One by one, his veins lit up, branching out like rivers of purple lightning. Soon, his muscles glowed beneath the surface, and even his bones shone with bright light until he was completely surrounded by an incredible purple radiance.
In comparison, the room felt dim.
The servants instinctively stepped back. Nobody said a word. The sight before them far exceeded anything they had ever imagined.
The violet glow kept getting stronger.
It was no longer just energy; it felt alive.
Morgan's gaze was fixed on the platform.
"...Grandmaster."
Boulder didn't respond. His face had taken on a serious look. Clearly, whatever they had anticipated didn't match what was happening right in front of them.
In the mindscape...
Eva stood still, breathing heavily. Her small chest rose and fell as she caught her breath.
The golden chains that had bound her were gone. Not a single trace remained.
Now there was only silence.
She slowly relaxed her clenched fists. For the first time since arriving in this strange place, the overwhelming pressure that had surrounded her vanished, as if an invisible weight was lifted off her shoulders.
She blinked, surprised. The darkness around her felt different now, not empty, but filled with tiny wisps of violet light, floating around like stars coming to life after a long sleep.
At first, they drifted aimlessly. But then, one by one, they began to move closer to Eva.
When they touched her, they broke apart into countless tiny particles and then faded away.
Looking at her small hands, she muttered, "...What?"
She didn't fully understand what was happening, but there was a strong feeling pulling her forward.
She couldn't explain it. She just knew... Shawn was waiting for her.
Without a second thought, she spread her small wings, feeling lighter than ever. This time, nothing was holding her back. She flew deeper into the darkness.
As she moved, more violet wisps gathered around her. Each time they touched her, they vanished, and with each disappearance, the path ahead became a little clearer.
She really had no idea how long she flew. Time felt meaningless in the mindscape.
Eventually, she saw someone floating quietly in the distance.
"...Shawn…" she whispered.
The figure was both familiar and strange. It looked like Shawn, but something was different.
His appearance remained, but now his soul was a swirling mix of brilliant white and deep violet, like two rivers endlessly clashing beneath a clear surface. Each collision caused his form to distort before settling again.
His expression was one of pain. His hands were clenched tightly, and his entire being seemed to tremble under a weight that was incomprehensible.
Eva didn't think twice. She pulled Shawn close, wrapping her small arms around him as he shook. "Shawn…" she said softly. "I'm here." As she hugged him, her little body started to fade away, surrounded by glowing violet particles that sank into him. She didn't fight it; it was like this had always been meant to happen. Slowly, Shawn's shaking lessened, and the white and violet lights swirling around him came to a halt for just a moment. Then came a loud roar!
A deafening roar erupted from Shawn's body.
It was unlike anything human. The sound shook the entire room, making the platform beneath him tremble violently.
Every rune etched into its surface flickered wildly. Some tendrils snapped from the sudden surge of energy, and the crystal tanks lining the walls rippled as if struck by an invisible force. Even the servants struggled to keep their balance.
"Stabilize the formation!" Morgan barked out instantly, and the servants rushed to comply, quickly swapping out energy crystals.
New streams of energy began to flow into the arrays, and the golden platform sent pulses of power, trying to bring calm to Shawn's turbulent energy.
Boulder stepped forward without hesitation. He reached out with his divine sense again, and this time, it was welcomed.
Suddenly, he understood why. The inheritance wasn't acknowledging him anymore, it was entirely focused on Shawn. His eyes narrowed.
"...Morgan."
Morgan turned, still busy stabilizing the energy arrays. "What is it?"
Boulder kept his gaze fixed on Shawn.
"...Look."
Morgan followed his line of sight.
White light erupted from Shawn's chest. It expanded rapidly, coursing through every vein they had painstakingly reforged. For a brief moment, the violet glow pulled back.
But then...
The violet light surged back, rising like an unstoppable wave, refusing to give ground. The two colors clashed, colliding with one another.
The impact sent shockwaves through Shawn's body, making blood spill from his mouth and cracks appear in his skin. His muscles convulsed violently beneath the restraints. The servants stared in horror.
"His body is breaking apart!" one of them shouted.
Morgan quickly increased the output of the platform. A wave of golden light enveloped Shawn once more, healing the cracks only for new ones to form almost immediately. It wasn't enough. Nothing felt adequate.
Boulder finally spoke, his voice steady but heavy. "...Two bloodlines."
Morgan frowned. "What?"
"They're fighting," Boulder explained.
Realization hit Morgan like a jolt. The violet light, it was similar to something he had seen years before, on the battlefield where the Starborn had fallen.
"...Starborn blood," he breathed.
Morgan's eyes widened. If that was Starborn blood, then what did the white represent?
Boulder fell silent again, his eyes still locked on Shawn's struggle.
"I don't know," he admitted quietly. But Morgan could sense the uncertainty beneath Boulder's calm exterior.
Another fierce collision occurred inside Shawn, making the platform groan with the force.
Several runes dimmed before brightening again, and the chamber shook around them.
"If this continues...," Morgan warned gravely, "...the vessel won't hold."
Boulder shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid..." He directed his gaze toward Shawn. "...this has gone beyond us."
Morgan clenched his fists desperately. "Then what do we do?"
For the first time since this experiment had started, Boulder didn't have an immediate answer. He could only watch as the two conflicting bloodlines battled it out, unwilling to yield or give in.
At that moment, a soft emerald pulse surged from deep within Shawn's chest.
The atmosphere was quiet as it moved through every part of the room. It wasn't chaotic or overwhelming. As it passed, the bright lights began to calm down, and the space became still. You could almost feel Shawn's tension ease up. The servants, too, let out the breaths they'd been holding without even realizing it. Morgan lowered his hands a bit and asked, "...Did it work?"
Boulder didn't respond right away; his gaze was locked on Shawn. The green light faded, and for a brief moment, everything felt peaceful. But then, the white and purple light flared up again, and the intensity of the battle picked up even more. Boulder closed his eyes slowly. When he opened them again, he looked surprisingly calm as he turned to Morgan and said, "There's nothing more we can do."
Morgan's eyes widened in shock. "The inheritance has done its part. So has the platform. So have we." He glanced back at Shawn, who lay on the platform. "Now, it's up to him." The room went still again; no one moved or spoke. For the first time during this entire experiment, Shawn had to face the turmoil within himself all alone.