Location: Blackthorne Estate, Secret Archive Room
Damien spread the unsealed scroll across the obsidian reading table. The glyphs shifted and rearranged themselves, now readable to him—as if the scroll knew he had returned.
Victor stood across from him, arms folded, his eyes never leaving the text. "This script… it's not just a record. It's a prophecy."
Nora stepped closer, her breath catching as she read aloud:
"When the Blood of the Ascendant merges with the Voice of the Echo, the world shall be remade in fire or light. The Vessel shall choose. The Flame shall awaken."
Damien clenched his fist. "It's about me and her. The Vessel."
Victor nodded. "And it seems you were destined to meet again—not to fight, but to decide the future together. Love or war. Peace or destruction."
Nora didn't flinch, though her voice was tense. "You still have a choice, Damien. Whatever fate this scroll shows—it's not absolute."
Suddenly, the lights flickered.
A hidden chamber at the back of the room hissed open.
Inside lay an obsidian gauntlet, engraved with the same markings on the scroll. As Damien approached, it glowed red.
Victor reached out. "Careful. That's the Flame Gauntlet—the Ascendant's weapon."
Damien turned to them both. "Then it's time I stop fearing what I am."
He slipped it on.
The room pulsed.
Flashes of memories—not just from his past life, but memories from the Vessel's point of view—flooded his mind. A girl watching an empire fall. A desperate love torn by betrayal. A war begun because two souls couldn't find peace.
Damien staggered. Nora held him.
"I saw her—before she became the Vessel," he whispered. "She loved me... or him. And I failed her."
---
Location: Obsidian Forest – White Widow's Temple
The Vessel knelt beneath the Moon Altar. Shadows danced around her, whispering fragments of forgotten truths.
"He remembers," she whispered.
"Yes," the Widow replied. "But does he forgive you?"
The Vessel's voice broke. "I don't know. But I still love him."
The Widow offered a tight smile. "Then prove it. Meet him—not as a Vessel or a weapon. But as the girl who waited five lifetimes for him to return."
---
Location: Capital City – Outskirts, Secret Base
Victor reviewed the scans with Helena and Titus.
"She's moving toward the capital," Helena confirmed. "Alone."
"She wants a meeting," Victor muttered. "This might be our only shot to end this without war."
Titus frowned. "Or it's a trap."
Victor turned to Damien. "You need to go. Alone."
Nora's eyes widened. "No. He won't face her alone."
Damien placed a hand on her cheek. "I have to. She's not just the Vessel, Nora. She's my past. And maybe… our future."
---
Location: Twilight Plateau – The Meeting Ground
The wind howled.
Damien stood in silence, waiting.
Then, the shadows parted.
She appeared.
Not in a robe of darkness, but in a simple white dress, barefoot on the earth. Her eyes held galaxies of sorrow—and hope.
"Damien," she whispered.
He stepped forward.
The storm calmed.
They stood just inches apart.
And for a moment, the world held its breath.