"Higher, papa~! Higher~!"

"Alright, alright, little knight~! Be careful."

The rambunctious and small Neclaytia was lifted up by the protective hands of Allegretto as she searched the top of the bookshelf in her father's study. He was standing on a wooden stool as he held her little body dressed in a yellow sun dress which moved with passion and relentlessness, "You see it?"

She chirped back at him, "Yeah, yeah~! I see it~!"

The girl grabbed the dusty book that had cobwebs and stains across its surface, but she wasn't creeped out by its poor condition, merely gaping in awe by its ancient figure. He pulled her close once he noticed she had the book and jumped down from the stool with ease, "Let's go find Lai and we'll read the book. How does that sound, little knight?"

"Sounds like a plan!" she winked, blessing him with her cute charm. "I'm sure mama wants to hear the story too~!"

He chuckled and walked across the small study, heading for the door, "This story I'm about to read is actually really special, little knight. The Crimson Knights and The Anonymous Shade is a classic and was written by a most impressive revelator known as Vyne. It talks about the beginning events of our world and the brave knights who fought for peace and prosperity."

"Ah~! A band of heroes then, papa?! It sounds similar to The Prince's Entourage!"

"They are quite similar," Allegretto explained as they left the study and traveled down a hallway that led into the agricultural, wide living room filled with plants and a refreshing spring that crawled into the room through an opened hole and swirled through a man-made path that led to a container. "Both books actually took place in the past and were significant points in history. The Crimson Knights fought off the Shade and saved our world while the young prince of Fedimian assembled a peace treaty between the kingdoms to stop the strife and earlier wars that occurred, and with the help of his trusted knights and befriended revelators."

"A-Amazing~," her eyes sparked with envy. "You…think I could be that awesome, papa?"

"You can be anything if you put that little mind to it, Neclaytia," he smiled warmly, kissing her cheek. "Everyone has a calling of being a hero, but it is never recognized for fate twists the nature of our world. Every person living is a hero and their times of being such a thing can be limited to a fraction of a second, a minute, an hour, or possibly even years—it all depends on the role they proceed to take. Whatever role you may apprehend, remember to do the right thing and not succumb to evil."

Neclaytia blushed, understanding a fair amount of what her father said, "O-Okay, papa."

"On that note," he sat her down on the couch before the dead fireplace and showed off the old book so that Neclaytia could analyze it, "We should start the story. Lai may be out now, so I will read and hopefully she can join us."

"I'm here, love."

Neclaytia poked her head above the couch to gaze at her exquisite mother in holy rags with her hair dressed in a braided crown and a long ponytail, "Hello, little knight."

"Mama~!" Neclaytia grinned widely with her eyes popping open in excitement. "Its story time, mama~. Papa is reading the Crimson Knights and The Anonymous Shade to us!"

She giggled and moved beside the back of the couch, beaming her smiling eyes at Allegretto who blushed at her beauty, "Is that so, little knight?"

Allegretto felt his heart jump from her simple words, mesmerized by the goddess' presence, "How are you, my queen?"

"Very alright," she replied softly, falling on her knees gently beside where he sat. "Are you well? Neclaytia hasn't been giving you a hard time has she?"

"Never," he laughed. "She is the perfect child I could ever ask for. My little knight and my bright star in the night. Thank you for loving and creating a family with me, Lai."

She didn't know how to respond, but her face burned red with embarrassment as she stared into his eyes and examined over his handsome features that struck her heart. Neclaytia watched her mother and father carefully, waving her feet to her own pleasure as it hovered above the glossy, wooden floor, "Mama! Papa!"

They stared at their child and she repeated her usual gesture by slamming her small fisted hand on her chest, right over her heart, and grinning cockily, "I'll protect you both with my life!"

"Such a bold thing to say, Neclaytia," Laima was shocked and slanted her worried eyes at Allegretto. "Where did she learn of those words?"

"U-Um, it was in our last book, The Prince's Entourage," he nervously laughed, but felt a chill run down his spine as the goddess stared with a solid demeanor. "I-I'm sorry, my love, but Neclaytia can be pushy about what she wants to read. I had no choice or my cool points would be deducted."

Neclaytia burst out laughing from his response, "Nice try, papa, but mama isn't listening to your excuses."

Laima puffed her cheeks, "This book is without a doubt worse, my love! You should be careful about what our child reads!"

Allegretto smiled passively, "Then you can stay and help me pick out suitable words. Surely you could do that, yes?"

"I can," she said. "After all, leaving it to you will corrupt our child even more."

Neclaytia looked impatient as they spoke, "I want to read it now~!"

Allegretto hurriedly opened the book and coughed as a dust cloud erupted from the ancient scriptures, but he smirked at his daughter, preparing to indulge in the fateful event that determined the future of the world, "Come closer, little knight. Gaze into this world of despair and burn the image in your mind. Protect this world when your mother and I cannot."

Neclaytia stood before her window silently, watching the tiny lights in the night sky whisper and keep her company, and so did the wispy clouds. Her hands rested on the frame of her window and naturally, the seductive gust from outside blew into her room and enveloped her body in a cold rush, but oddly enough, it was warm to her. The way it caressed her hair and skin reminded her of Laima and her many deeds of tending to her hair with a brush or rocking her to sleep with a soothing lullaby. It made her eyes water, but she couldn't let the tears fall, for she had promised not to cry whenever she thought of her because she wouldn't be pleased to see her in that condition. She blinked repetitively to settle the water in her eyes and turned towards her bed; however, she was startled by Allegretto who was sitting on the edge of her bed and watching her intently from the corner of his eye. She had no words for him, but her father had much to explain as he held a rolled parchment paper in his hand, "I must come clean, Neclaytia. There's much I've been hiding from you and I believe…it's time that I said something. You are now eighteen and very much able to make your own decisions."

She noticed the flash of anguish present in his eyes and felt her heart drop from the unusual and somber expression stretched across her father's face. He held the rolled paper firmly and closed his eyes tightly, as if trying to erase something he had witnessed, "Your mother is alive, Neclaytia. I know this for certain. She left twelve years ago to protect us from the true enemies of the gods and goddesses. She disappeared without a trace and didn't tell me where she would run to, but I'm sure she is doing well where she is. This organization, Corruption, is an elite army of revelators similar to the Crimson Knights in the past. They are rebels who are against the deities and are causing significant damage to them and society. They've also caused the gods and goddesses to turn on one another, which stands as to why they are absent and not assisting the people. A war between the deities has been occurring ever since your mother left us and it won't stop until Corruption is erased from the planet."

His daughter was at a loss for words as she leaned against the wall beside the window while her hair swayed over her back and tickled her sides. He paused to see if she would respond, but alas, she did not, so he continued to speak, "You must understand, Neclaytia. This was your mother's wish and my own. We wouldn't allow you to get involved with this war because we knew…we knew that your talents could be used to quell Corruption in some fashion. You have only just slightly awoken to the power inside of you, and I fear that I cannot treat you like the little knight I adored so greatly."

"Papa...I—"

His eyes opened to reveal the tears that were starting to come, "I lost Laima twelve years ago and had to raise you on my own. I haven't been the best father and I haven't been the best combat trainer, but I know for certain that I raised you to be noble. I've never said you couldn't do anything you wanted to do and always encouraged your growth and your dreams. I only hesitate because I don't want to lose you either, but I'd only be naïve if I believed that everything would stay the same. Eventually, time moves on and people escape the roots of their being. The time…has come, Neclaytia."

He held out the rolled parchment paper for her to grab while resting his thumb over the circular, golden seal, "This is a letter from Dievas. I held on to this letter for a whole month, just after that horrible catastrophe that occurred at the capital of Klaipeda. The God of Creations is calling out to you and asking for assistance with hunting down Corruption."

She took the letter hesitantly, obviously bewildered by the turn of events, "Why me?"

"Perhaps he believes in you, Neclaytia," he managed a small smile while his eyes burned red. "Or rather, he saw the potential in you. I've heard that you met Dievas long ago."

"I did," she nodded. "I've only met Dievas once, but in just that little time when he visited mama and I in her Heavenly Domain…I learned that I had a thin connection to him and I'm sure Dievas saw that as well."

Neclaytia unrolled the paper after releasing the seal and examined over the shining golden letters that was presented in cursive writing. She studied the words carefully and read it as so:

Our time is nigh, child of Laima.

It had been ages since I last rested my eyes on you, but I remember the fortitude placed behind your ravishing eyes which entranced me and how charming your behavior was when I encountered your mother. You weren't scared of my shapeless form in the slightest and surely a more foreboding presence than my own at the time. I pegged you to be quite the child, for that was what you were no doubt, but I saw something more from watching your movements in our short time. I realized the power residing inside you that is inspired by the tales of old. Yes, I am aware of your passion to become a hero like those before you, and I believe that you have the skill needed to set right to your world alongside the current inhabitants of similar passion.

I want you to diminish the forces behind the organization known as Corruption. They are wayward revelators whom have deviated from the path of light, for they hold their weapons high against us and the world as a whole. They are a major threat to the peace of the world and will destroy anything they can touch. Your life will be in danger, but I'm sure you will accept my mission and carry it out with the assistance of those you trust.

I hope to see you again, little knight. Do not fret over the disappearance of your mother, for I can assure you that I am keeping her safe. I am in the middle of settling the war between my kind, and I have come to understand that we have traitorous gods and goddesses amongst us. I will send a letter if anything changes. I can promise you that.

Sincerely, Dievas

"How long have you been following this organization, papa?" Neclaytia asked her father as she dropped her eyes from the words.

"When you turned fourteen, that's when I learned of them," he said. "From then to now, the only progress I've made is that this organization consists of fifteen revelators who are ranked by numbers and I know a few of their names as well. I've only encountered no. XIII, Alfonse Lotus on many occasions. He is a more diplomatic foe and a menacing power that can slice through any obstacle before him. He will be one of our greatest enemies."

"Our?"

He stood up and brushed his hand through his hair, returning his face to a more relaxed expression, "Noblesse will be at your arsenal for this job."

"B-But, father, I couldn't…"

"No," he shook his head and stared at her as his heart warmed. "Family sticks together, don't they? I've already told everyone the situation before coming up to your room. They have agreed to assist you in your task."

"E-Everyone?!"

"Corruption is a natural enemy to all of us, it would seem," he started. "I've forgotten to mention that Alfonse Lotus is currently the right-hand of Arbiter Cordova, the man behind issuing the Slavery Order with the help of Crowley Hamondale, who is the sibling of Queen Inesa."

"That would mean that Corruption has ties to the Slavery Order and even the royal family of Orsha if their influence runs thick," she said thoughtfully as she placed her finger upon her cheek. "That means…that we're going against the law!"

"It would seem so," he nodded curtly. "Dievas wants to stop the madness Corruption is conducting behind the scenes and surely the Slavery Order is one of these abominations that must be erased. However, I must also explain that Rena, Altis and Monaco are fueled by their own motives in this task. I will never pry into their business, so do not blame them if they leave our company. They aren't entitled to spend an eternity by our side."

"I understand, father," she suddenly closed the space between them and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry for earlier. I was just so…shocked."

He gently ran his hand over her crystal white head and kissed her cheek as he would when she was younger, "This is your time, Neclaytia. You can create your own story now, my brave knight, and I will watch over you until I cannot any longer."