Location: City of Mirrors – Day 51 in Atheria
The moment they crossed into the Aureline Domain, the world changed.
The sky was clearer here—almost too clear. The clouds shimmered like polished silver. Sunlight bounced from every surface. Trees, buildings, even the cobblestones sparkled with an unnatural gleam.
And at the city's heart stood Lumenvalis, the City of Mirrors.
Not glass—not stone. Every wall, window, and street reflected light. The entire city felt like it floated inside a diamond prism.
"Too bright," Baek muttered, shielding his eyes.
"Everything here is built to reflect," said Yoori. "Not just light, but truths."
Jiwoo's system pulsed.
> [Sixth System Key Detected – Light Sector]
[Vault Location: Prism Core – Hall of Infinite Light]
[Guardian Signature: Active – Awaiting Arrival]
---
The Hall of Infinite Light
They reached the Hall by noon, passing statues of winged beings and crystal suns. The building stood without a roof, open to the sky. Inside were mirrors—hundreds, suspended midair like floating cards.
The room was quiet.
No guardian.
No threats.
Just endless reflections.
And in each mirror, Jiwoo didn't see himself.
He saw… different versions.
In one: A crowned Jiwoo in golden robes, raising armies of wealth. In another: A lonely Jiwoo in a cold castle, surrounded by treasures—but no people. In another: A Jiwoo smiling with his companions in a peaceful floating garden.
Sena reached for a mirror. "What is this…?"
---
The Guardian Appears
Light bent.
From it emerged a woman draped in ribbons of sunlight and shadow, her face hidden by a mask that changed every second—from joy, to sadness, to nothing.
"I am Elirea," she said. "Keeper of the Light Key."
"You show us futures?" Jiwoo asked.
"No," Elirea replied. "Possibilities. Light is not truth. It is what can be seen."
She turned to Jiwoo.
"You may take the key only if you accept every reflection of yourself—even the one you fear most."
She gestured.
A single mirror hovered before him.
> Jiwoo walked toward it.
And saw something terrifying.
---
Vision: The Infinite Sovereign
This Jiwoo stood on a floating city of gold, higher than any tower.
Nine charms glowed on his wrist.
He ruled over skies, oceans, lands. With a thought, he created cities. With a gesture, he erased storms.
He had everything.
But… he was alone.
All nine companions were gone.
Only the system remained at his side.
> "You gave them peace," it said.
"And they left, as all peace does."
This Jiwoo smiled gently.
Then turned off the sky.
And vanished.
---
The Choice
Back in the real world, Jiwoo stood silently before the mirror.
His friends waited.
Elirea watched.
"Well?" she asked. "Will you accept this part of you?"
He closed his eyes.
And nodded.
"If I must become that… I will. But not today. And not by forgetting them."
---
The Light Key Appears
The mirrors faded.
The sky darkened for a moment—then shone brighter than before.
Floating before Jiwoo was a charm shaped like a sunburst lens.
He took it.
> [Sixth System Key Acquired – Light Sector Unlocked]
3 Remaining.
Elirea smiled. "Then you may leave with more than light. You may leave with clarity."
---
Departing the City of Mirrors
That evening, as the group set up camp just outside Lumenvalis, Jiwoo sat with Mirae beside a small crystal pond.
"Do you think those futures are real?" she asked.
"I think they're warnings," he said. "Not certainties."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Good. Because I'm not letting you float alone in the sky."
He chuckled.
The system chimed again.
> [Next Key Signal Located: SHADOW SECTOR]
[Location: Underdeep Vale – Coordinates Unknown]
[Guardian Status: Dormant – Caution Advised]
---
Final Scene – A Glimmer of Darkness
Far away, in the depths of a canyon hidden beneath three nations, something stirred.
A door opened, but no one entered.
A candle flickered in darkness.
And an unseen voice whispered:
> "So… the Sovereign approaches.
Let's see if he still walks with light when no one's watching."
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