I sat alone on the palace balcony, the glowing city of Valendria stretching out before me, bathed in the twilight's embrace. Soft crystal lights flickered across every corner, like stars scattered on the ground.
But my thoughts were anything but calm.
Elena sat beside me, her gaze lost in the horizon.
"You haven't changed," she whispered with a sad smile. "Still trying to save everyone… even when you're the one bleeding inside."
I didn't respond. Because… she was right.
I couldn't choose.
Not yet.
Not without hurting someone.
And these feelings—fragile, tangled—felt too human… even for someone like me.
"I don't know what to do, Elena," I finally said, turning to her. "I care about you. Deeply. But Aurelia… she's been by my side through so much. I…"
"You don't have to decide now," she interrupted gently. "But don't carry it all alone. You don't have to. We're here—with you."
Her voice was like a warm cloth on an open wound. I wanted to believe her. But before I could respond—
BOOM.
A muffled explosion echoed from the palace's western wing.
Magic alarms flared through the air like haunting bells.
> [System Notification: Intrusion Detected – Source: Unknown Magical Signature]
I stood up instantly. From the other side of the balcony, Aurelia emerged—already in her battle armor, her crimson hair whipping in the wind. Her fiery orange-red eyes glowed with focused fury.
"There's an intruder," she said grimly. "They've breached the fourth barrier. This isn't a robbery… it's a message."
The three of us raced down the corridor toward the western hall.
What we found there chilled us to the bone.
Guards lay unconscious—some still breathing, others not. A dark crimson sigil pulsed in the center of the floor, its runes ancient and alien.
"What is that…?" Elena breathed. "This magic… it's from the Dark Dimension. But… that place was wiped out centuries ago."
From the heart of the sigil, a cloaked figure rose.
Their face hidden. Their aura… unholy.
Every instinct in me screamed.
"Ace," came the voice—deep, unnatural. "At last, we meet. A shadow caught between two worlds. Heir to the forbidden bloodline."
I gripped my sword. Zephyros trembled in my hand, his voice a whisper only I could hear.
> [Zephyros: "That one… is no mere mortal. He's a remnant. Not from this world… not entirely."]
The figure tilted its head toward me.
"Your time to choose draws near. Two hearts will not save you… when the world begins to burn."
And then—
A flash of arcane energy.
Gone.
In his place, a single crystal remained—black as obsidian, pulsing with icy energy.
Aurelia knelt, examining it with care.
"This… is from the Nether Realm," she said. "He knows what you are."
I exhaled slowly, staring into the night.
The winds had changed.
And I knew… this was only the beginning.