The Gatekeeper's strikes were relentless.
Every swing of its sword carved arcs of black energy that tore chunks from the bridge, sending shards spiraling into the abyss below. Liora's arms ached, her breath ragged, but she refused to yield.
The dagger's runes pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat—fast, desperate.
When the Gatekeeper lunged again, she sidestepped and slashed across its armored gauntlet.
The blade didn't just cut—it burned, searing through shadow and revealing… flesh.
For a heartbeat, the Gatekeeper froze. A distorted gasp echoed through the void.
Through the smoking gap in its armor, Liora saw pale skin, scarred and trembling. A human hand.
"You're… not a creature," she said, panting.
The helm turned toward her, the void inside flickering like a dying flame.
"I was a Keeper," the voice rasped—quieter now, almost human. "Before Kaelen bound me here… before I forgot my own name."
A wave of shadow surged from the chasm, as if the Abyss itself tried to smother that truth. The Gatekeeper staggered, clutching its helm as if in pain.
Liora took a cautious step forward.
"If you were one of us, then help me. I'm here to free Kaelen from the Heart's control."
The Gatekeeper's faceless helm lifted slowly.
"There is no freeing him… only ending him."
It raised the sword again—but not in a killing arc. Instead, it drove the blade point-first into the bridge between them. The impact cracked the obsidian, and the sword dissolved into motes of shadow, leaving only the Gatekeeper's trembling hands.
"You cannot pass without a trial," it said. "But… perhaps you can survive it. And if you do… tell Kaelen my name—Aric. Let him remember what he has destroyed."
Before Liora could answer, the bridge beneath her feet shattered, and she plunged into the abyss.
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