Liselotte unfurled her wings, summoning a tempest of wind that set the forest ablaze with motion. Mighty cyclones spiraled from her outstretched feathers, their roaring vortexes tearing through the canopy, uprooting trees and sending debris hurtling through the air.

Ebonheim clung desperately to a sturdy branch, clinging to its rough bark with all her might. Her divine aura flickered like a candle in a storm, struggling against the hurricane-force winds. Her knuckles ached as her fingers scrabbled for purchase.

[Divine Aura] 311/400

Suddenly, a powerful gust seized her, lifting her off the ground. She spiraled upwards, flung high into the air, her dress billowing around her like a sail in a storm.

Her feet flailed wildly as she tried to find solid ground, but only the empty air greeted her efforts. The forest canopy swayed in the distance, tantalizingly close, but far beyond her grasp. Her body spun helplessly, turning round and round as the maelstrom tossed her about like a ragdoll.

Above her, the floating islands loomed, their undersides blanketed in verdant greenery. Smaller ones floated among them, drifting lazily through the air.

Ebonheim cursed her luck for not having a flight or levitation power. She had planned on investing in one, but had held off until later due to other priorities.

She regretted her decision now!

Liselotte led the dance, her wings manipulating the currents to guide their ascent toward one of the larger islands. Once they were near enough, Ebonheim latched onto a nearby vine and pulled herself onto its surface, gratefully savoring the sensation of solid ground beneath her feet.

"Much better, isn't it?" Liselotte trilled. "I hope you're not afraid of heights. Well, too late if you are." She flicked her wing, propelling herself higher in the air. "Look down! You're so high up! Isn't it scary?"

Ebonheim ignored her mocking tone and surveyed their surroundings.

The island was mostly flat, with a few small hills and craters dotting its surface. Trees and bushes covered most of its area, with a few open clearings here and there. At the far end of the island, the foliage gave way to a sheer cliff face that overlooked the valley below.

She spotted a group of harpies sunning themselves on the rocks near the cliffs, basking in the warm afternoon rays. Their colorful wings sprawled out languidly, their faces upturned to the sun. A few others rested in the shade of a large tree.

Most of the harpies were young or juvenile, their bodies smaller and less developed than the others. They groomed themselves, preening their feathers, picking at stray bits of grass or twigs that had lodged themselves among the softer fluff.

They seemed peaceful, almost innocent. Hard to imagine they could become ferocious predators in the blink of an eye.

Ebonheim blinked. It seemed like they hardly acknowledged her presence. They didn't seem to care about the fight happening below them at all.

[Divine Aura] 288/400

Suddenly, a blast of wind struck her from the side, hurling her into the undergrowth. The leaves cushioned her landing, and she scrambled back to her feet, running as fast as she could. Liselotte cackled with laughter behind her.

Another gust of wind blew, and Ebonheim braced herself against a nearby tree. Its thick trunk absorbed most of the force, and she managed to stay upright. The leaves and branches above her rustled and trembled as the air rushed overhead.

Liselotte darted past, her feathers nearly brushing the tops of the trees as she turned back around, banking sharply in the air and coming back for another attack.

Ebonheim dodged, slipping behind another tree for cover. A storm of feathers shredded the foliage where she had stood mere moments before. The ruined branches and leaves rained down in a hailstorm of debris, pelting her with sharp slivers of bark and torn leaves.

As Liselotte made another pass, Ebonheim summoned her Vines of the Bramble King, lashing out at the harpy queen with whips of twisting vines and thorns. Liselotte effortlessly evaded them, twirling and spinning through the air with fluid grace.

The vines trailed after her, but their length quickly ran out and they withered away, unable to keep up with her movements. Ebonheim retracted them, bringing them back to her and using them to launch herself further along the floating island.

[Divine Aura] 254/400

A powerful gust of wind knocked her sideways, and she stumbled into a copse of trees. She lurched forward, catching her footing, but a wall of hardened air smashed into her back, slamming her against a tree trunk.

[Divine Aura] 235/400

Her aura crackled with golden light, absorbing the impact, but the sheer force of the blow staggered her. She collapsed to the ground, groaning.

Liselotte cackled with delight, flying in slow circles around Ebonheim. "Fun! Fun!" she chirped gleefully. "More, more!"

She came in for another attack, but Ebonheim met her with a Tempest of the Grove, conjuring a swirl of cyclonic winds around her. Liselotte's wings thrashed as the air currents battered against her, but she persevered, pushing through and forcing herself closer and closer to Ebonheim.

[Divine Aura] 208/400

Her talons slashed viciously, raking against her aura with lightning quickness. Ebonheim fended her off with her bow, parrying each strike, but with every hit, her divine aura weakened.

[Divine Aura] 163/400

She called upon her Aura Inversion and Self-Regeneration to swap her Health with her Divine Aura, restoring the latter while regenerating her dwindled Health.

Liselotte kept pressing her attack, driving Ebonheim back.

Ebonheim retaliated with a barrage of Essence Bolts. A few connected, but most missed their target as Liselotte wove and darted between them.

Another blast of wind sent Ebonheim sprawling across the ground, and she skidded to a halt at the base of a rocky outcropping.

Liselotte dove down, slamming her talons into the ground where Ebonheim had lain, carving deep furrows into the earth. She flapped her wings, releasing a shockwave of compressed air that blew Ebonheim back onto the ground.

Ebonheim rolled with the momentum and flipped back to her feet, dashing across the island and weaving around the scattered trees and bushes. Liselotte chased after her, the beat of her wings sending gusts of wind that rustled the treetops.

In the distance, other floating islands drifted lazily in the air, surrounded by wisps of fog.

Ebonheim zigzagged around the foliage, using the natural obstacles to give herself a bit of breathing room. The exertion took a toll on her, her muscles aching and her lungs burning as she forced herself to run faster.

Behind her, Liselotte laughed with wild abandon. "Slow! Slow! This is boring!" Her voice echoed throughout the forest. "Run! Run!"

A series of thunderclaps exploded behind Ebonheim, the impact knocking her off her feet. She rolled, tumbling along the ground, and eventually ended up on her stomach, gasping for air.

A shadow passed over her. She looked back in time to see Liselotte's talons gripping her shoulder, digging into her aura.

She yanked Ebonheim upward, flinging her through the air. Her arms flailed, her legs kicking uselessly as she sailed across the sky until she crashed into one of the floating rocks that dotted the surrounding airspace. The collision jarred her senses, disorienting her momentarily.

Ebonheim lay prone, her limbs splayed against the cold, hard stone. She wheezed, coughing as she drew ragged breaths into her lungs.

She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep this up. Liselotte's attacks were relentless. If she didn't figure out a way to turn the tide soon, she might well lose this battle.

Liselotte dove again, a streak of color against the backdrop of the floating islands and the cloudless sky.

Ebonheim rolled to the side, barely avoiding the swipe of sharp talons that left deep gouges in the earth where she had been lying. She jumped to her feet, and took stock of her situation.

She was now on another of the floating islands, which formed a loose network of aerial paths that crisscrossed the valley. It wasn't large, barely a dozen meters across, and it lacked any major features save for a single tree and a jumble of large boulders near its center.

Nowhere to hide, and the bare stone offered little comfort.

She ran, dashing to the edge of the island. She glanced over the side, calculating the distance to the nearest island. It wasn't a short drop, and there wasn't enough space to maneuver in midair, but the gap wasn't insurmountable. It was better than nothing.

She crouched, ready to leap across.

Liselotte rushed her, barreling down from above. With a desperate lunge, Ebonheim hurled herself off the edge, catching hold of the stone precipice with one hand. The jolt nearly dislodged her grip, and she slid a little ways, her fingertips scraping against the rock face.

Hanging by her fingertips, Ebonheim braced her feet against the sheer cliff, and pushed off, launching herself over to the neighboring island. She landed awkwardly, stumbling and tumbling, but somehow managing to avoid falling to her doom.

"Oho! Clever." Liselotte circled over the island, drifting in lazy spirals. "Very clever. You're resourceful. I like that." Her eyes gleamed, taking on a predatory hunger. "But you can't escape me. Not here. I know these skies. You don't."

She flapped her wings, sending a torrent of air downwards, blowing Ebonheim over the edge of the island.

Ebonheim screamed as she plummeted, the wind whistling past her ears. She fell, tumbling through the air, her dress flapping wildly in the breeze.

Her descent abruptly slowed as the air currents caught her, sending her sailing gently across the sky. Liselotte hovered nearby, laughing as she watched Ebonheim drift toward another island.

It was almost comical, the way Ebonheim was casually tossed from one place to another.

Almost.

Ebonheim gritted her teeth, fighting against the current, but she couldn't overcome Liselotte's control over the wind.

The current carried her over the edge of the island, depositing her on its rocky surface. She rolled to a stop, gasping as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

She felt the heat of Liselotte's glare from above.

"Can you fly, little bird?" Liselotte taunted, her voice echoing through the air. "You're trapped, little bird. No escape. No sanctuary. Only me. Only me."

Ebonheim hissed, clambering unsteadily to her feet. "Dammit...so annoying..." she muttered.

She eyed the various islands around her. Several of them were within jumping distance. The gaps weren't very large, but without a way to generate lift or propulsion, her jumps were limited to a certain amount of range.

She leapt from one floating rock to another—these smaller islands providing a chain of stepping stones through the sky. Each leap was a gamble, with nothing but the empty air awaiting her if she failed to make the jump.

Liselotte continued to tail her, stalking her from above. Her laugh echoed through the air, taunting and teasing.

Ebonheim ignored her and focused on her next jump.

With another leap, Ebonheim moved to a smaller island, one that spun slowly on its axis. She waited, timing her next jump for when the island was facing the correct direction.

Just a little closer...come on! Almost there...

As Liselotte closed in, Ebonheim leapt, the island's rotation adding momentum to her jump.

Liselotte, caught off guard, missed her strike, her talons scraping empty air. Ebonheim landed on another rotating island, using its motion to catapult herself further.

From island to island she moved, bounding across the sky.

Liselotte pursued, matching her pace and trajectory, weaving through the floating islands in her pursuit.

With a deep breath, Ebonheim cast her Elemental Admixture, combining the elements of air and fire to create a swirling vortex of flame and wind. She unleashed the Flamegale Slash towards Liselotte, conjuring a spiraling inferno that roared across the gap between them.

Liselotte's eyes widened, and she banked hard to avoid the attack. The flame vortex grazed her, singeing feathers and leaving a trail of smoke in its wake.

Ebonheim didn't pause. She followed up with a Frostwind Gust, hurling a frigid cyclone in Liselotte's direction.

The icy blast struck her head-on, buffeting her wings and sending her reeling. She careened uncontrollably across the air, spiraling downward until she crashed into an island.

The rock shook from the impact, its edges fracturing and crumbling, causing pieces to fall away and disappear into the misty depths below.

Liselotte let out a low groan as she clawed at the ground, struggling to right herself.

Ebonheim took a moment to catch her breath. "Whew...that's more like it."

Liselotte coughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood and dirt. Her wings twitched as she lifted herself from the ground. "Rrraaaaarrrgh...damn...you," she growled. She flapped her wings, shattering the rock beneath her, and launched herself into the air, taking flight once more.

Ebonheim readied herself for the incoming assault. "Come on, then."

Liselotte's wings flapped rapidly, creating a swirling vortex of air that sucked Ebonheim toward her. The cyclone dragged her from her island and carried her into the air.

As Ebonheim hurtled toward her, Liselotte let out a sonic scream, blasting her with a deafening wave of sound. The energy tore at Ebonheim's aura, sending her spinning through the air, buffeted by the rushing wind.

She tumbled, her body thrown end over end as she hurtled through the sky. She caught flashes of rock and sky through the chaos, but she was unable to orient herself.

The next thing she knew, she was plummeting towards the ancient city ruins—its broken spires and shattered towers rushing to meet her.

She slammed into the ground, bouncing and tumbling, the impact shattering her weakened divine aura. The rough cobblestones broke and cracked, tearing at her dress and skin, leaving trails of blood and dirt in their wake.

Ebonheim bounced along the ground, rolling and tumbling until she finally crashed into the base of what was once the city fountain.

Her head throbbed. Her body ached. The world spun around her.

She struggled to sit up, but collapsed back onto the ground as pain flared through her body. The taste of copper filled her mouth, and she spat out a mixture of saliva and blood.

Not good. Not good at all.

---

Ebonheim lay sprawled against the cracked foundation of the ancient fountain, her body bruised and battered from the fall. Her aura waned, flickering weakly before disappearing entirely. The taste of blood and dust mingled in her mouth, a bitter reminder of her fall from the sky.

Through blurred vision, she scanned her surroundings, noting the broken and crumbling buildings and the tangled vegetation that crawled over the ruinous structures.

Well, that sure was a long drop...

She tried to rise, but agony lanced through her, forcing her back down with a grimace.

After activating her Self-Regeneration power, her body began to mend itself, but the healing process was slow. Pain lingered in her limbs, a dull ache that refused to fade.

Her health hadn't fully recovered, but she figured she'd try to move anyway. It would only get worse if she didn't. Besides, she couldn't afford to lie here any longer. Who knows how soon Liselotte would arrive?

She pulled herself upright, hissing as her muscles protested the movement. Slowly, she got to her feet, swaying unsteadily. Every step brought fresh pain, but she forced herself to continue onward.

With each passing moment, her vision cleared, and her mind grew sharper.

So...now what? I can't just stand here waiting for her...what can I do? She can fly...and I can't...She has more powers that I can't even guess at...And I'm...well...me...I need something to put the odds in my favor...but what? Is there anything I can use?

Her gaze flitted upon the relic they had discovered the other day—the Aetherframe.

Its imposing silhouette was half-buried in the earth, overgrown with moss and vines. A faint, barely discernible outline of light flickered over its surface. The runes that adorned its frame pulsated slowly, like a heartbeat.

As she staggered toward the metallic giant, something inside her resonated with the relic. She sensed its power, felt its desire to be utilized. Yet, there was also a sense of emptiness within it, a void that yearned to be filled.

The Akashic System, silent until now, suddenly flickered to life. A prompt appeared before her, shimmering in the air:

[Emergency Quest] "Awakening the Lost Epoch"

[Description] Activate the Aetherframe

Ebonheim blinked in surprise. "What the...?"