The ceiling had crumbled in, remnants of the old murals lying scorched on the cracked marble floor. Lux stood in the center of the charred Great Hall, her wings tucked behind her back. The walls were black, the windows torn and faded from the flames that had consumed them so long ago. Wild foliage grew in random patches along the floor, popping up in tufts around the windows and doors. The chandelier lay in shattered pieces scattered along the faded and yellowed floor, leaving only a few bare patches of marble that even time and abuse could not stain.

They called this the Forgotten Palace, destroyed by a fire eons ago. Little did they know what had caused the fire that had killed all who had dared be merry and lithe that fateful evening. One had survived the fire, Lux remembered, but even they had never given her away. Fury boiled up inside of her as she remembered why she had shown her immortal form to those mortals that night.

They had murdered, plundered, and taken anything they could get their greedy hands on, and that had angered her. How dare they assume that they were greater than the Gods! How dare they assume that they could get away with killing those who were peaceful and sacred! How dare they-! Lux stopped, noticing a small figure lying on the ground. She walked over to it, stooping down to pick it up from the cold floor. It was a tiny doll made of the finest porcelain, blackened by flame…her flame. Lux fell to her knees, sadness gripping her. She had killed a tiny child who had done nothing wrong…and she had done it without caring.

The sun touched the edge of the luminous mountains, disappearing behind their rigid peaks in mere moments. Lux felt the light of the day fade away from her, allowing shadow and darkness to consume the once-great Hall. Lux closed her eyes, holding the porcelain doll to her chest for a moment before placing it on the floor gently. She stood, looking about her. Around all the walls and even on the floors stood candles bereft of flames. Lux took a deep breath in, exhaling and releasing a gentle flame that crawled across the hall and lit the candles. With another breath, she focused more and sent her flame throughout the abandoned castle. Light illuminated the dark passageways of the Forgotten Palace, casting shadows on portraits and marble statues of the Gods.

Lux found herself walking through those halls, gazing at the statues one at a time. She saw a statue of Tempus, the God of Time, in his mortal form when he came down at the time of the last destruction. Mortem, the God of Death, stood encased in shadow next to a statue of Tenebrae, his brother. Cupiditas, the Goddess of Desire stood at his side, attached to his arm with the look of mischief in her eye, as always. The statue of Lux stood directly opposite them, her sword in hand. Oceanus and Caelum, the Gods of the Sea and Sky stood next to the statue of Lux with their wings fully extended.