia of an owl emblazoned on its side, they stepped back without a word, letting it pass.
Horses were banned from Cinderspire Way, their waste fouled the roads. Only mechanical carriages powered by Aether Crystals were permitted. But this time, the arbiters made an exception. Why? Because the carriage bore the insignia of the Sovereign family. Had it been a noble family's carriage, they might have dared to stop it.
But laws? Laws were only meant for the poor. Rules existed to discipline them, to pull their strings, making them easier to control.Years ago, when the factory workers rioted for fair wages, the noble families tightened the leash, curfews, permit requirements, and armed arbiters in the streets. Now, control was maintained not through open force, but through laws designed to keep them in check.
Yes, the Southern Continent was lawless, but the powerful would never allow true freedom for everyone. In their ideology, if few wanted freedom, the rest had to serve. The simplest way to maintain control? Create laws. Enforce them with force. Over time, people would accept them, obey them, live by them until they no longer even questioned them.
Amid the hustle and bustle of Zul'vharra, Levi's gaze drifted over the passing crowd. A subtle crease formed between his brows. Something felt… off and said "Too many unfamiliar faces. Their features, their mannerisms, they aren't locals."
Dorain, lounging by the carriage's clear window, barely looked up. "Huh? unfamiliar faces?"
His eyes scanned the crowds merchants, workers, nobles each moving with purpose. He saw nothing strange.
Jonas spoke, his tone measured. "I've noticed it too. More airships have arrived since yesterday, and the number of foreigners keeps increasing."
He paused, locking eyes with Levi.
"There haven't been any major arena clashes recently. No grand events. And yet, they're still coming. That can only mean one thing…"
"For the Shattered Veil Domain," Levi finished his sentence and then added " Last time the Order 7 Domain opened, kingdoms fell, and rivers ran red with blood. This time would be no different."
Jonas nodded. " Yes. After three to four thousand years, it's finally about to open again. And this unusual crowd can only mean one thing, domain is awakening in our continent… along with its key."
Levi gave a slight nod, confirming the truth.
In human history, only four times Domains opened to the world and each time, it had ushered in a new era.
The cycle was always the same. First came Order 7 'the Shattered Veil domain' then the rest. Its key is an ancient hammer, wreathed in flames. Whoever claimed the key could control who entered… and more importantly, who controlled its resources.
But some forces already held the keys to three Domains. When Order 6, 5, and 4 emerged, they would dictate everything within them. Only Order 7 remained untouched.
Perhaps… the previous Sovereign and Anchor had been killed protecting it.
And now, it fell to Levi to defend it with Elrya. The Domain itself had chosen her as its protector. It was part of the Dream Realm, of which Levi was the true guardian.