The vessel screamed—and split.
Shadows peeled off its form, turning into wraiths of old versions of Alicia. Some younger. Some older. Some twisted by guilt. All of them armed.
Jackson fought one that wielded light like a dagger. "This one's… her if she'd given in to vengeance."
Jian struck another down. "They're possibilities. Fragments of who she could've become."
The vessel remained behind, watching.
Testing.
"It's not just trying to stop us," Jian realized. "It's trying to see if we understand her. All of her."
One wraith—young, hopeful, kind—looked at Jian and hesitated.
Jian lowered her spear.
The wraith vanished peacefully into light.
"She needs acceptance," Jian said. "Not just strength."
Jackson nodded. "Then let's give her both."
The shadows cleared. The vessel knelt.
"Then see her truth."
It raised its hand—and the Alicia fragment stepped forward.
This time, she was real enough to touch. Worn. Crying.
But smiling.
"You came," she whispered.
Jackson stepped forward and offered his hand.
"So did you."
She reached out—
—and the vessel shattered.
A wave of energy burst through the room, not dark—but brilliant. The remnants of the Shadow Prince's soul recoiled, stripped of its anchor.
And in its place…
Alicia's ember floated between them, whole now, no longer scattered.
She wasn't back yet.
But she was closer.
Jian caught the ember gently. "We passed?"
Jackson exhaled. "No. We understood."
A voice echoed from deep in the ruins—
"One vessel broken. Two remain. The Shadow Prince wakes."
Jian and Jackson stood amidst the dust, the ember pulsing with steady, patient light.
The next trial awaited them. But now… they had more than power.
They had her.
They had hope.