The corridors of the tower could go on forever, winding deeper with every step further into the earth, and seemingly never ending. Emmie clutched the shard tightly, its soft glow casting an eerie light on the walls to pulse, as it were, in response. With each step they took, the feeling was that the tower itself was alive in a way that stirred the hairs on the back of her neck.
Emmie…" Mira's voice was soft, though laced with a tinge of desperation. She leaned forward, her hand reaching out, almost touching his arm. He turned to her; his heart skipped a beat as her touch sent an unexpected shiver down his spine. "I-I feel something. It's not just the tower. It's like the Heart is calling us… but it's not the same anymore.
Emmie slowed, looking back at her. The concern in her eyes was unmistakable, and though he wanted to tell her it would be all right, the words clung to his throat. There was a sense of dread in the air now, heavier than before. They had been through so much, yet the weight of what they were facing was beginning to feel insurmountable.
What is it?" Emmie asked, low and urgent.
Mira shook her head. "I don't know. I just have the sense that we are running out of time. Whatever we do here - it is not the tower testing us anymore. Something has changed. The Heart isn't just a source of light or magic. It's old, it's dangerous, and it doesn't want to be found.
Amara, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. Her eyes, usually filled with fierce confidence, were clouded with doubt. "Mira's right. I'm starting to feel it too. Whatever's waiting at the end of this journey… it's not going to let us just take it."
Emmie turned to them, the weight of their words settling deep in his chest. He had always known the task before them was impossible, but the reality of it was setting in. He wasn't just fighting to save the world; he was fighting against a force older than time, a power that was beyond comprehension.
"Then we keep going," Emmie said firmly, shaking off the doubt that threatened to take root in his heart. He wasn't going to let this thing beat him, not when so many lives depended on it.
With every step further, it seemed the walls of the tower shifted again. The air grew colder and the soft hum of energy in the ground vibrated with an ominous power. A door loomed ahead-ancient, cracked, as if it hadn't been opened in centuries. It stood at the end of a long corridor, glowing faintly with a pulsing light.
Emmie's heart thundered. The shard in his hand was throbbing in time with the pulse of the door, like it was some sort of call to him. Without thinking, he stepped closer; somehow, his feet were carrying him toward the door, as if some unseen force pulled him. Mira and Amara followed closely, each of them tense and watchful.
As Emmie reached for the door, the shard flared in his hand, and suddenly the door creaked open on its own, revealing a chamber bathed in a strange, otherworldly glow. At the center of the room stood a massive stone altar, covered in ancient symbols and inscriptions, and upon that altar lay the Heart, shimmering, golden, impossibly beautiful, encased in a barrier of energy glowing with a mesmerizing yet terrifying light.
"This is it," Emmie breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. "The Heart of Eldralore."
He stepped forward, but Mira seized his arm and held him back. "Wait. Don't you feel it? The power—'tis. it's different."
Emmie turned to her, his eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"
Mira's gaze was a little distant, her fingers shaking slightly as she held on to him. "The Heart isn't what we thought it was. It's a calling for you, but not just for the shred. It's asking you to make a choice, Emmie. A choice that could change everything.
"What do you mean a choice?" Emmie asked, his pulse heightening. "We need to stop the darkness, Mira. We don't have time to waste on… choices."
Her gaze seized his, her eyes strained with an intensity he'd never seen. "I don't think you understand. The Heart—if we use it, it could destroy everything we know, or it could save us. But either way, the power that it holds is far beyond our control. It's too dangerous."
Before Emmie could respond, the dark-eyed boy's voice was echoing in the chamber, its coldness a mockery.
"Such noble words, Mira. But do you think Emmie will listen to you? He's already too far gone. He's not the hero you think he is."
Emmie whirled, his heart racing. The boy was standing in the middle of the room, his eyes glowing bright red with a twisted grin. "It's too late," he resumed. "The Heart belongs to me now. And Emmie, well. he's just another pawn in this game."
A surge of anger and confusion flooded through Emmie. He wasn't a pawn. He couldn't be.
The shard pulsed violently in his hand, as if responding to the boy's words. The chamber was trembling, the glow of the Heart growing brighter, more intense.
"Emmie!" Mira cried, pulling at his arm. "You can't do this! If you touch it-
But Emmie wasn't listening. He stepped forward, his feet moving of their own accord. The boy's laughter echoed in his ears as he reached the altar. The energy barrier around the Heart flickered a moment, and then it was gone.
The light of the Heart flooded the small room, sending Emmie blind for a moment. He lifted his hand to protect himself, but the light became even too intense. When he lowered it, the boy stood before him, frustration and rage crossing his face.
"You really think you can control it?" the boy spat. "You're nothing. The Heart will consume you."
But as Emmie reached out to take the Heart, something inside him snapped.
A choice.
He wasn't just fighting for the world. He was fighting for the people he loved. For Mira. For Amara. For his own future. He wasn't going to let the Heart decide his fate for him.
The moment he touched the Heart, the whole chamber erupted in blinding light.