Location: Soulrealm – Rift Beyond the Sanctum
POV: Ashren Vale
Ashren opened his eyes.
There was no fire. No stone. No war.
Just white.
And silence.
Except… he wasn't alone.
To his right stood Seris, her figure half-shimmering, the ripple of magic still clinging to her like frost on morning grass.
To his left—Vauryx, no longer a monstrous godling, but the man he had once been.
Vaelen.
Younger. Human. Unarmed.
His eyes were the color of cooled ash.
Ashren took a breath. "Where are we?"
Seris replied, "Between flame and form. We've been pulled into the echo of his soul."
Vaelen—Vauryx—spoke softly. "The place where all fire returns before it dies."
---
Trial of Memory
The soulrealm wasn't just a place. It was judgment.
Memories bled into the air like fog. Visions spun around them:
A field of white roses scorched to nothing.
A boy weeping beside a burning cradle.
A hand, reaching, pulling away too late.
"You were a victim once," Ashren said, watching Vaelen closely. "And you turned into what hurt you."
"I became stronger," Vaelen whispered. "Untouchable. Divine."
"You became alone," Seris corrected.
---
The Mirror of Regret
In the center of the space, a mirror rose—black glass framed in bone and burning ivy. It reflected nothing at first.
Then… Vaelen.
Not Vauryx.
Just the boy.
He knelt before the image, silent, until a single tear fell down his cheek.
"I didn't mean to lose myself," he said.
"I just wanted to survive."
Ashren approached. "Then survive now. As who you were. Not as this monster you think you need to be."
Seris added, "Let the flame die… or let it burn as warmth again."
---
The Final Decision
Vaelen stood.
The mirror cracked.
A pulse echoed out—a soft one.
Then the soulrealm began to collapse.
Ashren looked up. "What's happening?"
Vaelen smiled. Softly. Sadly. "You gave me a choice."
He turned to them.
"And I choose peace."
---
Return to the Flesh
Ashren gasped as his eyes snapped open.
Flames surrounded him—but they were calm.
The core pulsed like a steady heart.
And Vauryx…
Was gone.
Not destroyed.
Just—at rest.
---
Final Scene – After the Storm
Caelis entered the chamber, breath caught in his throat. "Is it… over?"
Ashren looked up, eyes glinting with silver flame.
"It's just beginning."