—Chapter 4—

The deep blue trim shielding his face glittered with cosmic energy. A gentle pulse of what felt like pure entropy flowed from the green jewel coiled at one end of his scythe, while the blade at the other end seemed to absorb any sense of chaos that lingered in the air.

"I am the Acolyte, keeper of the Eternal Garden and guardian of spacetime. What brings you to these parts, human?"

Not expecting his father to arrive so suddenly, Sunny jolted back in surprise. Part of him worried as to how the esteemed protector of Sunshyne would react to a visitor hailing from the other side, but neither him nor Moonjune appeared to hold any animosity towards one another.

"Moonjune Tridence the Fifth, heir to the Throne of Lunes Palace. I was curious about this place and about your son. He's a very nice young man." Her words were delivered as if she'd known the Acolyte since the dawn of time, with elegant poise and gentle tone. "More relevant to me, though, is that I would like to learn more about this land, and about you…"