The next morning, mist blanketed the forest.
No birds sang. No sound touched the air.
Only the crunch of boots broke the silence as Elian, Lyra, and Kael made their way through the dense trees.
A faint, sweet fragrance filled the air — strange and soothing, but unnatural.
Lyra looked around uneasily. "This doesn't feel right. It's… too quiet."
Elian nodded, his hand resting on his chest. The seal had stopped hurting, but it pulsed faintly — like it knew they were close.
Kael frowned. "Are we sure this is even the right place? Raven said the Vale of Thorns, but I don't see any—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
The trees ahead bent sharply, their branches twisting into massive walls of dark vines covered in glowing red thorns. The vines moved slowly, like they were alive, guarding something behind them.
Elian stepped forward, staring. "This… this must be it."
The vines reacted to his presence, curling back slightly. A deep hum vibrated through the ground, and a faint voice — soft, ancient — whispered through the air.
> "Blood of balance… you have come at last."
Lyra's eyes widened. "Did you hear that?"
Elian nodded. "Yeah."
He took another step closer. The vines glowed brighter, then slowly parted, opening a narrow path between the thorns.
Kael gripped his sword. "Either that's a welcome… or a warning."
Elian took a breath. "We won't know until we go in."
And with that, he stepped inside. The thorns closed behind them like a door sealing shut.
The Vale of Thorns was unlike any place they'd seen.
Silver flowers grew from dark soil. Rivers of faint white light ran beside streams of black water, flowing together into a glowing pool at the center.
At the heart of it all stood a shrine — small, elegant, carved from stone and crystal.
On it rested a pendant shaped like two wings — one white, one black.
Elian's breath caught in his throat. "That's… her pendant."
Lyra placed a hand on his shoulder. "Elian, are you sure?"
He nodded. "She never took it off."
He walked slowly toward it, feeling a strange warmth wash over him — the kind of warmth only a mother's embrace could bring.
As his fingers touched the pendant, light flooded the shrine.
The air shimmered — and suddenly, a figure appeared before him.
A woman — gentle, graceful, with long silver hair and eyes that mirrored Elian's own.
Elian froze, his heart racing. "M–Mother…?"
Her image smiled softly.
> "My sweet child… you've grown."
Tears blurred his vision. "You're… real? How—how is this happening?"
> "What you see is only a memory I left behind. A part of me meant for the day you'd find this place."
Kael and Lyra stood silently behind him, not wanting to interrupt.
Elian's voice shook. "Why did you do it? Why did you seal him… and me?"
The projection's face saddened.
> "Because the Abyss wasn't your father's curse, my love. It was our family's burden. And I couldn't let you bear it too soon."
> "Your father lost himself to the darkness. I sealed him away… and when I realized it was awakening in you, I had no choice but to bind it within your life itself. Your heart became the barrier that holds the Abyss still."
Elian's hands trembled. "So he's still alive… somewhere?"
> "Yes," she said softly. "But not as the man he once was. The Abyss devoured him — his soul is trapped between life and death. He waits… beneath the Obsidian Spire."
Elian's eyes widened. "Then he can still be saved?"
> "Perhaps. But to reach him, you must cross the path of both Heaven and Hell. They will not let you live once they know the seal is fading."
> "The world fears what you are, Elian. But remember this — you are not a curse. You are the bridge between two truths. You carry both light and shadow… and that balance is what will save everything."
Her image flickered, growing faint.
Elian reached out desperately. "Wait! Don't go! Please!"
> "Be brave, my son. And never forget… you were born from love, not fear."
And with that, she vanished — leaving only the pendant in his hand.
Elian fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
Lyra knelt beside him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Kael stood behind them, silent, but his jaw was clenched — angry at the unfairness of it all.
Elian whispered, "She… she made me the seal. My life keeps the Abyss trapped."
Lyra wiped his tears gently. "Then we'll make sure that life never ends. Not until you decide what to do with it."
Elian looked up at her, a faint smile breaking through his pain.
For the first time, he didn't feel cursed. Just… human.
As the three of them stood before the shrine, the thorns behind them began to glow again — but this time, softly, peacefully.
And somewhere far away, in the depths of darkness, something stirred…
A faint, broken voice whispered through the void — deep, sorrowful, yet familiar.
> "Elian… my son…"