The door began to open.
There was no explosion.
No thunderous roar.
Only a deep, ancient sound, similar to that of a mountain slowly splitting apart.
Celestine remained standing before it, motionless.
The light coming from the other side illuminated her face.
The Void was completely silent.
For the first time since she had awakened in this new life, it did not try to guide her.
It did not try to protect her.
It simply watched.
— Celestine...
The voice returned.
It was feminine.
Weak.
But there was something about it that made Celestine's heart tighten.
She knew that voice.
Even though she had never heard it before.
— Elyndra... — she murmured.
Leonhardt approached.
— Are you sure?
Celestine nodded.
— Yes.
Seraphina stood a few steps behind them.
Her face had lost its usual calmness.
For the first time, she seemed genuinely emotional.
— After all this time...
The Guardian closed his eyes.
— I never thought I would see this again.
Seris looked at him.
— You knew she was alive?
— No.
— Then why are you acting as if you've seen this before?
The Guardian didn't answer.
Celestine noticed.
— Because he saw the door being closed.
Everyone looked at him.
The Guardian took a deep breath.
— I was there when Elyndra performed the final ritual.
Celestine turned toward him.
— Tell me everything.
He hesitated.
— Not here.
— Then where?
The Guardian pointed toward the opening.
— On the other side.
Celestine looked at the door.
The light grew stronger.
A silhouette appeared.
A woman stood on the other side.
Her hair was long and silver.
She wore ancient clothing, completely different from anything worn in the current world.
A sword was strapped to her back.
But what caught Celestine's attention the most were her eyes.
They were identical to hers.
The woman slowly raised her head.
— You finally came.
Celestine took a step forward.
— Are you Elyndra?
The woman smiled.
— A part of me.
Celestine felt a tightness in her chest.
— Then Seraphina was telling the truth.
Elyndra looked at Seraphina.
— She usually tells the truth when she can no longer hide the lie.
Seraphina looked away.
— I did what I had to do.
Elyndra replied:
— And condemned thousands of people in the process.
Celestine noticed the tension between them.
— What happened between you two?
Elyndra turned her eyes toward her.
— We disagreed about how to save the world.
— And which one of you was right?
Elyndra smiled sadly.
— Neither.
Celestine remained silent.
— The world was never saved — Elyndra continued. — It was merely given more time.
A vibration passed through the ground.
The walls trembled.
Lyra fell to her knees.
— He's waking up again.
Celestine rushed toward her.
— Lyra!
The girl clutched her chest.
— It's getting stronger.
Elyndra watched her.
— The fragment has found a new host.
Celestine looked at her.
— You know what's happening?
— I do.
— Then tell me.
Elyndra looked toward the ground.
— The Abyss is trying to cross over.
Seraphina replied:
— Because the seal is weakening.
Elyndra shook her head.
— No.
Seraphina was surprised.
— No?
— The seal isn't weakening.
Elyndra looked at Celestine.
— It is being undone.
Silence filled the room.
Celestine felt the Void tremble.
— By whom?
Elyndra answered:
— By someone within the Empire itself.
Aldren immediately became serious.
— Who?
Elyndra looked at him.
— You know.
Aldren didn't answer.
Celestine noticed.
— Aldren?
He closed his eyes.
— I knew this would happen.
Leonhardt drew his sword.
— Explain.
Aldren raised his hands.
— It's not me.
Celestine stepped closer.
— Then who?
Aldren took a deep breath.
— The Emperor himself.
Everyone froze.
Seris's eyes widened.
— That's impossible.
— It isn't.
Aldren continued:
— The Emperor believes he can control the Abyss.
Celestine looked at Seraphina.
— And you?
— I tried to stop him.
— But you also wanted to open the seal.
— To free Elyndra.
Elyndra shook her head.
— And to do that, you would destroy the capital.
Seraphina remained silent.
Celestine realized something.
— You two are trying to save the world in different ways.
Elyndra nodded.
— Exactly.
Celestine looked toward the Void within her.
— And where does it fit into all of this?
Elyndra answered:
— It is the bridge between us.
Celestine closed her eyes.
— So it's part of you.
— Yes.
— And why is it with me?
Elyndra fell silent.
— Because I asked it to be.
Celestine opened her eyes.
— You asked?
— Before I sealed the Abyss, I knew I wouldn't be able to survive forever.
Elyndra placed a hand over her chest.
— So I divided my soul.
One part remained trapped within the seal.
Another part was sent away to be reborn.
Celestine felt tears streaming down her cheeks.
— Me.
— You.
Elyndra smiled.
— But I didn't know who you would become.
— So you didn't create my life?
— No.
Elyndra stepped closer.
— I simply gave you the opportunity to have one.
Celestine was speechless.
Throughout the entire journey, she had believed that her existence was bound to an ancient story.
But now she understood something different.
She wasn't a copy.
She wasn't merely a reincarnation.
She was a new person who had inherited an ancient responsibility.
Elyndra extended her hand.
— Come.
Celestine hesitated.
Leonhardt grabbed her arm.
— Are you sure?
Celestine looked at him.
— No.
Then she released his arm.
— But I need to know the truth.
She crossed the doorway.
The moment her feet touched the other side, the world changed.
There was no ground.
There was no sky.
Only an enormous white space surrounded by shadows.
In the distance, thousands of chains stretched across the darkness.
And at the center of them was a gigantic creature.
Celestine stood motionless.
Its form was impossible to describe.
It looked like a shadow.
But countless eyes existed within it.
All of them were closed.
For now.
Elyndra appeared beside Celestine.
— That is the Abyss.
Celestine felt the Void stir.
The creature opened one of its eyes.
The entire world trembled.
Then a voice echoed.
— Finally.
Celestine tightened her grip on her sword.
— It can speak?
Elyndra answered:
— It always could.
The Abyss opened another eye.
— My daughter has returned.
Celestine froze.
— My... daughter?
Elyndra turned pale.
Seraphina, on the other side of the doorway, heard the voice and completely lost her smile.
— No...
The Abyss continued:
— You are not Elyndra's daughter.
Celestine looked at Elyndra.
— Then who is my true father?
The creature slowly opened a third eye.
And answered:
— I am.
The Void inside Celestine screamed.
And, for the first time, she felt true fear.