The weight of the revelation pressed against Kaelen's chest like an iron vice. The Codex of Echoes had shown him more than he could understand; visions of war, of celestial forces clashing, of a throne broken under the weight of unseen power. And, above all, a name that felt both foreign and intimately familiar; Duskbane. His breath was steady, but inside, his thoughts roared like a storm-tossed sea. Rina stood beside him, her hand still on his shoulder, her expression unreadable. She had seen the way his body stiffened, the flicker of something unspoken passing over his face. If she had questions, she held them for now.
The twilight-cloaked woman whom he now suspected was far more than a mere guardian of the temple watched him with eyes full of knowing. "You have glimpsed a truth that few have seen," she said. "But knowledge is a burden. It does not grant freedom. It demands action."
Kaelen exhaled sharply. "Then tell me what I'm supposed to do with this. You say I'm bound to something greater, but all I've ever known is survival."
The woman inclined her head. "Survival is the foundation of all warriors. But a warrior without purpose is merely a blade waiting to be wielded by another's hand."
He clenched his fists. "Then give me purpose."
The woman did not answer. Instead, she raised her hand, and the chamber around them shifted. The towering bookshelves dissolved into cascading streams of silver light, and in their place, a vast battlefield took shape. Ethereal echoes of warriors, some bearing wings of fire, others shrouded in abyssal darkness, clashed in silent combat. Their forms flickered, caught between reality and memory. Kaelen's breath hitched. He recognized this battlefield. It was the same one from his vision.
"This is the war of convergence," the woman spoke, stepping beside him. "A battle fought in eras long past, but one that has never truly ended. Light and shadow have warred for dominion, each side believing itself to be the true balance of Aeterna. But the truth is neither side was complete."
Kaelen turned to her, his brows furrowing. "Then what is the balance?"
The woman extended her hand, and between her fingers, two lights materialized, one golden, radiant as the sun and the other, a void of deep violet. They swirled around one another, caught in an endless spiral of motion. "Harmony is not found in opposition, but in unity."
The lights merged, forming a single, pulsating orb that resonated with something deep within Kaelen's chest.
Rina finally spoke. "So… you're saying this isn't about light defeating darkness or darkness consuming light? It's about something else entirely?"
The woman turned her gaze to her. "Precisely. And Kaelen stands at the centre of it."
Kaelen exhaled, rubbing his temple. "And what about you? What is your role in all of this?"
The woman smiled, the silver glow of the battlefield reflecting in her eyes. "I am merely a keeper of truths. One who ensures that those who must walk this path are not blind to its meaning."
The battlefield around them began to fade, the golden and violet light retreating into the air like embers on the wind. The chamber returned to its former state, the Codex of Echoes resting silently upon the pedestal, as if it had never moved at all. Kaelen turned toward the book one last time, his jaw tight with thought. He had come here for answers. And yet, all he had found were more questions.
The woman's voice softened. "You have glimpsed your past. Now you must decide your future."
Kaelen met her gaze, a new resolve hardening in his chest. "Then tell me where to start."
A small smile ghosted across her lips. "The path begins where the past meets the present."
Kaelen turned to Rina, who simply shrugged. "Well," she muttered, "looks like we're in this mess together."
He gave a half-smirk. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
And with that, the path forward was set.