The ruins lay in desolation. Only a few large candelabras still burned with dying embers. Sparks rose into the air, entwining with the falling snow.
Whether standing atop the high walls of the ruins, leaning amid broken walls and crumbling remnants, or curled within filthy craters, every wizard remained silent in these ruins for a long while. Thinking of Sky Island's former prosperity, of their busy peers not long ago, then looking at its present devastation, even the most indifferent wizard could not help but feel a trace of melancholy.
The wind lifted the hems of their robes, while snow settled upon their hat brims.
At that moment, there was an inexplicable sense of life's vicissitudes.
No one knew who began humming the Soul-Calming Song. Carried by the smoke of war and mournful wind, it spread to every corner of Sky Island.
When the song ended, the wizards in the ruins slowly emerged from the grief-stricken melody. It was then that Lord Monchi, standing at the center of the ruins, spoke his first words.
"I am deeply sorry." Monchi wore a magnificent frost-colored robe, its front and back both marked with crescents. His face was concealed behind a silver mask, one with the Frost Moon Silver Crown upon his head, intricate and resplendent, as though forged as a single piece.
"This unwarranted disaster was Frost Moon's mistake. Once this matter is settled, I will provide compensation according to the terms I previously signed with all of you." Monchi paused, looked toward Sanders within the shadowy darkness, then glanced back at Rheinmut beside him. "This time, we had the two of you to thank for your help. Otherwise, Sky Island might already have fallen completely."
Sanders's expression remained cold as he nodded in response. Rheinmut merely smiled faintly, his gaze involuntarily