Aeren and Veera had emerged from the Cave of Memory.
The sky above them churned with shifting colors—red, blue, green, yellow, and white—each swirling like rivers of light. The sky was not calm; it was singing. Singing in hues and echoes. It was as if the heavens themselves were announcing Aeren's return, not just as a traveler but as something more—something awakened.
But that peace did not last.
Suddenly, the air turned heavy, and the sky thundered with a voice deep and ancient, as if the very firmament were calling forth judgment.
"Aeren Crackborn!
The Council shall pass judgment upon you!"
The words shook the clouds. The winds stilled. Even the light dimmed slightly.
Veera leaned in and whispered, her voice trembling with both fear and understanding,
"They've seen it… The Fifth Element has awakened.
Now, they are afraid."
Within moments, a great circular dais shimmered into existence—formed from light and the union of the four elemental forces. Representatives of the four realms took their places around it.
The General of Fire, fierce and blazing in his armor of molten flame.
The Priestess of Water, serene yet commanding, with robes like flowing tides.
The Guardian of Earth, a stone-clad figure pulsing with ancient strength.
The Messenger of Air, light as a whisper but eyes sharp as the wind.
Together, they formed the Circle of Judgment.
Aeren and Veera stood at the very center of it.
The General of Fire stepped forward, voice booming with fury,
"This child was born of the Crack!
He is a violation of every law we've upheld!
His existence itself is defiance!"
The Priestess of Water raised her hand, calm but clear,
"Yet he awakened Memory…
Something we failed to do. Perhaps, just perhaps,
We still need him."
The Guardian of Earth spoke next, his voice like rumbling stone,
"The question is not whether we need his power…
But whether we fear it."
Finally, the Messenger of Air turned her piercing gaze to Veera.
"Fear arises only when truth is hidden.
Veera, have you told us everything?"
Veera lowered her head, guilt heavy in her chest.
"No… There is one truth I haven't revealed."
Suddenly, the sky shuddered.
Clouds twisted. The council circle flickered.
Veera's voice trembled as she continued,
"When the Fifth Element disappeared long ago…
Something else awoke in its place.
An element no one recognized,
Because it belonged to no one realm…"
Aeren turned to her sharply.
"The Sixth Element?"
Veera nodded slowly, her expression laced with dread.
"Yes. And that element is—Oblivion."
A hush fell across the circle. Even the wind forgot to move.
"It is deeper than memory,
Older than time,
A force that grows in shadow,
Where forgotten things sleep and silence reigns."
The General of Fire erupted in rage.
"Lies! There is no Sixth Element!
This is a deception—another trick from the Crackborn!"
But Veera stood firm, though her voice still quivered.
"No. I've felt it.
The same way I felt Memory awaken.
And if we choose to keep our eyes closed now…
Oblivion will consume the realms.
All four."
Aeren stepped forward, voice clear, brave.
"I do not ask for mercy.
I ask for time."
He paused, turning to each council member in turn.
"If I am wrong—
Then lock me away.
But if I'm right…
Then your entire world depends on this truth."
The circle remained silent.
A heartbeat passed. Then another.
Finally, the Priestess of Water stood.
"Then we shall give you one chance."
The Council whispered among themselves before delivering their judgment.
Aeren would be granted three days.
"In three days' time, you must prove that the Sixth Element is not a myth…
But a reality."
The decision echoed across the skies. Thunder rolled, not in anger, but in recognition.
Three days. To find Oblivion. To prove its truth. Or face eternal exile.
As the council dispersed, Veera turned to Aeren, her eyes filled with a strange mixture of resolve and worry.
"Then our next journey begins—
Toward the realm of the forgotten…
Toward Oblivion."
And thus began a new chapter. A chapter beyond memory, beyond the known, where the path would lead them into darkness itself. A darkness that held not just dan
ger—but revelation.
For in the shadows, something stirred.
Something that had always been there—watching.
Waiting to be remembered.