The Vale of Thorns was quiet again.
Morning light seeped through the vines, glinting on dew that shimmered like tiny stars.
Elian, Lyra, and Kael stood before the shrine one last time.
Elian still held the pendant — his mother's wings of light and shadow — tight in his hand.
"I can feel it," he said softly. "Her power… it's fading. The memory won't last forever."
Lyra nodded. "Then we should go. The angels, the demons — someone will find this place soon."
Kael looked toward the path where they'd come from. "Let's hope the Vale still wants to let us out."
They turned toward the living vines — only to see them moving again.
But this time, they weren't opening.
They were closing.
A low, shuddering hum filled the air.
The silver flowers dimmed, and the rivers of light began to run dark.
Lyra drew her staff. "Something's wrong."
Elian's chest tightened — the mark on his wrist pulsed violently.
It wasn't the soft rhythm he'd felt before. It hurt.
Kael glanced at him. "Elian—your seal!"
The Eclipsera mark was glowing fiercely, its light flickering between white and black like it couldn't decide what it was.
Elian staggered. "It's reacting to the Vale… I think the shrine's power is fading!"
The vines began to close around them, thorns clashing like blades.
They were being trapped.
A shape rose from the center pool — a tall, spectral figure made of mist and shards of light.
It wore armor of crystal and shadow, its face hidden behind a cracked mask.
Its voice boomed through the Vale.
> "No mortal shall leave this place with the seal unbound."
Lyra raised her staff. "Who are you?"
> "I am the Guardian of the Vale — the last remnant of her magic. You carry the seal of balance. If it fails, this world will burn."
Elian's breath caught. "She made you, didn't she?"
> "Yes," the Guardian replied. "To protect the secret — even from you."
Kael growled, stepping forward. "We're not your enemies! We just came for answers!"
> "Then you have them. Leave the pendant, and your lives will be spared."
Elian tightened his grip on the pendant. "No. It's all I have left of her."
The Guardian's eyes flared like stars collapsing.
> "Then you must prove you are worthy to bear her memory."
The ground split open, and waves of light shot upward, forming a massive circle around them.
Elian's heart pounded — the mark on his wrist burned so violently he almost screamed.
The Guardian's voice echoed:
> "Face your truth, Child of Balance. Light and Shadow cannot coexist without pain."
Elian's vision blurred — the world twisted.
Suddenly, he stood alone.
The Vale was gone.
Before him stood two versions of himself — one radiant and calm, the other cloaked in darkness, its eyes burning red.
The dark Elian smiled faintly. "You think you can carry both? You'll never be enough for either side."
The light one whispered, "You fear what you are. That fear will destroy you before destiny ever can."
Elian fell to his knees, gripping his head. "Stop—just stop!"
Their voices overlapped, echoing endlessly.
> "You are not human."
"You are not angel."
"You are not demon."
"You are nothing!"
"ENOUGH!" Elian shouted.
The seal on his chest burst with light and shadow, sending a shockwave that shattered the illusion.
When the world steadied, the Guardian stood before him again — kneeling now, the cracks in its mask glowing faintly.
> "You endured… without breaking."
It rose, its form fading into mist.
> "Carry her memory well, Elian. And remember — the balance within you is not a curse. It is choice."
And with that, the Vale of Thorns opened once more.
As they stepped through the parting vines, the world beyond felt… sharper, colder.
The air trembled faintly — as if even the heavens had felt the disturbance.
Kael glanced back. "That was insane."
Lyra nodded. "But you did it, Elian."
Elian touched the pendant gently. "No… we did."
But deep inside, he felt something new — something faint and dangerous.
The seal was still there… but it no longer felt stable.
It pulsed irregularly, like a storm waiting to break.
And somewhere far above, in Celestara, the angels felt it too.