The castle walls still bore traces of being scorched by holy light, but the main structure remained intact. Renault stood atop the castle's tallest tower, watching the faint blue halo in the distance—the lingering trace of angelic energy.
Footsteps approached from behind.
Renault turned and saw two figures ascending from the stairway.
Marcus walked in front.
His hair was made of thick, stiff white metal wires that glinted coldly in the sunlight. A thin layer of frost covered his pale gray skin.
Wherever he walked, delicate frost flowers formed across the stone slabs, sparkling beneath the sun.
Elena followed behind him, completely unaffected by his chill.
Her skin was a translucent pale white, and pale golden liquid could be seen flowing beneath it.
As she walked, her long, slender crystal hair drifted gently in the wind, while faint blue light shone through the three pairs of cracks on her face as they opened and closed slightly.
Renault stared at the two of them for a moment.
Then he smiled.
It was not a happy smile, but the kind of smile one wore after seeing too much to care about anything anymore.
"You're here." He nodded slightly in greeting.
Marcus looked at him. Blue specks of light flickered deep within his silver-white eyes.
"You're Renault?"
"Yes."
"I heard you fought in Purgatory and entered it."
"Yes. I entered it with the president."
Marcus nodded.
"Then that's enough."
Elena walked to the edge of the tower and looked at the blue halo in the distance. She raised a hand, and her crystal hair drifted in the wind, producing a faint tinkling sound.
"Where did that light come from?"
Renault walked over and stood beside her.
"The ruins of Notre-Dame de Paris. Angels were still active there three days ago, but they've withdrawn