The staircase seemed to have no end.
Celestine slowly descended, accompanied by Leonhardt, Seris, Lyra, the Guardian, and Aldren. Ahead of them, Seraphina walked calmly, as if she knew every stone in that place.
The farther they descended, the colder it became.
The marble walls disappeared.
They were replaced by ancient stones covered in symbols Celestine had never seen before.
The Void remained restless.
Don't continue.
Celestine ignored the warning.
Not because she didn't trust it.
But because she needed to discover why it was afraid.
— Are you hearing something? — Leonhardt asked.
Celestine looked at him.
— Yes.
— What?
— The Void is trying to stop me from continuing.
Leonhardt became serious.
— Then maybe we should turn back.
Seraphina heard him.
— Don't worry.
She continued descending.
— The Void isn't afraid that she will die.
Celestine stopped.
— Then what is it afraid of?
Seraphina looked back.
— That she will remember.
Celestine's heart began to race.
— Remember what?
Seraphina smiled.
— The life that existed before this one.
The corridor became completely silent.
Celestine felt a sudden pain in her head.
Images began to appear.
A forest.
A tower.
A silver-haired woman.
A sword.
Elyndra.
Celestine placed a hand over her head.
— Stop.
Seraphina did nothing.
The images continued.
Elyndra stood before a massive door.
Seraphina stood beside her.
The two were arguing.
— You can't do this! — Seraphina shouted.
— I have to.
— If you open the seal, the world will be destroyed!
Elyndra answered:
— I'm not going to open it.
The vision changed.
Now Elyndra was holding a child.
The child had dark hair.
Celestine felt her entire body freeze.
— No...
The vision disappeared.
She fell to her knees.
Leonhardt rushed toward her.
— Celestine!
She was breathing with difficulty.
— I saw...
— What?
Celestine looked at Seraphina.
— Elyndra was with a child.
Seraphina nodded.
— Yes.
— Who was it?
Seraphina remained silent.
Celestine slowly stood.
— Who was that child?
Seraphina answered:
— You.
The world seemed to stop.
Leonhardt stood motionless.
Seris's eyes widened.
Even Aldren seemed surprised.
— That's impossible — Celestine said.
— No.
Seraphina continued descending.
— You weren't born in this life.
Celestine felt the Void pulse violently.
— Then...
— You were born a long time ago.
— How?
— Because Elyndra sacrificed her own existence to prevent the Abyss from crossing the seal.
Celestine was speechless.
The Guardian lowered his head.
— I knew.
She turned toward him.
— You knew?
— I suspected.
— And you never told me?
— Because I wasn't certain.
Celestine felt anger rising inside her.
— You all seem to know something about me except me.
Seraphina finally stopped.
— That's why you're here.
Before them stood an enormous stone door.
It was covered in ancient symbols.
At its center was a black circle.
The Void inside Celestine became completely silent.
Seraphina placed a hand on the door.
— Behind this is the place where Elyndra performed her final ritual.
Celestine approached.
— What happened?
Seraphina looked at the circle.
— She realized she couldn't destroy the Abyss.
— So she sealed it.
— Yes.
— And she died?
Seraphina took a deep breath.
— Not exactly.
Celestine frowned.
— Explain.
— Elyndra divided her own soul into two parts.
Celestine felt a chill run through her body.
— One part remained trapped within the seal.
Seraphina nodded.
— And the other...
She looked directly at Celestine.
— Reincarnated.
Celestine stood motionless.
Now she understood.
Her existence in that world wasn't a coincidence.
She hadn't simply been reborn.
Her soul had been prepared to return.
— Then I am...
— The second half of Elyndra.
Leonhardt stepped closer.
— Does that mean Celestine is Elyndra?
Seraphina shook her head.
— No.
She looked at Celestine.
— You are a different person.
— Then why do I have her memories?
— Because the two souls are connected.
Celestine clenched her fists.
— And the Void?
Seraphina answered:
— It is the part that remained with Elyndra.
Celestine felt her breath catch.
— So the Void...
— Is a fragment of her consciousness.
Everything became clear.
The voice.
The feelings.
The memories.
The fear.
The Void wasn't merely a force.
It was a part of someone.
A part of Elyndra.
Celestine closed her eyes.
— Then are you my enemy?
Seraphina smiled sadly.
— No.
— You want to open the seal.
— Yes.
Celestine opened her eyes.
— Then you're my enemy.
Seraphina remained calm.
— I want to open the seal because the world is dying.
— A lie.
— No.
She touched the door.
— The seal isn't only imprisoning the Abyss.
Celestine felt the Void tremble.
— What else is it imprisoning?
Seraphina answered:
— Elyndra.
Absolute silence followed.
— Her body is on the other side.
Celestine couldn't respond.
— For centuries, she has been keeping the Abyss imprisoned. She's suffering alone.
Seraphina placed her hand over the circle.
— I want to free her.
Celestine felt tears forming in her eyes.
— And if opening the door also frees the Abyss?
— Then I'll find a way to stop it.
— And if you can't?
Seraphina looked at her.
— Then you'll have to kill me.
Leonhardt immediately took a defensive position.
— This could be a trap.
Seraphina nodded.
— It could be.
Celestine stared at the door.
Inside her, the Void finally spoke.
She's telling the truth.
Celestine was surprised.
You want me to open it?
No.
The answer came quickly.
But she's not lying.
Celestine closed her eyes.
— Then there's a third option.
Seraphina smiled.
— Finally.
— We don't need to open the door.
She placed her hand over the circle.
— We can enter the seal without breaking it.
The Guardian's eyes widened.
— That's impossible.
Celestine looked at him.
— Maybe it was.
Dark energy began to surround her hand.
— Before I existed.
The door began to react.
The ancient symbols lit up.
A deep sound echoed through the depths of the palace.
Seraphina stepped backward.
— You did it.
Celestine felt the Void merge with her consciousness.
This time, there was no fear.
Only determination.
Together.
Celestine smiled.
— Yes.
The black circle began to disappear.
Behind the door, a light emerged.
It wasn't bright.
It wasn't dark.
It was something between the two.
And from the other side, a woman's voice echoed.
— Celestine...
She froze.
The voice was familiar.
Very familiar.
The Void answered inside her.
Elyndra.
Celestine took a step forward.
The door began to open.
And, for the first time in hundreds of years, a woman trapped on the other side of the seal opened her eyes.