The door began to open by itself.
A small gap appeared between the two enormous stone slabs.
A stream of freezing air came through it.
The torches in the chamber went out at the same time.
Celestine remained motionless.
Aelira's voice still echoed in her mind.
Celestine... don't open it.
— I'm not opening it — she replied in a low voice.
The First Inquisitor smiled.
— But it is opening for you.
Celestine turned toward him.
— Then close it.
— I can't.
— Why?
The golden-eyed man answered:
— Because the door doesn't obey us.
He looked directly at Celestine.
— It obeys you.
The ground trembled.
Edran tried to break his chains.
— Celestine! Get away!
She stepped back.
— What is behind it?
Edran remained silent.
— Edran!
He finally answered:
— The passage Aelira tried to destroy.
Celestine felt her heart tighten.
— The passage between worlds.
— Yes.
Seraphina looked at the door.
— But that's impossible.
— Why? — Leonhardt asked.
— Because Aelira closed that passage four hundred years ago.
The golden-eyed man smiled.
— She closed part of it.
Seraphina went pale.
— You...
He continued:
— Aelira destroyed the ritual, but she did not destroy the door.
Celestine gripped the silver sword.
— So you've spent four hundred years trying to open it again.
— Not exactly.
— What do you mean?
— We waited for the correct key.
His gaze fell upon Celestine.
— You.
The Void pulsed inside her.
Don't trust him.
Celestine took a deep breath.
— You know my soul.
— I do.
— Then you know that I'm not Aelira.
The man smiled.
— No.
Celestine was surprised.
— You are not Aelira.
He took another step.
— You are Celestine.
She tightened her grip on the sword.
— Then stop trying to use my lives against me.
His smile disappeared.
— Interesting.
— What?
— Aelira was determined. Ayumi was compassionate. You possess both qualities.
Celestine replied:
— And neither of them belongs to you.
The man raised his hand.
Edran's chains began to glow.
He screamed.
— AHH!
Celestine turned around.
— EDRAN!
She charged forward.
The First Inquisitor stepped into her path.
Their swords collided.
CLANG!
Celestine staggered backward.
The man was fast.
Very fast.
He attacked again.
Celestine blocked.
Her arm trembled from the impact.
— You've improved — he said.
Celestine spun and attacked his flank.
He barely dodged.
— But still not enough.
Celestine charged again.
One strike.
Two.
Three.
She remembered Raoul's teachings.
Don't waste movements.
Watch the feet.
Control your breathing.
Don't attack out of anger.
The First Inquisitor attempted a direct strike.
Celestine dodged.
Spun.
And placed her blade against his neck.
— It's over.
He smiled.
— No.
A shadow appeared behind her.
Celestine sensed it before she saw it.
She turned.
A black creature emerged from the door.
Leonhardt shouted:
— Celestine!
She raised her sword.
The creature struck.
Celestine blocked.
The force sent her flying several meters backward.
She landed on her knees.
— Celestine!
Leonhardt ran toward her.
— I'm fine.
She stood up.
The creature advanced.
It was tall and thin, covered in a kind of dark mist.
It had no face.
Only two red eyes.
Seris attacked.
Her sword passed straight through the creature.
Nothing happened.
Seris stepped back.
— My blade did nothing!
The Guardian raised his hand.
A barrier appeared.
The creature slammed into it.
The barrier cracked.
— It does not completely belong to this world — the Guardian said.
Celestine looked at the door.
— Then it came from the other side.
— Yes.
The creature turned its head.
And looked at Celestine.
A voice appeared inside her mind.
You.
Celestine froze.
— What do you want?
To return.
— To where?
To you.
Celestine felt a shiver.
— No.
The creature advanced.
Celestine ran toward it.
She jumped.
Her sword came down.
The silver blade struck the creature.
This time, it worked.
A scream echoed through the chamber.
The creature recoiled.
Celestine looked at the sword.
The inscriptions were glowing.
— Aelira's sword can hurt it.
Seraphina nodded.
— Because it was created to fight corrupted Void.
The First Inquisitor took advantage of the distraction.
He ran toward the door.
Celestine noticed.
— No!
She charged forward.
But the golden-eyed man appeared before her.
— You cannot stop what has already begun.
Celestine attacked.
He blocked.
— You still don't understand.
Another strike.
Celestine dodged.
— I understand enough.
She attacked again.
His sword broke.
The man stared at the shattered blade.
For the first time, he showed surprise.
Celestine placed her sword against his chest.
— Tell me who you are.
He remained silent.
— Now.
The man smiled.
— My name is Valerian.
Seraphina's eyes widened.
— Valerian...
Celestine looked at her.
— You know him?
— He was one of the emperor's advisers.
Valerian corrected her:
— I was much more than that.
He looked at Celestine.
— I witnessed Aelira's death.
Celestine tightened her grip on the sword.
— Then you were there.
— Yes.
— And you let it happen.
— I obeyed the emperor.
— And now?
Valerian smiled.
— Now I obey what was born from the Void.
Celestine felt a presence behind her.
The creature was approaching again.
Valerian stepped back.
— You should be grateful.
— For what?
— Because, thanks to me, you will finally be able to learn the whole truth.
He raised his hand.
The door opened completely.
A white light appeared on the other side.
It wasn't darkness.
It was a place.
Celestine saw an unfamiliar landscape.
An enormous white castle.
Mountains floated in the distance.
But there were no machines.
No artificial structures.
Everything seemed ancient.
Magical.
And familiar.
Celestine placed a hand over her chest.
— I know this place.
Aelira answered inside her mind:
Yes.
— Where is it?
The voice took a moment to answer.
Where my story began.
Celestine's eyes widened.
— Aureon?
Yes.
Celestine looked at Seraphina.
— This can't be.
Seraphina was crying.
— The ancient palace...
— It's on the other side of the door.
Edran shouted:
— DON'T GO IN!
Celestine looked at him.
— Why?
— Because the place you're seeing isn't Aureon as it once was.
The black creature began crossing through the door.
Edran continued:
— It's what remains of it.
Celestine remained silent.
Valerian took a step backward.
— Go in, Celestine.
— No.
— You want answers.
— Yes.
— Then come and find them.
Celestine looked at Leonhardt.
He took her hand.
— You don't have to go alone.
She smiled.
— I know.
Seraphina raised her sword.
— I'm going too.
Lyra stood beside Seris.
The Guardian cleared the way.
Celestine took a deep breath.
Aelira spoke one last time:
Don't let them choose your destiny.
Celestine tightened her grip on the sword.
— I won't.
She took one step.
Then another.
And crossed through the door.
Leonhardt followed immediately behind her.
Seraphina and the others followed.
Valerian remained in the old world.
The First Inquisitor looked at him.
— They entered.
Valerian replied:
— That was exactly what we wanted.
But when he turned toward the door, his smile disappeared.
Because the passage began to close.
— No...
The door closed.
Valerian stood motionless.
— This wasn't part of the plan.
On the other side, Celestine opened her eyes.
She was standing before the ruins of an enormous palace.
The sky was red.
The wind carried petals of black roses.
And at the center of the ruins stood a statue.
Celestine approached.
It was a statue of Aelira.
At its base was an inscription:
"Here rests the one who chose to die so that her future could be born."
Celestine touched the stone.
A tear ran down her face.
— I won't forget you.
Aelira answered softly:
I know.
Then, behind the statue, something moved.
A figure emerged from among the ruins.
Celestine raised her sword.
The figure slowly walked toward the group.
And a familiar voice said:
— Finally, you've returned home.
Celestine froze.
It was Edran.
But Edran was on the other side of the door.