As the dust of magic began to settle, the sky above the Order of Arcanis seemed to crack — not in the physical sense, but like glass trembling beneath the echo of a spell. The usual blue shimmer cloaking the protective spire had turned to a dull violet, a sign that the great barrier was about to break.
Lyra stood behind the ruins of a pillar, gasping for breath, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Ahead, Seren still stood her ground. Her staff burned with white light, holding back the Varyn Primaris, whose form had expanded to fill half the grand hall.
The creature was no longer mere shadow. It looked almost human now — a tall silhouette with wings of mist moving in slow, deliberate motions, its voice like laughter drowned beneath water.
Lyra stared at it, feeling something stir inside her. A strange pulse beat in her wrist, where the mark of her Resonance lay. The heat returned, stronger this time, as if something within her wanted to break free.
"Seren!" she shouted. "The shield's cracking!"
"I know!" Seren's voice trembled under the strain as her staff quivered violently. "You must go now, Lyra! Head to the Core Chamber! Protect the Resonance Core! It's the only way to seal the rift!"
"But—"
"No buts!"
Lyra froze, tears slipping down her cheeks before she even realized it. "I won't run again…"
But then, her mother's voice echoed faintly in her mind.
You'll know when to stand, and when to leave. Courage isn't only about fighting… it's knowing when to protect yourself, so you can fight again tomorrow.
She looked at Seren one last time, then turned and ran toward the back corridor. Behind her, the roar of battle thundered — the clash of spells, the screams, and the hiss of shadow-creatures breaking through the failing wards.
Down the stone passage, mages lay scattered. Some still alive, some far beyond saving. Lyra bit down on her breath, feeling the cold of blood at her fingertips. Everything felt like a dream that refused to end.
When she finally reached the Resonance Core, she stopped dead. At the center of the chamber stood a crystal pillar — the heart of Arcanis's power — now laced with fine fractures spreading like broken veins. And before it stood a figure, tall and robed in black, a circle of dark magic swirling slowly beneath his feet.
"No…" Lyra whispered. "You…"
The figure turned. His face was hidden beneath a hood, but his voice was deep and cold.
"The daughter of Maren Veynhart," he said. "At last, we meet again."
Lyra's body froze. "You… you killed my mother!"
The figure was silent for a long moment, then smiled faintly — a smile that never reached his eyes.
"She tried to close a door that cannot be closed. And you…" His gaze dropped to Lyra's glowing wrist. "You are the key that will open it."
Lyra stepped back, raising her pendant. "Who are you?"
"Names don't matter," he said softly.
"But they call me the Seeker. A messenger from beyond the Veil. I haven't come to kill you, Lyra. I've come to bring you home."
The air in the chamber changed. Shadows along the walls began to move on their own, dripping from the stone like living ink. They circled Lyra slowly.
She raised her pendant higher. "I won't go with you!"
"And how will you stop me?" The Seeker's tone was calm, but beneath it lay something dreadful — the certainty of one who already knew how this would end.
Lyra shut her eyes, trying to recall everything Seren had taught her — how to channel Resonance, how to control her breath, how to weave light into defense. But there was no time to think. The air itself was trembling with power.
The first shadow lunged. Lyra ducked and swung her pendant. A burst of silver light cut through the creature, scattering its misty form. But three more followed. She turned sharply, drew a symbol in the air.
"Aegis Lumen!"
A white barrier flashed to life, deflecting the next assault. But the Resonance pouring from the Seeker was too strong. The shield shuddered, cracked, and shattered in a silent explosion.
Lyra was thrown back, crashing against the stone. She screamed, but forced herself up again. The Seeker walked toward her, unhurried, like a predator certain of its prey.
"Look at yourself, Lyra," he murmured. "You have no idea what lies in your blood. This world will fall because it refused to accept you."
Lyra took a trembling breath. "If the world rejects me… then I'll make it accept me."
The mark on her wrist flared — not the soft silver it once was, but deep blue streaked with violet. The air vibrated. Words not spoken by any mortal tongue rose from the world itself.
"In lumine fracto resurgo."
Power erupted from her body. The Seeker's voice caught mid-sentence.
For a heartbeat, the shadows froze, their forms burning in a light not of this world. The energy seared through Lyra's skin, tears welled in her eyes as her own magic began to consume her.
"No… your body isn't ready!" The Seeker's voice cracked, almost anxious. "That power will devour you alive!"
Lyra smiled faintly through the pain. "Then let it devour me — as long as I can protect them."
Light exploded, filling the entire chamber. The sound was thunder and storm entwined. The crystal core shattered, unleashing torrents of blue fire that swallowed everything. From the upper corridor, Seren burst into view, shielding her face from the glare.
"Lyra!!!"
She saw only a glimpse — Lyra standing at the heart of the storm, her hair lifted by unseen wind, her eyes blazing blue. The Seeker, half-consumed by the light, smiled.
"The Gate has chosen you, Lyra. I'll come back for you." And then, everything exploded.
When the dust finally settled, the Order of Arcanis was nothing but ruin. The sacred towers had fallen. The night sky was cracked with unnatural light. Amid the wreckage, Seren knelt, clutching Lyra's pendant, now split in two.
She looked up at the sky, where the mist of the Veil was closing once more. But faintly, through the fissure, a glimmer of Lyra's blue light still shone — far, deep within the swirling Resonance that refused to fade.
"You've chosen a harsh path, my child…" Seren's voice was rough, nearly broken.
"But perhaps… this is the only way the world can still breathe."
She tightened her grip on the pendant, then hurled it into the air, summoning a winged familiar of light. "Take this to the Council of Aetheria," she whispered. "Tell them — the Veil has cracked."
꧁𓆩༺✧༻𓆪꧂