1. The Moment of Stillness
Time froze.
The flames suspended in the air looked like a frozen painting, and the drifting dust seemed like tiny stars that refused to move.
The soldiers, the Emperor, Frank, Dan, Barnila… all of them held their breaths, though their chests had ceased to rise and fall.
Yet the white hand that emerged from the heavenly rift did not stop.
It moved gracefully, as if it alone was outside the laws of space and time.
Around it, a silver radiance spread, making the green fire shrink back for a moment, as if afraid.
Then her voice rang again, clearer this time:
> "Children of blood… stop. The judgment is not yet complete."
---
2. The Owner of the Hand Appears
Slowly, the hand was followed by a full arm, then an entire feminine figure descended from the rift.
She was not a shadow like Ricard, nor a flame like the entity, nor even fully human.
She was like a being of pure light, her features crystalline, her hair flowing like silver waves, her eyes deep blue with no end to their depth.
She advanced with steps that did not touch the ground, and with each step, life returned around her: the flames moved, the dust fell, and time began to flow again.
The Emperor shouted, raising his sword once more:
> "Who are you?! An angel… or another demon?!"
But she looked at him calmly, as if piercing through him with a single gaze:
> "I am not of your realms. I am the witness of the old covenant.
What opened tonight is not just a gate… it is a scale."
---
3. Frank's Shock
Frank rose to his feet with difficulty, still clutching the glowing stone.
His eyes were filled with both hope and fear:
> "A scale?! Can you close it?! Tell me it's not over yet!"
The luminous woman shook her head slowly:
> "Closing it is no longer an option.
What has been opened, has been opened.
But you may still choose what comes forth… and who is judged."
Dan chuckled softly, raising his black dagger:
> "Pretty words, but we know the game.
Judgment is blood. And I am ready to spill it."
---
4. The Clash of Light and Shadow
Ricard, the living shadow, stepped forward, his green eyes burning more fiercely than ever:
> "I choose his blood… his blood is my right."
He pointed directly at Frank.
The luminous woman raised her hand, and a barrier of light burst around her.
Suddenly, the black dagger in Dan's hand trembled, as if it despised her presence.
> "Blood will not be spilled so easily. If judgment must fall, then truth shall be revealed first."
---
5. The Buried Story
The woman stretched her hand toward the glowing wall, which opened like a page of a book.
Upon it appeared moving images—scenes of the past.
The burning village.
Children screaming.
Young Frank running with the stone.
Little Barnila carrying water.
And Dan standing apart, watching with a cold smile.
Then the most important scene:
Ricard, trapped in fire, reaching out to his brother.
Frank struggling to reach him, but the ground trembled, the stone cracked, and the gate swallowed the younger child.
The vision froze.
Silence fell.
Even Dan found no words.
Frank burst into tears:
> "I swear I did not abandon him! I swear I tried!"
Ricard looked at him, his eyes torn between rage and doubt.
---
6. The Emperor Intervenes
The Emperor slammed his sword into the ground, sparks flying:
> "Enough of visions! What matters to me is the kingdom.
If the gate remains open, it must be sealed at any cost.
If blood must be shed… let it be shed now!"
But the luminous woman stepped forward, raising her hand against him:
> "Your blood too is part of the scale, son of the throne.
You are not beyond judgment."
The entire hall froze.
The Emperor—always the image of power—turned pale for a moment.
---
7. Loyalty Divided
The soldiers, hesitant, began to whisper.
Some lifted their swords, ready to protect the Emperor.
Others retreated, fearful of the light and the gate.
Brand of Frick thundered:
> "If we do not unite now, the palace will collapse upon us all!"
But even he watched Ricard and the luminous woman with troubled eyes.
---
8. Barnila Reveals the Secret
Barnila, silent since the vision, suddenly stepped forward, tears in her eyes:
> "There is something I never told you…
That night, Frank was not alone. I was with him… and I failed."
All turned to her.
> "I carried the second incantation.
Had I spoken it fully, the gate would have closed.
But I hesitated… I was afraid.
And because of me, Ricard died."
Frank shouted:
> "No! Do not blame yourself! It wasn't in your hands!"
But Dan interrupted with a smile:
> "There it is—the truth.
They are all traitors… all guilty."
---
9. The New Judgment
The luminous woman's eyes gleamed blue:
> "Judgment is not for betrayal…
It is for who chooses sacrifice.
One of you must give their blood to half-seal the gate,
granting the kingdom time.
If none chooses… the gate will open fully."
Silence.
The air grew heavier than iron.
Ricard smiled bitterly:
> "So my blood would not restore me… but would only reseal the prison."
---
10. Frank's Decision
Frank rose, lifting the still-glowing stone.
His voice was weak, yet steady:
> "Then… it will be me."
Barnila screamed:
> "No!"
The Emperor roared:
> "You have no right to decide alone!"
But Frank smiled bitterly:
> "I lost my brother because my hands were powerless.
Now I must mend my failure… even if the price is my life."
---
11. The Cliffhanger
Before Frank could approach the gate, Ricard surged forward, shouting:
> "I won't allow it! Your life belongs to me… not to you!"
Shadow collided with light, stone with dagger,
and the hall exploded in both green and white brilliance.
Walls cracked, the ceiling split, and the sky above the palace opened wide.
Amid the chaos, a new voice rang out—deep, masculine, from the heart of the gate:
> "Enough games… the true judgment begins now."
The heavenly rift widened further, revealing a throne of green fire upon which sat a being unlike any seen before.
---
Curtain — End of Chapter Fourteen
This was no longer merely a struggle of brothers, nor a trial of blood.
The kingdom had entered a greater balance, as the ancient powers returned,
and the Green Throne declared the dawn of a new era.