Dawn rose over Gaia's citadel in a hush of gold and pale blue, bathing the highest tower in light so pure it seemed to set the air trembling. On the Skyward Terrace, eight young figures stood in a semicircle, their newly claimed Artifacts gleaming at their sides.
Wind streamed past them in a chorus of promise. It carried the scent of fresh leaves and distant rain—reminders that even after all the centuries of strife, Gaia yet endured.
King Leonardo faced them with grave pride etched into every line of his weathered face. At his right hand stood the Trialkeeper, her antlered helm lowered in solemn respect.
"This is the hour you bind yourselves to Gaia's cause," Leonardo declared, his voice carrying across the terrace. "An oath that cannot be severed by fear or despair. Speak it now, and let the world bear witness."
Cyg stepped forward first. He lifted the Azure Sigil to his chest, the blade's frost shimmering against his skin. "By the cold truth of my purpose," he intoned, voice low but steady, "I swear to defend this world, even should it cost me all that I am."
Harriet followed, fire haloing her hair as she placed the Ember Crown upon her brow. "By the blaze that freed me from my chains, I swear to burn away the darkness that preys on the innocent."
Mia held the blooming Creation Core close, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "By the promise of life that no abyss can swallow, I swear to restore all that has been lost."
One by one, the others stepped forward. Hikari, her voice a whisper in the dawn: "By the shadow I carry, I swear never to become the monster I fear."
Charlotte: "By the spark of invention, I swear to forge hope when none remains."
Elaine: "By the wind that heals, I swear to shelter the wounded."
Sylvia: "By the truth in every song, I swear to give voice to the voiceless."
Eun-Ha: "By the quiet divinity within me, I swear to stand unyielding against despair."
Leonardo raised his hand. A gust swept across the terrace, and in that moment, the eight felt Gaia itself take heed of their vow. The wind pressed gently against their backs, as if to guide them forward.
"Then it is sealed," the King declared, his gaze shining with fierce pride. "You are no longer aspirants. You are the Integral Knights—the shield and spear of all that lives."
As the first true light of morning spilled over the parapets, the eight turned together to face the horizon. For an instant, no fear troubled their hearts.
Whatever storms lay ahead, they would meet them as one.
This completes Arc 0: The Dawn of Convergence.
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