Eden of Gold

Lemnian Hollow · Outskirts

To ordinary people, Hollows were forbidden zones fraught with danger. Ether concentrations were dangerously high, Ethereals roamed everywhere, and one careless step could cost a life.

But for certain people, entering a Hollow was as routine as going home.

At that moment, however, a strange scene was unfolding in one corner of Lemnian Hollow: a group of children had ventured into one of the six great Hollows.

"Nangong, there are a few more Ethereals over there! Hurry up and send them home!"

"Aria, scout ahead! I want to make sure there isn't a single Ethereal within five kilometers!"

As the arranger for Angels of Delusion and the only ordinary human on the team, Sunna was usually timid and quick to cry.

Now she was waving her arms in excitement, directing her companions as they cleared out the Ethereals.

"But Sunna, I can only detect Ether Energy leaks within two hundred meters!"

Aria had just risen from a splendid butt-first slam that had flattened two Ethereals into nothing.

She stared at Sunna blankly. Five kilometers?

I can't do that!

"Don't worry about it, Aria. Sunna's so excited she's talking nonsense!"

Nangong came out dragging two meteor hammers, clearly fresh from a fight.

She looked around and, finding no Ethereals, nodded. "All right, Commander Sunna. The Ethereals are gone. We can start the part you've been 'looking forward to' now."

"Bleh! I'm not lifting a finger, Nangong..." Sunna huffed and made a face at her two companions. "That's what you get for teaming up to scare me!"

Then Sunna turned to Griseo beside her. Her expression instantly switched to that of a gentle big sister, and her voice softened.

"Um... Griseo, can we start?"

"Okay!" Griseo nodded, then closed her eyes.

The Ether Energy around them, quiet until now, suddenly stirred as though a catalyst had been added to an inert reaction.

A vibrant pulse spread through the air, and a dazzling Signet formed in the light.

Ether Energy streamed into its center, and the figure of a woman slowly took shape. She was graceful and composed, like a muse stepping out of a musical score.

"Teacher Eden is here! Nangong, help me get my sheet music! Aria, get ready to record!"

Sunna was as excited as any devoted fan meeting her idol. Usually, only a concert by Astra Yao could get her this worked up.

Nangong and Aria, on the other hand, reacted much more calmly.

It wasn't that they weren't amazed. Every time Eden appeared, her breathtaking beauty could leave anyone speechless.

It was just... they had seen it many times before.

This was a little secret shared by the four of them. Not even Cecilia knew.

At first, Sunna's pure love of music had moved Griseo. By a stroke of luck, Griseo awakened the Signet of Gold.

As far as Cecilia knew, Griseo only reluctantly agreed to perform from time to time because she was close to Sunna.

But there was another secret. Since then, Eden had become Angels of Delusion's unseen mentor.

Whenever they entered a Hollow for a commission and had time to spare, Griseo would use her Signet to summon Eden and have her guide Sunna and the others in their music.

That was why the three girls had improved so quickly over the past six months, and why their performances kept getting better.

As for today's summoning, it all went back to the prank two nights ago.

For one thing, it was Griseo and Aria's way of apologizing to Sunna. They really had given everyone quite a scare.

For another, during their trip through Weifei Land, they had heard plenty of authentic folk music. Sunna had gathered all sorts of inspiration and wanted to turn it into melodies.

Before handing her work to Cecilia for approval, Sunna had pleaded with Griseo until she agreed to summon Eden.

"Isn't the sheet music in your own backpack?"

Nangong looked helpless. Sunna was the only one in their group who even carried a backpack!

Nangong stepped behind Sunna and pulled a stack of handwritten sheet music from her little bag. The staves were packed with notes and corrections.

Sunna snatched it from her and held it out in both hands toward the figure taking shape, as though presenting a treasure.

[When the stars grow dim and the winecups run dry, my king, why do you remain in this barren land?]

[To await the triumphant song. To seek the truth.]

[I am Eden of Gold, the fourth of the Flame-Chasers.]

Eden slowly opened her eyes. They were clear and bright, as though an entire starry sky lay within them.

She looked down at Sunna, and a faint smile touched her lips. Then she spoke, her voice soft as the gentle pluck of a zither string.

"My three dear little friends, we meet again. What have you brought back for me to hear this time?"

"So elegant! So beautiful!"

Instead of handing Eden the sheet music, Sunna took out her phone, brought up a video, and said, "Teacher Eden, could you sing this a cappella?"

Eden tilted her head slightly and looked at the video. It showed some lyrics...

(Note: This song is "Predestination," a background track from a work by Kinoko Mushroom on Bilibili.)

(The video is titled "A True Hymn! Aponia & Eden Fan Song." It's stunning—go check it out.)

Eden didn't understand the request, but she respected it. After all, it had come from a dear little friend.

"The sun drops (As the setting sun sinks)

Nightmares climb top (Nightmares climb the eaves)

Wings flip, and the world stops (Butterfly wings flutter, and the world stands still)

Sharing gems and rum worth of diadem (Though wine and treasures are bestowed upon the world)

Sunna and Nangong listened quietly, while Aria set her device to record, determined not to miss a single note.

Eden paused, then lifted her gaze slightly, as though looking somewhere very far away.

Then she continued—

When the sun dropped (When the final radiant sun went down)

Sweetened dreams floated top (Sweet dreams floated like bubbles)

As the last line faded, the air seemed to freeze for an instant.

The three girls stared for a couple of seconds, then began applauding without even thinking. Eden had needed only one glance to deliver exactly what they wanted.

Eden smiled. "It's only a short passage. Where do you plan to use it?"

"We're trying to find the right feel for this song!" Sunna said excitedly, gesturing with her hands.

"We want to add a spoken passage that feels like a god descending, but no matter how I say it, it never sounds right. So we wanted to ask you to demonstrate, Teacher Eden!"

Eden looked at Sunna, then at Nangong and Aria. Finally, her gaze settled on Griseo.

"Truthfully, my best advice would be to ask Aponia. But since you came to me instead, Griseo, I assume there's something else?"

Griseo nodded to Eden. "Sister Eden, could you look at Sister Sunna's sheet music?"

Sunna promptly snatched the sheet music from Nangong and offered it to Eden, her eyes full of anticipation.

"Of course!"

I've had a lot going on lately and haven't been able to keep up. With the book's debut bringing in so many comments, I can't reply to everyone, so I'll respond here.

Thank you all for pointing out the mistakes. I'm fixing them now, and I'll keep your suggestions in mind going forward.

I won't have time to write today's second chapter either. I'll make it up during the day.