The brisk melody of a violin mingled with the tinkling of a piano. In the distance, sirens sang softly and melodiously; nearby, nymphs draped in gauze carried fruit platters. Pale white mist curled around their feet, while male and female wizards in elegant robes stood all around.
Everyone wore restrained yet courteous smiles, holding stemmed glasses filled with golden Amber Light.
Zheng Qing listened blankly to that distant, ethereal singing. Siren songs were famous even in the ordinary world, but that was not the main reason for his daze. More than anything, their voices gave him an intensely familiar feeling.
It felt as though he had heard them somewhere before.
Gentle and smooth, then soaring high—the melody seemed filled with inexpressible hope, yet concealed boundless sorrow, making one feel the urge to weep.
Clink!
The crisp sound of glasses touching snapped Zheng Qing out of his thoughts. A pale-faced witch smiled at the young wizard. "Laputa's music is like Atlantis's paintings—it always draws people in... Though this piece is beautiful, I have to admit that it is inappropriate for an occasion like this."
"Laputa?" Zheng Qing murmured, repeating the word.
"The legendary 'Sky City.'" The witch gave him a curious glance. "A silent paradise, a holy land for alchemists, and home to Magic Plants and ancient creatures."
An image suddenly surfaced in Zheng Qing's mind: an enormous chestnut-like island floating amid white clouds and blue skies. At the same time, he finally realized where that strange familiarity had come from.
The piece the sirens were singing was the theme song of Sky City.
But why had that witch said the song was unsuitable for this occasion? What sort of occasion was this? The thought had barely drifted through Zheng Qing's mind before the scene around him smoothly shifted into another.