Arin faced the Eclipse Blade, its dark, radiant form lodged in an altar that seemed to hum with ancient power. The altar was a masterpiece of Celestial design—carved from living crystal that pulsed faintly with light, its surface inscribed with symbols that shifted and rearranged themselves as if alive. The blade itself was unlike anything Arin had ever seen: its edge shimmered with cosmic energy, stars and nebulae swirling within the metal as though it contained an entire universe.
But the altar demanded payment.
As Arin approached, the medallion and Nexus Shard pulsed in warning against his chest. The altar's inscriptions flared brighter, projecting words into his mind: To wield the Eclipse Blade, you must offer a piece of yourself—a memory to bind its power to your soul.
Arin hesitated, his scar burning faintly as he stared at the weapon. Around him, chaos reigned—the Guardian's enraged roars echoed through the collapsing Temple, sending shockwaves that cracked walls and sent debris raining down. Pyx and Liora stood nearby, fending off falling crystal shards with hastily erected barriers of Qi. Kairo and Lysander worked together to hold back the Guardian itself, their combined energies creating a shimmering shield that buckled under each titanic blow.
"There's no time!" Pyx shouted over the din, her freckles flaring with urgency. "Take it!"
"I can't just take it!" Arin called back, his voice strained. "It demands a memory—something important!"
Liora stumbled toward him, her braids glowing brightly as she fought to maintain her balance amid the tremors. "The scrolls said the Eclipse Blade was forged to counteract Void corruption," she explained breathlessly. "It's alive—it needs a connection to its wielder!"
Arin turned back to the altar, his mind racing. A memory? What could he offer? His life had already been fractured by revelations about his nature as a vessel—what more could he afford to lose?
The medallion pulsed again, its rhythm steady but insistent. And then Arin knew.
He closed his eyes and reached deep into his mind, searching for the memory he would offer. It came to him like a whisper—a moment from before all of this began. The portal's blue light had filled his vision, blinding him as it tore him away from Earth. He remembered standing on the threshold of another world, his heart pounding with fear and wonder alike.
But more than that, he remembered his mother's face—or rather, he didn't. The details had already begun to fade when he stepped through the portal: her smile, her voice, the way she'd looked at him when he was just a child. He hadn't realized how much he'd lost until now.
"I offer this," Arin said aloud, his voice trembling but resolute. "The moment I left Earth—the portal's blue light and my mother's forgotten face."
The altar responded immediately. Its inscriptions flared brighter than ever before, projecting images of Arin's offered memory into the air around them: the shimmering portal; his mother reaching out; her face blurred by time and distance.
The Eclipse Blade hummed with cosmic energy as it released itself from the altar. It floated toward Arin slowly, its radiant edge casting shadows across the chamber walls.
When Arin reached out and grasped its hilt, power surged through him—raw and overwhelming but not chaotic. It was controlled, purposeful, like a river flowing exactly where it needed to go.
The Blade spoke in his mind: Your sacrifice is accepted. But you will lose more than memories before this ends.
Arin staggered under the weight of its presence but managed to steady himself. Around him, the others stared in awe as stars and nebulae swirled along the Blade's edge.
"Let's go!" Kairo shouted urgently as another roar from the Guardian sent shockwaves through the chamber.
They fled through collapsing corridors as the Temple crumbled around them. The Guardian pursued them relentlessly—its massive form smashing through walls and barriers alike as it roared in fury. Each step it took sent tremors through the ground beneath their feet.
Pyx led the way with her spatial manipulation abilities, creating temporary platforms and bridges that allowed them to navigate unstable terrain. Liora followed close behind her, using bursts of cosmic energy from her glowing braids to clear debris blocking their path.
Kairo and Lysander brought up the rear, their combined efforts holding back the Guardian long enough for everyone else to escape. But even their formidable powers were beginning to falter under its relentless assault.
"We're not going to make it!" Pyx shouted as they reached an open chamber where cracks spidered across every surface.
"We will," Arin said firmly—and then raised the Eclipse Blade.
Its edge flared brightly as he swung it toward one of the chamber walls. The stars within its metal seemed to explode outward in a burst of energy that created a shimmering portal—a dimensional shortcut leading outside.
"Go!" Arin commanded as he held the portal open with sheer force of will.
One by one, they leapt through—Pyx first, followed by Liora and then Kairo. Lysander hesitated for only a moment before joining them.
As Arin stepped through last, he felt reality shift around him—the Temple's collapsing structure fading into distant echoes behind them.
They emerged onto a snow-covered plateau overlooking Elysion's northern territories. The air was cold but crisp, carrying none of the oppressive weight they'd felt inside the Temple.
On the horizon stood their next destination: the Floating Citadel—a massive structure suspended above jagged peaks by glowing pillars of light that seemed to defy gravity itself.
But before they could even begin planning their approach, Pyx let out a sharp cry of alarm—and pointed behind them.
Crimson Hand banners flared in the distance.
A massive force was advancing toward them—rows upon rows of crimson-robed cultivators moving with precision and purpose. At their center rode Elysia Vex herself on wings of shadow, her crimson jade mask gleaming ominously in the pale sunlight.
"They're coming!" Pyx shouted as panic rippled through their group.
"Run!" Kairo urged sharply while raising his staff defensively against approaching forces; "Head for Citadel—we can't fight them here!"
Arin tightened his grip on Eclipse Blade while staring grimly at approaching enemy forces now closing rapidly toward survivors scattered across plateau…
Its voice echoed once more within mind: You will lose more than memories before this ends.