In the charged silence of the Foundations, Kael prepared to face the Third Veil.
The energy of the Guardians surrounding him was a silent promise of support. There was no time for hesitation; the battle on both fronts had begun, and their effectiveness also depended on his growth.
This time, the process of accessing the Veil manifested differently from before.
Instead of a sudden distortion or a violent opening, a subtle ripple appeared at the center of the hall—an anomaly in the fabric of the Dream Realm. Slowly, from that ripple, a portal materialized.
It was less defined than the previous ones, more ethereal, almost like a mirage.
It seemed to be woven from strands of starlight and silvery mist, intertwining, forming an oval opening that pulsed softly. It was a portal that resonated with his very essence, calling to a deeper part of his being.
Kael observed it. He knew there could be no hesitation. He stepped forward and passed through.
He found himself in a place that felt strangely familiar, yet different.
It was a garden.
But not an ordinary garden; this appeared to be his Dream Garden, a vivid and tangible projection of his subconscious—a landscape filled with accumulated memories and experiences. Here, every blade of grass and every flower petal seemed to resonate with emotional weight, a reflection of his own life.
The sky above him was a deep blue, studded with stars that pulsed like distant embers. He inhaled.
The air is cool and scented with damp earth and flowers… unfamiliar ones, he thought.
Around him, the landscape was a mosaic of elements that echoed fragments of his life.
There was a small silvery stream flowing gently, its waters clear and sparkling beneath the ethereal light. It was the stream where he used to play as a child near the village, yet here its waters seemed to sing an ancient melody.
A short distance away stood a single, ancient oak tree, its roots gripping the earth firmly.
That's the tree where Uncle Borin and I used to rest during our hunts… but here its leaves glow with an almost golden light…
In the distance, a series of gentle hills rolled one after another, covered in tall grass that swayed softly like the sea.
And those are the hills surrounding Aris… They seem so much larger and fuller of life…
As Kael explored his Dream Garden, he noticed something extraordinary.
This isn't just a static landscape… everything pulses with its own energy. It must be the effect of my Dormant Flame—it must have revitalized my Dream Garden.
Then, an image began to take shape at the center of the garden, right where he stood. It was vivid, almost three-dimensional—the image of an object.
A sword.
This is no ordinary sword, but the representation of a legendary blade, a symbol of power, and an ancient history. The Sword of the Dormant Flame. Elian had prepared him for this.
It was there not as a weapon to be wielded, but as a symbol—a core of power resonating with his very soul, a manifestation of his latent potential and of his Dormant Flame as it awakened.
"The Third Veil is not a barrier to be shattered through physical force or combat techniques, but an understanding to be achieved. The Garden of Memory will be your trial: accepting and integrating your past, your experiences, and your true essence," Elian had explained.
The sword at the center was a catalyst, an indication of the direction his growth would take, where dream energy gathered to accelerate transformation.
To pass this Veil, he would not face an external enemy, but would have to navigate the depths of himself, reconciling with his roots and his identity as a Guardian—an identity he had discovered almost by chance.
"Every memory, every experience, every connection in your garden must be acknowledged and embraced, allowing your Dream Flame to flow freely through them, strengthening your bond with the Dream Realm," Elian had said.
Kael took a step toward the projection of the Sword.
The light it emitted was gentle, inviting. As he approached, the energy of the Garden of Memory seemed to intensify—colors grew more vivid, sounds clearer. Kael felt connected to every blade of grass, every leaf, every drop of water. It was his world, an extension of his consciousness.
Reaching for the sword, Kael extended his hand. His essence merged with it.
A wave of understanding surged through him—a torrent of memories and wisdom flooding his mind. But just as this connection stabilized, an unexpected barrier rose. The Sword of the Flame, instead of granting an uninterrupted flow, projected a distorted image before him—a vibrating shadow.
"You cannot proceed," whispered an echoing voice that sounded like his own, yet devoid of emotion.
"Your memory is a labyrinth. Find the path—or remain trapped."
Kael hesitated.
This trial isn't a fight… my memory is a labyrinth, I must find the path… what does that mean?
The garden turned into a grayish mist, shapes becoming indistinct, sounds muffled. A deep confusion washed over him; his thoughts tangled and slipped away. He could no longer clearly remember his mother's face or Borin's laughter.
His Dormant Flame flickered like a candle caught in a draft.
"Everything is confused… so this is what it meant by labyrinth…" Kael whispered.
He closed his eyes and focused not on individual memories, but on the emotions they evoked.
He found the warmth of maternal love, the joy of Borin's companionship, and the simplicity of village life. He let these elemental sensations fill the void, and slowly, the shapes in the garden regained color—faint at first.
The stream began to murmur again, weakly.
Then the garden regained a semblance of normality, but impenetrable shadowed areas remained—solid blocks of darkness where light could not reach. Kael felt an inner resistance, as though some truths were too painful or too unknown to be faced.
This blockage prevented his Flame from flowing freely. He recognized that some of those shadows were tied to his past before becoming a Guardian, perhaps even to the moment of his awakening. He strained to remember, but the more he tried, the more the memories slipped from his grasp.
Maybe I simply have to accept that these shadowed areas exist… he thought. Not everything needed to be immediately clear.
Kael channeled his Dormant Flame not to burn the shadows away, but to gently illuminate them, acknowledging them as part of himself. The light spread—not fully dispelling the darkness, but rendering it translucent, revealing that the blocks were not empty, merely waiting to be understood in due time.
The oak's roots strengthened, its leaves turning green once more. Immediately after, a chilling sensation of emptiness swept through the garden—as if entire sections of his life had never existed.
"What the hell…?!"
Kael felt disoriented; his very identity wavered.
This was the most dangerous consequence of absent memory: the lack of fundamental memories would leave him incomplete, and his Flame would extinguish. It was the reflection of the disconnection the Ash sought to cause. But Kael was not alone.
Within that void, he perceived a faint echo—a heartbeat.
It was the memory of Master Elian, of Lyra, of the other Guardians, and even of Borin and the villagers. Their existence, their trust in him, did not rely solely on his memories but on the connection he shared with them.
He clung to those connections—not to individual memories, but to the sense of belonging and purpose.
He allowed that strength to fill the void.
His Dormant Flame expanded, fueled by the network of bonds that defined him. The ground beneath his feet became solid, and the hills regained their majestic shape. The final phase was the most intense.
The garden erupted into a chaos of images and sensations.
Happy and painful memories, clear and confused, true and distorted, followed one another at dizzying speed, threatening to overwhelm his mind. Kael felt pulled in a thousand directions—a storm within. This was the trial of uncontrolled memory.
I must take control of my past, not be controlled by it!
He clenched his jaw and fists, muscles tense. He did not try to suppress the memories, but to embrace them all—to accept every aspect of what had made him Kael.
He fixed his gaze on the Sword of the Flame as a fulcrum, an anchor point for his Dormant Flame. His Flame reorganized the chaos like a lighthouse in a storm, allowing the memories to flow through him without overwhelming him, recognizing their place within the grand tapestry of his life.
The images began to align, as though forming a single narrative, each taking its rightful place in time.
"Finally…" he exhaled, his muscles relaxing.
When the last surge of uncontrolled memories subsided, the Sword of the Flame shone with a steady, intense light. Kael felt whole—grounded, stronger than before. His essence had merged with the blade, not through physical possession, but through a profound understanding of himself.
He felt the lives of the Guardians who had come before him—their dedication, their struggles. He felt the intrinsic connection between the waking world and the dream world, the flow of the Dream Flame through all things.
When he withdrew his hand from the sword, the Garden of Memory gently dissolved around him, leaving him in a landscape infinitely broader and boundless: his Dream Garden, now expanded and integrated with the Garden of Memory.
"That wasn't there before…" he said, looking beyond the familiar hills. New formations were taking shape on the horizon—primordial forests and crystalline lakes he had never seen in the waking world, yet which existed within his potential.
His Dream Garden had literally expanded its boundaries, becoming a reflection not only of his past, but also of his future—a vast domain of possibility and an extension of his power.
"Master Elian…" Lyra said.
"Yes, I feel it too," Master Elian replied with a smile.
The Guardians in the Foundations sensed a wave of Dream Flame spreading outward from Kael. It was powerful, purifying, and vast—an unmistakable sign that Kael had not only overcome the Third Veil, but had also established a deeper connection with his spirit and the Dream Realm.
"His Dream Garden is now more expansive," Elian continued. "It will provide an even stronger foundation for our operations, and an even more powerful source of Dream Flame for Kael."
The balance had been momentarily shifted.
But the Ash was a patient and relentless enemy.
The battle was far from over.