In the Empress's chamber, dim light slipped through the high windows, flowing between heavy curtains like strands of mystery. The Empress sat, her face tense, reflecting wisdom and strength, as she stood before Raine and Arl.
"Raine, you will not go alone on this mission. You will take Arl with you."
Signs of hesitation appeared on his face, but he did not dare object.
The Empress looked at Arl with cold eyes, then spoke in a low voice:
"Arl is not just a companion; she is from Nora. She lost her entire family because of her brother, who awakened forbidden powers that ultimately killed him. Now she is with us, carrying a painful past within her."
Arl listened silently, her eyes bearing the weight of a deep sorrow. Raine noticed something in her like a mirror of the past.
The Empress added firmly, "Arl will watch over you and report anything that threatens Darkol from within you."
Arl saw in Raine the image of her dead brother, mixing deep sympathy with wary suspicion in her gaze.
Before departure, the Emperor granted Raine a rare permit to enter the King's secret library, where forbidden books and knowledge treasures piled up, accessible only to the elite.
Inside the library, his shadow guided him to an old, dust-covered tome containing secrets of power development through perilous methods.
The intense training began between Raine and Arl, where Arl's unique healing power emerged: the ability to mend wounds and injuries at an astonishing speed, though it required deep focus and careful use of her energy to avoid exhaustion.
With overlapping goals, their relationship evolved—a fragile balance between trust and suspicion.
At the end of the day, they set out together on their first internal cleansing mission, marking the first steps toward a shared destiny, full of challenges and fateful decisions.