Kael stood ready to strike at Muriath, his body tense in an offensive stance. His blade poised, eyes fixed on Muriath. His eyes burned with anger, so focused on his target that he failed to notice the growing aura surrounding Varin.
His heart pounded with fury and confusion, but all his anger and focus were on the unmoving figure before him. Behind him, Varin lay motionless. His mentor, his guardian, dead, or so Kael thought.
Just as Kael was about to launch his attack, a soft cough broke the silence.
Kael froze mid-attack, his body trembling with adrenaline.
He turned his head, wide-eyed, to see Varin pushing himself off the ground. His complexion, which had been deathly pale moments before, was slowly returning to its usual olive tone.
"Varin! I thought you were dead!" Kael exclaimed, his voice a mixture of relief and shock.
Varin let out a soft chuckle as he dusted himself off. "Did you wish me so, Kael?" he teased, his voice still hoarse but filled with that familiar fatherly warmth.
Kael's grip on his sword loosened as relief washed over him.
He shook his head vigorously. Varin had been more than just a mentor to him.
In a world where Kael had no family, Varin had stepped into that role—guiding him, protecting him. His heart couldn't bear the thought of losing him.
"Is your Rebirth Core fixed?" Kael asked, hope lacing his voice.
Varin took a moment to inspect his body, then smiled. "I can feel the power again, the same strength I had before my core was damaged. Sion was right—it's fully healed."
Kael's heart soared. "That's great!" he said, glancing at Muriath, who had been silently observing the exchange. "I guess I owe you an apology for nearly attacking you—and... thank you."
As Kael reflected on the ordeal, his thoughts lingered on Muriath's involvement. It was she who had reincarnated Ethan into his Rebirth Core, and that raised questions about the core's origin. The memories revealed by the core felt too vivid, too real, as though they were his own.
"You seem to have questions," Muriath said, her voice calm but knowing.
Kael blinked, surprised at her perception. He hesitated but decided to voice his curiosity. "I was wondering... the origin of my Rebirth Core. Arthur told us it was found at the Ruins of Ardorr."
Muriath's expression remained unreadable, her silence drawing out for a moment before she finally spoke. "It's true that your Rebirth Core was found there, but I can sense that it doesn't belong to this world."
Kael's suspicions were confirmed. His Rebirth Core wasn't just a relic from Erendath—it had ties to another realm.
Muriath continued, her voice somber. "Your Rebirth Core contains part of an ancient soul. Even the Eternals do not fully understand its origin. There's a seal placed on it, and Ethan was able to merge with your core because the seal has weakened over time."
Varin, hearing this for the first time, looked at Kael with wide eyes, concern etched on his face.
Kael felt the same shock. If his Rebirth Core held part of someone else's soul, then wasn't there a third entity, beyond him and Ethan, waiting to awaken within the core?
The memories of a domain lord flashed through Kael's mind. Could it be that his Rebirth Core had once belonged to that powerful being? And if so, what would happen when that soul awakened? Would he and Ethan be consumed by it?
A wave of dread washed over Kael. He had thought his Rebirth Core was a gift, a means to grow stronger and find purpose. But now, he feared that becoming stronger would only lead to the awakening of a being far more powerful than he could control, a being that might erase him in the process.
"Is the soul... evil?" Kael asked hesitantly.
Muriath shook her head. "I don't know. But I sense it is not a threat—at least not yet."
Her words echoed those of Aeloria, who had once spoken of a mysterious entity lurking outside the city, watching and waiting.
Kael pushed the troubling thoughts aside for now. The ancient soul was still sealed, and he had time. He needed to grow stronger before worrying about it. I'll deal with it when the time comes, he told himself.
Varin's voice broke through his reverie. "Kael, my core is healed. It's time for us to leave this place and return to Erendath."
Kael nodded, but before they could leave, Muriath stepped forward, her expression grave.
"I have a quest for you, Chosen One. Something even we, the Eternals, cannot complete."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "What quest?"
"Help us eliminate the Abyssal threat within the core."
Kael and Varin exchanged uneasy glances. The Abyss was a formidable enemy, and Kael had spent the past month saving several Eternal cities. But this request was something else.
"I'm curious," Kael said slowly. "If the Eternals are so powerful, why can't you fight the Abyss yourselves?"
Muriath's expression darkened with sorrow, and perhaps a hint of shame. "The Eternals are indeed born with great abilities," she began, her voice heavy.
"But we cannot progress beyond our initial powers. We were created to guard, to protect—not to attack. Even Aethlar, our strongest, can only wound Darkspawns, not kill them. Our powers are bound by limitations, and maintaining the cities consumes much of our energy."
She paused, her eyes filled with regret. "Without dark essence, we would have fallen long ago."
Kael and Varin were both stunned. The Eternals, revered as god-like beings, were nothing more than gatekeepers. Their existence was solely to defend the core, and if they faltered, the gates to the Abyss would be breached.
System Alert: New Quest Received
Quest Giver: Muriath, Eternal of Creation and Rebirth
Objective: Eliminate the Abyssal threat corrupting Erendath's core.
Reward: ???
Do you accept?
"We'll try," Kael finally said, "but we can't promise to eliminate the Abyss threat alone. We'll need all the help we can get."
Kael knew that with his Darkspawn Locator, he had an edge. He could detect Abyssal creatures and cultists, but its range was limited.
He decided that he would share his findings with the Veil members in each Eternal city he visited. It would expedite the process.
There were eight Eternal cities in total, and Kael had already visited four, including Muriath's. He still had four more to go.
He wished he could create an artifact to share the Locator with the Veil, but he wasn't an artifact master. For now, this was the best he could do.
After leaving the core of Muriath City, Kael and Varin were transported to the Veil's base, a small town bustling with activity. As they stepped through the portal entrance, a man with a cowboy hat, approached them. His demeanor was calm but authoritative, clearly the leader of this place.
"Did you manage to finish the task with Muriath?" he asked, his gaze shifting between the two.
Kael and Varin nodded in unison before Kael spoke. "We received a quest from Muriath, but we won't be able to complete it without everyone's help here."
Ben, the leader, raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? Interesting... A task from Muriath, you say. That's something new. You must be quite capable to receive Muriath's blessing. Tell me, what can we do to help?" His eyes sparkled with interest, a curious smile forming on his lips.
Kael waved off the immediate discussion, feeling the exhaustion from their journey. "We'll go over the plan later. For now, we need a place to rest."
Understanding their need, Ben nodded and gestured for someone nearby. "Rocky! Come here."
Rocky, appeared, grumbling under his breath as he approached. "What now?"
"Show them to a place where they can rest," Ben instructed, his tone leaving little room for argument.
Rocky groaned. "Why me? I'm not some inn steward."
Ben smirked, crossing his arms. "Consider this punishment for your little sparring attempt earlier. You're lucky I'm not having you scoop horse manure instead."
With a disgruntled sigh, Rocky begrudgingly agreed. "Fine, fine, follow me," he muttered, leading Kael and Varin through the bustling town.
They arrived at a modest inn with a sign that read Sweet Home. Varin raised an eyebrow, amused. "That's an interesting name for an inn," he commented.
Rocky explained as they stepped inside. "This place belongs to Sybil, one of the Veil members. His wife and kids run the inn now. Sybil's a Reborn like us, but his wife is a local."
Kael and Varin paid for their rooms with dark essence, the currency of this realm. The innkeeper welcomed them warmly, showing them to their individual rooms.
As Kael settled into his space, exhaustion finally caught up with him. He lay on the bed, his mind heavy, and in moments, sleep claimed him.
In his dreams, Kael found himself as a twelve-year-old, embarking on a journey alone, seeking to forge his own path.
The dream felt vivid, too real to simply be a product of his subconscious. Little did he know, the vision was no ordinary dream. It was a fragment of memories being released by his Rebirth Core.