The group stood in silence, the faint hum of Yggdrasil's light surrounding them. Aiden lowered the radiant blade, which dissolved into the ring on his finger. His chest heaved, and he turned to Sylva.
"Is it over?" he asked.
Sylva nodded, her light warm. "The Core is defeated. Balance has been restored."
Rowan leaned on her spear, her expression a mix of relief and exhaustion. "Finally. That thing was a nightmare."
Kieran rested his shield on the ground, his shoulders relaxing. "Good work, everyone."
A stunning gate to the real world shimmered in the darkness. Kieran and Rowan were pulled in like a moth to a flame as slyvia explained it was a gate home.
Aiden's ears were deaf to this as his gaze shifted to the center of the chamber, where a faint light began to glow. The figure of a young woman emerged, her form soft and radiant. Aiden's breath caught in his throat.
"Lila," he whispered. Before running to embrace her.
After an eternity Aiden and lila apprached the gate. standing at the edge of the glowing gate, the fractured fragments of the Otherworld stabilizing behind him. The light of Yggdrasil pulsed softly, its roots finally free from the Core's corruption—or so it seemed. Rowan and Kieran left shortly before, their sacrifices etched into his memory, and if anyone deserved to be alive again it was them. He pondered if he would ever see them again on the other side. Lila stood beside him, her presence a faint but steady comfort.
"It's over," Aiden said softly, staring at the gate. "The Core is gone. Balance is restored."
Lila reached for his hand, her touch grounding him. "Then let's go home."
Sylva floated nearby, her light unusually dim. Her expression was unreadable as she regarded Aiden and Lila. "You've done well, Aiden. The Core's influence is gone—for now."
Aiden frowned at her tone. "What do you mean, 'for now'? I destroyed it."
Sylva hesitated, her light flickering. "You did. But the Core is not a singular force. It is tied to the roots of Yggdrasil, a reflection of the imbalance within the worlds. It cannot be permanently erased—only suppressed."
Aiden's chest tightened as he gripped the ring on his finger, now faintly glowing. "So this was all for nothing?"
"No," Sylva said gently. "You restored balance, and that balance will hold for a time. But the cycle will always continue. Where there is light, there is shadow. And where there is shadow, the Core will stir."
Aiden shook his head. "Then I'll stop it again. I'll always stop it."
Sylva's glow brightened faintly, as though in approval. "Perhaps you will. Or perhaps, in time, you will forget. That is the nature of this cycle. For now, step through the gate. Live your life. And when the time comes, we will meet again."
---
Through the Gate
The gate pulsed with a warm, inviting light, and Aiden took a deep breath. He looked at Lila, her face calm and reassuring, and together they stepped through. The warmth of the real world enveloped them, the familiar sights and sounds of their home returning as the Otherworld faded behind them.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Aiden allowed himself to relax. The weight of his journey lifted, replaced by the quiet promise of a normal life. The ring on his finger flickered, its glow fading, until it became an ordinary band.
---
Back in the Roots
As the gate closed behind him, the roots of Yggdrasil pulsed faintly, the crimson veins dormant but still present, hidden beneath the surface. Deep within the roots, the fragments of the Core stirred. Its jagged form flickered, not yet reformed but alive with faint whispers.
Sylva hovered nearby, her light dimmed. She regarded the Core with a mixture of sorrow and resignation. "The cycle begins again," she murmured. "It is only a matter of time."
The Core's voice, faint and fractured, echoed softly. "He will return. He always does."
Sylva floated closer, her glow steady. "And when he does, perhaps he will succeed in breaking the cycle. Or perhaps we will repeat this dance for eternity."
The whispers grew louder, filling the void with echoes of Aiden's past battles. The faint glow of the ring appeared within the Core's form, pulsing with light and shadow. The roots of Yggdrasil trembled, and the Otherworld began to shift once more.