The stars dimmed.
Tara stood at the edge of Moonshine's highest peak—the Skyglass Spire. Her sword, now infused with Aurelion's flame, hummed with growing tension. Jasmine and Neha stood beside her, eyes locked on the heavens.
Something was wrong.
The Fracture Appears
A rumble shook the sky. Then a thin, jagged line split across the heavens like a crack in glass.
"The sky is breaking," whispered Neha.
From the fracture spilled a swirling fog—the Shroud's breath. Shadows with clawed hands and whispering mouths began pouring out. Cities below lit their signal fires. All of Moonshine was watching.
Tara's heart pounded. "This is no longer just about us."
The Three Kingdoms Unite
Across Moonshine, old alliances were rekindled:
- The Skyborne Griffins of Aeravale descended from their floating isles.
- The Crystal Mages of Lucent Hollow sent light-bearing envoys.
- Even the reclusive Rootwalkers emerged from their stone forests.
At Jasmine's call, they all gathered—each warrior knowing this could be their last stand.
Into the Rift
Tara knew waiting wouldn't help. The source of the Shroud's power lay beyond the fracture, in a realm not yet shaped by time.
Guided by Aurelion's fire, Tara, Jasmine, Neha, and a chosen few stepped through the crack.
The world beyond was *wrong*. Gravity looped sideways. Trees grew upside down. Echoes came before the sound. They had entered the Realm Between Worlds.
A Horrific Truth
At the heart of this place, they found a monolith pulsing like a heart. Inside it—suspended in liquid shadow—was a figure:
A girl.
Tara moved closer.
It was... her.
A version of herself twisted by sorrow and fear. Eyes glowing red. A crown of thorns on her head.
"She is the Shroud's core," said Neha. "A Tara who gave in... who never believed."
The shadow Tara opened her eyes. "I was born from every doubt you ever had, Tara. I am what you could become."
The Sky Shatters
Back in Moonshine, the sky cracked fully open. The barrier between realms failed. The Shroud began flooding in like a storm surge.
But then—from all corners of the world—people rose. Children, elders, warriors, mages—they stood together and began chanting the name Tara.
Again and again.
The power of belief surged into the real Tara's chest. The sword pulsed with light.
She faced her shadow self.
"I believe in who I am," she whispered.
With a cry that split time itself, she lunged—
And the battle for the soul of Moonshine began.