Chapter 30 – The Nameless Choice
The sky above the altar cracked. The ground hummed softly. Lumina stood in the center of the circle, silent.
Shadows of the past emerged one by one — her ancestors, Ilior/Vermille, Verruksha, Enver, and her mother. They surrounded her mind, yet she said nothing. She knew the moment had come.
From beyond the shadows came footsteps. Alvaron stepped out from the dark side of the altar.
Verruksha rose from within Lumina's body, sensing unease.
"Do not let her power awaken," Alvaron said quietly.
Verruksha nodded. She dove into Lumina's consciousness, erasing childhood memories, awakening unhealed traumas — the voices of father, mother, and the council's cruel judgments. All blended into one.
Lumina collapsed. Her knees struck the ground. Her left hand trembled. Her voice caught in her throat.
Archon arrived.
Behind him came Kavdrin, Miredan, and five elite mages. They spoke little. Ancient magic seals were cast all at once. Seven symbols surrounded Lumina's body. The air froze.
"Seal her before she chooses and rises," Archon commanded coldly.
An explosion of energy surged. Lumina's body was bound by magical knots. Verruksha intensified the pressure from within. Lumina screamed in silence.
From afar, Enver and Raegar saw the sky split in two. They tried to enter the altar but failed.
"Don't do this to her!" Enver shouted, but they ignored him.
Raegar drew the dimensional stopper card. Enver stopped him.
"Not yet. She's not finished."
Amari arrived.
Her body was nearly destroyed, Maxcen's energy blazing beneath her skin. Serdyn held her upright, but Amari forced herself forward.
"Lumina!" she called, but her voice did not reach Lumina.
Lumina opened her eyes.
Inside her mind, she saw Verruksha. The ancient spirit stood still… afraid.
"Leave," Lumina said.
Verruksha tried to resist. But Lumina was no longer an ordinary girl — the sealing spells had awakened part of her power. She seized Verruksha's shadow and forcibly expelled it. Verruksha's astral form was thrown from her body and shattered. The binding spell between Lumina and Verruksha broke. The outer seals collapsed. The elite mages' spells unraveled.
Lumina stood once more. The light from her body was no longer pure, yet neither was it darkness.
She faced everyone before her.
Alvaron stepped back. Archon fell silent. Kavdrin and Miredan readied themselves to strike… but did not dare.
Lumina spoke a single sentence:
"This is my blood. This is my path. It belongs to no one. None of you have the right to decide my life or my death."
The ground beneath the altar trembled. Ancient symbols from Ilior's era emerged around the circle, opening a gate — to an ending, or a beginning.