The black Orb rose slowly,as if it breathed.
Then a familiar voice rumbled through the air.Neither loud, nor shouted.But impossible to ignore.
— Congratulations.
Kael froze.Thana too.Even Umbra halted briefly.
That voice…
The Guide.
But the astonishment was immediate.Absolute.Not because of the words.But because no one—absolutely no one—knew the Orb could speak.
Much less through him.
Much less as him.
— This… wasn't supposed to be possible, Thana whispered.
Kael stayed silent.Not by choice.But by incomprehension.
The Guide.Here.Now.
As if he'd been watching the whole time,and only chose this moment to appear.
A murmur slipped into the air.Ironic.Almost mocking.
— The Guide deigns to honor us with his presence… Kael thought bitterly, jaw tight.
The black Orb floated at eye level.Motionless.Yet alive with an ancient presence,too precise to be a mere artifact.
The voice resumed.Slower.Graver.
— Congratulations.You achieved what few even dare attempt.
Kael still said nothing.His breath caught.Yet he listened.
— The three leaders… should have remained apart.Their fusion was not intended for this stage.
A weighted silence.Then the voice concluded:
— You should have died.
Thana averted her gaze.Even she, always anchored in her bearings,seemed unable to mask her unease.
Kael felt a cold sweat crawl up his neck.Not fear.But the realization of what that phrase meant.
They were never meant to survive.
And the Guide said it… without judgment.Just as a mathematical fact.A failure in the probabilities.
The voice pressed on.Still calm.Still precise.
— For this,the Axis recognizes you with a High Feat.
Kael felt icy air brush his skin.As if the world itself reacted to those words.
— You will receive the usual conquest points…but this case exceeds all foresight.
Another silence.Longer.
— What you accomplishedsurpasses the hidden objective of this floor.
Then, as if reading from a sealed list:
— Additionally:→ Bonus Merit Points→ Additional Conquest Points→ And… three pure essences: two of rank E, one of rank D.
Kael frowned.Thana slowly lifted her head.
But the voice did not stop.
It grew…unyielding.
— But this time, a choice must be made.
A chill.As though an invisible line had just been drawn.
— You may absorb them directly.Nothing guarantees your survival.
The tone did not waver.It stated.
— These are not minor Essences.They are cores.Echoes of wills.
Silence.
Then, slower:
— Or… you may convert them:
→ into Crystallized Magia (Rank E)or→ into Jewels of Katharsis (Rank E)
One final pause.Then the phrase fell, like a verdict:
— The choice is yours.
Kael remained still.The three essences floated before him.Vibrant.Burning.
Two pulsed with a sharp, quick rhythm.The other, heavier, beat like an ancient heart.
They did not spin.They waited.
Too powerful.Too unknown.
Kael felt their presence in his very bones.Not as a promise.But as a silent threat.
Kael frowned.His throat was dry.His thoughts tangled.
Slowly, he turned his head toward Thana.
— What… do you think?
She didn't answer right away.
She studied the fragments for a moment,then gave him a discreet smile.Subtle.Almost maternal.
— You'll be able to gather plenty of crystals or jewels later.With time.With persistence.
She stepped closer.
— But essences…Spirit or Anima essences?
She lifted her shoulders slightly.
— They're rare, Kael.Very rare.And these ones… they've recognized you.They won't let themselves be caught a second time.
Kael lowered his eyes.He heard her.But still wrestled inside.
Then she raised two fingers,and pressed them lightly against his chest,just above his heart.
— So when such a chance presents itself…don't let fear decide.
Her gaze locked onto his.
— And don't worry.
Her tone softened.
— You are my host.
She stepped back half a pace.Then, lower:
— And as promised…I will always be here for you.
Kael closed his eyes for a moment.The weight of choice hadn't vanished.But something… had eased.
He stayed there, eyelids shut.A moment. Two. Maybe more.
His heart still hammered too hard.But his mind…had begun to think again.
Images flashed.
The battle.The fear.Umbra's stare.Thana's silence.The Guide's laughter.
And now, these essences.
Fragments of raw power,too dense to be natural.Too vibrant to be harmless.
He opened his eyes.
The three spheres still hovered there.At the same height.At the same distance.
Offered.
But not without consequence.
Absorb them?Risk burning from within?Or convert them, dulling part of their nature, but gaining stability?
Kael clenched his fist.
— They aren't objects.
His voice was low.For himself.But Thana heard it.
He raised his eyes to her.
— They're fragments of something… alive.And if I take them…I won't be able to turn back.
Thana nodded slowly.
— Exactly.You must choose what you want to become.
A breath.Kael extended his hand.His fingers brushed the first sphere.
It didn't burn.It… waited.
He inhaled.
— Fine.I choose.
Kael didn't move further.
The essences had stopped drifting.They aligned before him,as if awaiting final permission.
He didn't touch them.
Not yet.
His choice was made.But he knew what came after… would not be immediate.Nor simple.
Thana had stepped back a few paces.Not out of fear.Out of respect.As if she knew this moment belonged to him alone.
Even Umbra,ever restless,had settled in his master's shadow.Silent.
Kael shut his eyes.
He inhaled.Deep.Once.
Then sat.Back straight.Hands on his thighs.The essences pulsing before him.
— Not now… he whispered.
He wasn't fleeing.He was preparing.
Because he knew one thing:
To absorb these fragmentswould be more than a gain.It would be a mark.A before. An after.
And once begun…there would be no turning back.