The dust hadn't yet settled from the collapse when Seraphina stirred.
Her vision was blurred, ears ringing. Her body ached from the fall—but she was alive.
"Seraphina!" Mason's voice tore through the choking silence.
She turned weakly—only to find him beside her, kneeling, one arm bleeding, the other gently cradling her head.
"I'm here," she whispered, voice hoarse.
His eyes were frantic, searching her face for pain, for wounds—anything. "Don't ever scare me like that again."
But Seraphina didn't respond with words. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight—not because she was weak, but because he had always been her strength when she forgot how to be strong.
Footsteps echoed nearby.
Arabella stumbled into view, her clothes torn, but her eyes alert. Behind her came Elaris, limping but still steady, gripping the hilt of her dagger like it was the only thing keeping her up.
"We lost Mira," Arabella gasped. "The Soul Keeper has her. And he's moving toward something—something powerful."
Elaris's eyes widened. "The Necklace."
Seraphina blinked. "The what?"
Elaris stepped closer, blood at the corner of her mouth. "The Necklace of Kings. It's not just a relic. It chooses rulers. It amplifies their soul. And in the wrong hands…"
"…it becomes a weapon," Mason finished, standing to his feet with a quiet fury in his voice.
---
They moved as one after that—through the cracked halls of the ruined temple, past forgotten doors and silent statues. Every shadow whispered danger, but none dared rise. The real terror waited ahead.
And then… they saw it.
A door.
Not carved—but grown. Woven from vines of silver and etched with flames of glass. Ancient writing shimmered faintly beneath years of dust.
"The Library of the Old Flame," Elaris murmured, awe breaking through her exhaustion. "It's real."
Seraphina stepped forward. Her blood still warm from the fall, she pressed her palm against the silver vines.
They writhed at her touch… then opened.
And what lay behind was not a library…
It was a cathedral of memory.
Books floated in mid-air, scrolls glowed faintly with forgotten truths, and high above them spun a slow-moving ring of pages, like stars circling a sun. This was no mortal library. This was history's heartbeat.
Arabella gasped. "This place... it's alive."
---
They found the book by accident.
It found them.
Floating before Seraphina, it landed softly in her hands. The leather was worn, but the seal—the mark of the Threaded Ones—burned like fresh fire.
"The Book of Life and Past," Elaris whispered, tears in her eyes.
Seraphina opened it slowly.
The pages turned on their own, faster and faster, until they landed on a name that shone brighter than the rest.
Mira.
Beneath it:
> "She who carries the silent flame shall be chained by fate. Only the Necklace of Kings and the Crown of Flame may restore her light."
"No…" Seraphina's knees buckled. "We have to save her. We have to."
Mason caught her. "Then we find the necklace. No matter what it takes."
Arabella reached out, pointing. The book was shifting—reconfiguring itself into a map.
A trail lit up in gold, leading them to an underground chamber far beneath the temple.
"The Vault," Elaris breathed. "It's below us."
The map shimmered with golden lines, pointing to a place far beneath the surface of the ruins—a place called The Vault of Flame.
Seraphina closed the book, her fingers trembling.
"If that necklace is the only way to bring Mira back," she said, voice sharp and steady, "then we're going there. Now."
"No rest?" Arabella asked, eyes weary, blood drying on her cheek.
"No rest," Seraphina replied. "Not until she's safe."
---
The stairway was hidden behind a statue of a faceless queen.
Mason pressed his hand to the stone, and with a low groan, the wall opened like a mouth exhaling centuries of silence. A cold wind blew from the depths below. It smelled of ash… and fate.
They descended one by one.
Mason led, his sword drawn. Behind him, Seraphina walked silently, holding the Book of Life and Past close to her chest like it was Mira herself.
Arabella and Elaris followed, their footsteps echoing into nothingness.
And as they went deeper… the air grew heavy. Time itself seemed to slow.
---
When they reached the bottom, the world changed.
They stood at the mouth of a grand chamber carved entirely from crystal. Blue fire flickered in the walls. In the center, suspended mid-air above a pedestal of stone, was the Necklace of Kings.
It glowed with a light that pulsed like a heartbeat—fierce, ancient, alive.
Mason stepped forward cautiously.
"Wait," Elaris warned. "Nothing this powerful is left unguarded."
She was right.
Because as soon as Mason's foot crossed the final circle around the pedestal, the floor cracked—and from the shadows, figures began to form.
It was reflection.
Each one looked exactly like them.
Seraphina faced herself—cold, cruel-eyed, with a twisted smile.
Arabella gasped as her double laughed darkly.
"They're not illusions," Mason muttered. "They're made from us."
Elaris narrowed her eyes. "They're our doubts. Our broken pieces. The parts of us we've tried to forget."
---
The battle began without warning.
Mason fought his reflection with raw fury, each strike throwing sparks as their swords met.
Arabella's double mocked her every move, but Arabella moved with rage—channeling the pain of losing Mira.
Seraphina stared at her copy. "You think I'm weak," she said through gritted teeth.
The double laughed. "You are. You always were. You can't save Mira. You couldn't even save yourself."
But Seraphina didn't answer with words.
She lifted her hand—and the flames answered.
Golden fire roared around her. Her true power. Her soul.
Her reflection screamed as it burned, vanishing into ash.
---
And just like that… the chamber grew still.
The reflections were gone.
Mason fell to his knees, gasping. Arabella coughed blood. Elaris had a deep cut across her shoulder.
And Seraphina… she walked forward.
The necklace hovered before her.
So close.
She reached out—only for a voice to echo through the chamber.
> "That doesn't belong to you."
The Soul Keeper stepped from the shadows, Mira limp in his arms.
Her face was pale.
"Let her go!" Seraphina shouted, her flames rising again.
The Soul Keeper smiled coldly.
"You want the necklace?" he asked. "Then choose. The necklace… or the girl."
Silence.
Arabella gasped.
Elaris shook her head. "He's bluffing."
But Mason stepped forward. "He's not."
The Soul Keeper's blade pressed to Mira's throat.
One drop of blood slid down her neck.
Seraphina's hands trembled.
> "Choose, Empress. What matters more to you—power… or love?"
The Soul Keeper's blade gleamed like a sliver of moonlight, pressed against Mira's fragile throat.
> "Choose," he repeated, voice calm as death. "The necklace… or the girl."
The air itself seemed to freeze.
Seraphina stared, her eyes locked on Mira's pale face. A slow tear escaped her cheek and fell to the ground, silent… like grief.
Arabella whispered, "Sera, don't. Don't choose power."
Mason stepped forward. "We'll find another way. We always do—"
"Enough!" the Soul Keeper snapped.
He pressed the blade harder.
Mira let out a soft, broken sound—not quite a cry, more like… a whisper of a life slipping away.
That was it.
Seraphina dropped the book.
The Book of Life and Past landed with a soft thud, dust rising around it like a ghost.
Then… she knelt.
She placed her hands behind her back. Her flames extinguished.
"I choose her," she said.
Three words.
Three quiet, beautiful words that cracked Mason's heart open.
The Soul Keeper raised a brow. "You kneel for her?"
"I kneel for love," Seraphina replied, steady despite the tears falling. "Not for crowns. Not for thrones. Just her."
---
The Soul Keeper didn't move.
Time stood still.
Then—he smiled. But it wasn't kind.
"You've failed the test," he said darkly. "Only those who take power can protect the ones they love."
He swung the blade—
And Mira screamed. Blood bloomed across her gown.
Arabella cried out. "MIRA!"
Mason was the first to move.
He launched himself toward the Soul Keeper with a roar that shattered the air, blade sparking fire as it met the Keeper's.
"You won't touch her again!" he yelled, sword locked with the Soul Keeper's dark staff.
Elaris grabbed Mira and pulled her away, cradling her against her chest, pressing her hands to the bleeding wound.
"She's slipping!" Elaris cried. "Her soul is burning out!"
"Mason, cover me!" Seraphina shouted.
She ran to Mira's side, her hands glowing golden as she placed them over the wound, chanting from the book's memory—not the words in it, but the words she now remembered from her past life.
"Sanctum animae, redde lucem… Vita, redde!"
The light from her hands sank into Mira's chest.
But it wasn't working.
"No, no, no!" Seraphina sobbed. "Stay with me!"
---
Arabella dropped beside her, clutching Mira's hand. "You promised you'd never leave me again. You promised, Mira!"
Mira's eyes fluttered open. For one second—just one—she looked at Seraphina and smiled.
"I knew… you'd choose me."
And then she went still.
No breath.
Nothing.
"MIRA!" Seraphina screamed.
Her voice shattered like glass.
The ground trembled beneath them.
The crystal walls cracked.
And the necklace—once hovering above the pedestal—suddenly shot toward Seraphina.
It wrapped around her neck, glowing fiercely, pulsing with the fire of heartbreak and fury.
A deep hum shook the entire chamber.
The Soul Keeper turned, eyes wide. "What have you done?"
Seraphina rose slowly.
But she didn't look like the same girl.
Her hair flowed like flame.
"You killed the only part of me that still believed in peace," she whispered.
The Soul Keeper took a step back.
"I am not here to kneel anymore," Seraphina said, voice low, deadly. "I am here to burn your world to the ground."
And then— She vanished.
Reappearing behind the Soul Keeper in a flash of gold.
He barely had time to turn before her hand pierced through his chest—straight through the dark crystal that served as his core.
He gasped.
"You… weren't supposed to awaken yet…"
"I didn't," Seraphina whispered.
"Mira did."
And with that, she ripped the core free—and the Soul Keeper crumbled into dust.
---
But it wasn't over.
Mira's body still lay cold.
Seraphina dropped to her knees again, holding Mira close, golden tears spilling down her cheeks.
Mason dropped his sword, wrapping his arms around them both.
"We'll find a way to bring her back," he whispered.
Arabella took the Book of Life and Past.
There, on the last page, glowing faintly now, was a name no one had seen before:
> The Gate of Returning.
And below it, in trembling ink:
> "But only if a soul chooses to return… on its own."
The chamber was silent now.
Mira's body rested in Seraphina's arms, her face peaceful—but far too still.
The glow from the Book of Life and Past dimmed until only one phrase pulsed on the page:
> "The Gate of Returning – where love is weighed and fate is undone."
Arabella traced the words with trembling fingers. "Where is it? Where's the gate?"
A faint rumble answered her.
Elaris turned toward the northern wall of the chamber. Slowly, the stones began to split, revealing a dark corridor beyond—a path carved in ancient marble and lit with cold, flickering torches.
"It's waiting," she said softly.
Seraphina rose, still holding Mira's body.
Her feet moved on instinct, each step heavier than the last, but filled with silent purpose.
Mason moved to her side. "You don't have to carry her alone."
"I want to," Seraphina whispered. "I owe her that much."
---
They entered the corridor in silence.
The deeper they walked, the colder it grew. Their breath began to show in the air. Every sound—their steps, the soft rustle of fabric—echoed like thunder in a cathedral.
Then they saw it.
A massive silver archway stood at the corridor's end, engraved with ancient runes that shimmered like tears in moonlight. Beyond the archway was… nothing. Not darkness. Not light. Just a veil of swirling mist.
Elaris whispered, "The Gate."
A soft voice answered.
> "Only the blood of true sacrifice may open the door…"
Everyone turned.
The mist had formed a figure—neither man nor woman, old nor young. The Guardian of the Gate.
Seraphina stepped forward. "What sacrifice?"
The Guardian's voice was gentle, but cruel in its truth.
> "To restore a soul already called into the deep… another must take her place."
Arabella gasped. "No."
Seraphina tightened her grip on Mira. "I'll do it."
Mason's eyes widened. "No, Seraphina. No—you can't."
"I must," she said, her voice breaking. "She died for me. She believed in me."
"I believe in you too," Mason said, voice trembling. "That's why I won't let you do this."
"You can't stop me," she said.
Arabella stepped forward too. "Then I'll take her place."
"No!" Seraphina and Mason shouted together.
Elaris fell to her knees. "Why does someone always have to die just for love to live?"
The Guardian remained still.
Then Mira stirred.
Yes—stirred.
Her chest did not rise, her eyes did not open. But her spirit—soft, silver, radiant—rose from her body like morning fog.
She hovered above them, looking down with a broken smile.
> "You've come so far for me… but I'm tired."
> "Maybe I was never meant to stay."
"No!" Seraphina reached out. "Don't say that!"
Mira looked at her. "You were born for something greater. A kingdom… a crown… light. I can't let you give that up for me."
"You are my light," Seraphina whispered.
A moment of silence passed.
Then Mira floated to the Gate—and placed her spirit hand on its stone.
> "I choose to return."
A loud boom cracked through the corridor.
The Gate began to open, slowly, painfully, stone grinding against stone.
But the Guardian didn't move.
> "She chose… but the sacrifice must still be paid."
Seraphina turned to the others, her heart already prepared.
She stepped forward.
But Mason grabbed her arm.
He smiled through his tears.
> "Let me be the fool who dies for love… just this once."
> "Live, Seraphina. Lead. Save the world. And remember me."
"No—Mason—please—" Her voice shattered.
But he kissed her forehead softly.
Then walked into the light.
Seraphina screamed.
Mira's soul burst into golden sparks—and in an instant, her body breathed again.
Her eyes snapped open.
"Mason? Where is he—"
The Gate slammed shut behind them.
Seraphina collapsed beside Mira, trembling, hollow, broken.
She didn't speak. She couldn't.
And far away, on the other side of the veil, Mason stood watching them… smiling.
But already fading.
The chamber was too quiet.
No breath, no wind—just the echo of a heart that had forgotten how to beat.
Seraphina didn't speak.
Her fingers curled around the edge of Mason's fallen cloak—the only thing he left behind. Warm. Heavy. His scent still clinging like a ghost refusing to fade.
Mira sat beside her, her eyes swollen with tears. "He gave everything…"
Seraphina didn't respond.
Arabella paced in restless grief. "He didn't deserve this. He was supposed to see the end with us—he—he promised."
"I begged him," Mira whispered, shaking. "I told him not to do it…"
Seraphina finally looked up. But her eyes were empty. "He never listened."
She stood, slowly, the cloak still in her hands, then folded it tightly against her chest.
Elaris touched her arm gently. "Seraphina…"
But she turned away.
> "No more words. No more promises. We end this… now."
---
They walked out of the Gate's corridor like survivors of a storm that hadn't fully passed.
But the library was no longer as they left it.
Shelves had split open. Scrolls burned from the inside. The Book of Life and Past now floated midair—its pages flipping violently, whispering voices overlapping in a foreign tongue.
Then a single name echoed out:
> "Valen Mason of the Forgotten Bloodline."
Everyone froze.
Arabella turned sharply. "What did it just say?"
> "Valen?" Mira asked. "His name was Mason—"
"No…" Elaris said, her voice trembling.
She reached up and snatched the book midair. The pages settled—on a crest.
A royal sigil which was ancient.
> "The royal bloodline that vanished centuries ago," Elaris breathed. "The House of Valen. It was said their blood could bend fate. Lead all kingdoms. Even defy death…"
Seraphina clenched her fists. "He knew."
Mira whispered, "He gave himself up… but what if he wasn't supposed to stay gone?"
Seraphina's eyes flickered.
Elaris nodded. "If his soul carried the blood of the Valen… the Gate may not have taken him. It may have hidden him."
Arabella's hands shook. "Then we find him. We bring him back."
"But how?" Mira cried. "How do you find a soul not in this world—or the next?"
Elaris turned slowly… toward the far end of the shattered library.
There, carved into stone, was a forgotten staircase spiraling down into pitch darkness.
> "We find the necklace," she said. "The one the Soul Keeper is searching for. It doesn't just give power—it binds the lost."
> "With it… we might pull Mason back."
Seraphina said nothing.
But her eyes spoke vengeance.
Hours passed as they descended.
Twisting staircases.
At the bottom, a hallway led them into a tomb—a crypt of ancient rulers, bones lined in crystal, their crowns rusted by time.
And at the very center: a statue of a woman holding a necklace.
The crystal glowed blue.
Mira stepped forward—but the moment her finger brushed the chain—
> The walls exploded.
From behind the statue, a figure emerged Cloaked in midnight and shadow.
The Soul Keeper.
Her voice was like silk soaked in poison.
> "I wondered who would get here first."
Seraphina stepped in front of Mira.
Arabella drew her blade.
Elaris began chanting.
And the Keeper just smiled.
> "Looking for the boy? The foolish one who thought love could cheat the gate?"
Seraphina's heart stopped.
"He's not dead," the Keeper whispered. "But he's mine now. And if you want him…"
"You'll have to bleed for him."
A gust of black flame shot from her fingers.
Everything went white.