When the light faded, silence fell.
Dust floated through the air like falling snow.
The mountain chamber was half-collapsed, its walls cracked, its once-glowing runes now dim. The air buzzed faintly — charged with the echo of power that none of them could fully understand.
Riku blinked through the haze, his ears ringing. Mina was crouched beside him, shielding her eyes. Ren knelt a few feet away, blood dripping from his hand where the Relic had shattered.
And standing before them — surrounded by a faint, shimmering aura — was the figure who had stopped the General's killing blow.
Tall. Ethereal. Cloaked in flowing strands of light that flickered like flame. His face was half-visible, half-made of energy, eyes glowing with gentle gold.
Var'gon's crimson armor groaned as he steadied himself. His voice came like the growl of grinding stone.
"A spirit of the relic…"
The figure's gaze lifted, calm and ancient. "You've gone too far, Var'gon. This is not your trial to end."
The General's chains slithered in fury, the metal hissing like serpents. "You interfere with my duty?"
"I preserve balance," the spirit said simply. His voice carried through the broken chamber like a breeze through the afterlife itself. "And your chains are not the law here. Not yet."
Riku looked from one to the other, confusion clouding his face. "Who… who are you?"
The spirit turned his head slightly toward him. "I am Elreth, guardian of the Healing Relic — the one your friend has carried unawakened for far too long."
Ren coughed weakly, raising his head. "You… you're the voice I heard calling me."
Elreth nodded. "Yes. I have watched you all. Your souls shine brighter than most lost ones, but still… dimmed by pain, by fear, by memory."
Var'gon straightened, his crimson aura flaring again. "You speak too freely, spirit. Do not mistake my retreat for defeat."
The chains rose around him like wings.
"You are fortunate I am bound by the Emperor's order," the General said, his voice dripping with restrained rage. "Otherwise, none of you would leave this mountain alive."
He turned his burning gaze toward Riku. "Remember this feeling — of being spared. Because next time, there will be no light to save you."
He slammed his spear into the ground — and with a flash of red, his form dissolved into a storm of chains that vanished into the shadows.
The chamber fell silent once again.
⸻
After the Battle
The group stood frozen for several breaths, the echo of the General's words heavy in the air.
Only Mina dared to speak first. "He's gone… right?"
Ren grunted, lowering himself to sit against a broken pillar. "Yeah. For now. Damn near cost us our souls, though."
Riku sheathed Eclipsera slowly, still breathing hard. His hands trembled — not from fear, but from the lingering energy pulsing through the blade.
The twilight glow around it had faded, but he could still feel it — something alive, whispering faintly in the back of his mind.
Elreth floated closer, his presence gentle, yet vast. "You have done well to survive his wrath. Few mortals — living or dead — ever stand before a General and draw breath afterward."
Riku clenched his fists. "Then why did he attack us? We didn't even do anything to him."
The spirit's golden eyes dimmed slightly. "Because the Relics are fragments of the Fountain's Will. And those who command the Generals wish to control it. The more relics you gather, the more you threaten their order."
Arin lowered her bow, her expression sharp. "So the rumors are true — the Generals are protecting something. A secret tied to the Fountain."
Elreth nodded once. "Yes. And your path leads deeper into that truth."
He turned to Ren. "You, the keeper of my relic — your soul has resisted my awakening. Yet now, I sense resolve. You understand its burden?"
Ren looked down at his bleeding hand, then at the faintly glowing fragments of the Healing Relic. "Guess I didn't have a choice."
"You did," Elreth said softly. "But you chose to protect — and that, Ren, is why I'll help you."
The spirit raised his hand. Light flowed from his palm, gathering into a new shape — the shards of the relic rising and merging again, reforging themselves into a crystal pendant that shimmered like living flame.
"Your wounds will not fade easily," Elreth said. "But my power will guide your strength when you need it most."
Ren stared at the relic as it floated toward him. "You're… giving it back?"
Elreth smiled faintly. "No. I am trusting you with it."
The pendant merged with Ren's chest in a soft flash. For a moment, his eyes glowed the same gold as the spirit's.
⸻
The Warning
Mina took a hesitant step forward. "Spirit… Elreth… what did Var'gon mean by 'the Emperor's order'? Who's controlling the Generals?"
Elreth's glow dimmed. His tone shifted, as though he weighed how much to reveal.
"There is a force that governs this realm," he said slowly. "The Ten Generals serve under one who calls himself The Emperor of Rebirth. He believes himself guardian of balance — but his balance is built on chains and sorrow."
"The Emperor of Rebirth…" Arin whispered. "So he's the one commanding all this?"
"Yes," Elreth replied. "And each General guards a fragment of the Fountain's truth. Defeating them is not just survival — it is revelation."
Riku looked at him, resolve growing in his voice. "Then that's what we'll do. We'll break the Generals one by one, and find the Fountain."
Elreth's gaze softened, though his expression held something like sorrow. "Be careful what you seek, child of the living. The Fountain grants life — but it also demands memory. And memory… is heavier than death."
He began to fade, the golden light dissolving into sparkles.
"Wait!" Riku called. "What are we supposed to do next?"
The spirit's voice echoed faintly, already distant.
"Follow the call. The Relics will guide you. But beware… the next light you see may not be mine."
And with that, he vanished.
⸻
Silence once more.
The group looked at one another — bruised, broken, yet somehow still standing.
Ren exhaled deeply. "Well… looks like our peaceful journey's over."
Arin checked her bowstring. "Was it ever peaceful?"
Riku wiped the dust from his face and looked toward the shattered mountain exit, where faint red light pulsed beyond the clouds.
"We're not done yet," he said quietly. "The next Relic is calling."
Mina looked at him, her eyes filled with both fear and trust. "Then let's answer it."
As they stepped into the stormy horizon, thunder cracked — and for an instant, a shadow far above the clouds moved. A distant silhouette — winged, watching — waiting.
The next General.