The divine gate closed behind them with a soft hum, fading into golden motes. The moment the trio stepped out, the atmosphere changed. Gone were the smooth marble ruins and suspended crystal shards. Now, a quiet mountain valley stretched around them, cloaked in mist and silence.
Rizz exhaled slowly, his boots crunching frost-kissed grass. "This isn't where we entered."
"No," Safa's voice said from behind. She stepped from a ripple in space, her Soul Angel cloak fluttering like light over water. "This is Verialis. A border region between our realm and the Outland."
Isaac blinked. "Outland? That's where the Outworlders come from, right?"
"Not quite," Safa said. "It's where the world begins to bleed. Where our laws, our time, even our souls begin to… unravel. You weren't sent here randomly."
She turned to Rizz.
"You were summoned."
Rizz frowned. "By who?"
Safa raised a glowing scroll. The parchment unfurled itself, revealing an ancient seal: twin feathers crossed over an endless flame.
"By the High Thrones. The Divine Seat has issued your first mission, Rizz Almaus."
He felt it then—a pulse in his Soul Seal. A whisper of duty, not forced upon him, but echoed from within. "I accept."
Safa nodded solemnly. "Then listen closely."
She walked forward, unfurling a map in her other hand. "Beyond these mountains lies the Kingdom of Urethien. Once blessed, now cursed. The Flame of their Sanctuary has died, and with it, their divine protection."
Isaac's brows drew together. "What caused it?"
"A forgotten relic awakened beneath their holy temple. Something that should not exist. The council believes it to be a corruption seed—Outworlder design."
Rizz clenched his fists. "And they sent me to cleanse it?"
"No. They sent you because… it's tied to you." Safa's eyes narrowed. "The corruption forms around opposite energies. Divine and demonic essence intertwined in one vessel."
Aethra's eyes widened. "Like the Soul Seal."
Safa nodded. "Yes. And Rizz isn't the only one who's ever carried such a mark. The last bearer… disappeared centuries ago during the fall of the Crimson Heavens."
Isaac's voice was low. "And what happened to them?"
"They tore a hole in reality."
Silence hung heavy.
Safa handed the scroll to Rizz. "This mission is not just about salvation. It's a trial. If you lose control… if the seal fractures again… you may not return."
Rizz didn't flinch. "Then I'll control it."
Aethra touched his arm. "You don't have to go alone."
Safa looked between them. "You three were drawn into the same awakening. The shard didn't choose you by accident. But the path ahead is steep. I cannot accompany you beyond this point."
"Why?" Isaac asked.
"Because something is calling me elsewhere." Her expression grew grim. "Another soul has awakened in the north. A cursed one. I have to see if the seal has spread."
She paused, looking at them one last time. "Walk with light, or in shadow—but do not walk blindly. Rizz, Isaac, Aethra… from here on, the mirror cannot guide you. Only your will."
And with that, she vanished into silver mist.
The wind picked up.
Aethra looked at Rizz. "So. A fallen kingdom. Corruption. Divine trial. Standard first mission?"
Rizz allowed a small smile. "I was hoping for a warmup."
They began walking, each step taking them closer to the mountains veiled in storm clouds. Snowflakes drifted lazily down, and the land hummed with something old—sleeping, perhaps, or watching.
Isaac adjusted his coat, his silver eye glinting faintly. "You feel it too, right?"
"Yeah," Rizz said. "Something's wrong up ahead. Something buried."
Aethra's voice was softer. "It's not just the corruption. There's something beneath it. A soul calling for help."
Rizz looked over his shoulder.
No turning back now.
And somewhere in the wind, a voice whispered:
"One flame. One mirror. One end."
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