It was as though the very fabric of the world was shifting beneath Emmie's feet. The blinding light from the Heart enveloped him, swallowed him whole. He waited for pain, for the burning alive, the tearing apart by the power of the artifact. But it never came. It was as if time itself had frozen, the air thick with an unearthly stillness.
He blinked, disoriented, as his surroundings swam back into focus. He was no longer in the chamber with the Heart; instead, he stood at the edge of a great, endless expanse-like an ocean of stars, swirling and pulsing with an ethereal glow. The air was heavier here, more suffocating, as though every breath he took carried with it the weight of the cosmos.
"Where am I?" Emmie muttered, his voice sounding strange in the empty void.
"You've crossed over."
Emmie whipped around, his heart leaping into his throat. A figure stood before him, a silhouette bathed in the glow of the stars. At first, he couldn't make out any details, but as the figure stepped forward, the light parted, revealing the most unexpected sight.
Tall and regal, the figure stood with angular features and a defined bone structure. eyes gleamed bright with the same golden light as that of the Heart, yet something in them seemed older. Dark hair streamed behind them like a shadow, and their presence radiated a power that made Emmie's breath catch in his chest.
They wore a gown made from the very fabric of the stars themselves, shining with silver threads that appeared to shift with every movement. But what really caught Emmie's attention was the unmistakable aura of familiarity that surrounded them.
"You…" Emmie's voice cracked, his pulse racing. "You look like…"
"Like someone you've known?" the figure asked, its lips curling into a knowing smile. "That's because you have.
Emmie took a step back, his mind reeling. The figure before him wasn't just anyone. It was the same dark-eyed boy he had seen before. But this wasn't the same version of him. This was different. Older. More… powerful.
"You're… you're not him," Emmie said, his voice shaking. "You can't be."
For a second, the golden eyes of the figure softened, and the tiniest flicker of sadness crossed its features. "I am, yet I'm not. You are looking upon him who has been lost to time, whom time had to forget. I am the last of the Eldralore, the one who was meant to carry the Heart with him and restore the balance of this world.
Emmie's mind grappled to comprehend the words. "But, you said the Heart was mine. It's not for you!"
The figure chuckled-a bitter, hollow sound. "The Heart has no owner. It never did. It has always chosen those who are worthy of its power. And you, Emmie, are just another piece in its twisted game.
Game?" Emmie echoed, confusion rising in him, tingeing into anger. "What are you talking about? I'm trying to save everyone. I'm not playing any games.
The figure's expression darkened, their gaze shifting to something far beyond Emmie. "You don't understand yet, do you? The Heart is more than just a tool. It is the key to the rebirth of Eldralore. It is both the source of creation and destruction. And you, Emmie, are the one who will either awaken its true power or destroy it forever.
Emmie swallowed hard, his mind reeling. He had grown so used to the idea of the Heart being a simple weapon, something to be wielded against the coming darkness. But now, standing before this figure-this lost heir to Eldralore-he realized that the stakes were far higher than he had ever imagined.
I don't know if I can do this," Emmie said quietly, his hands shaking while grasping the shard. "I'm not the hero you think I am, just trying to survive.
Again, the figure's gaze softened, and Emmie saw something human flash in those eyes for a fleeting instant. "You are more than you believe, Emmie. The Heart chose you for a reason. You carry a power inside of you that even I cannot understand. Yet, you must decide what kind of person you want to be.
A sudden, thunderous roar had caught Emmie off guard, resounding across the stars and shaking the very fabric of this strange realm. Anger twisted the figure's face, his eyes flashing brightly.
"No time for hesitation," they said now, in a voice imbued with an urgent tone. "The darkness is coming, and it will stop at nothing to claim what rightfully belongs to me.
Then the earth shook beneath them, and a form appeared out of the stellar abyss: a huge, dark creature with its body composed of twisting darkness and jagged bits of shattered reality. Its eyes burned with an evil green fire, and its shape twisted and contorted, writhing in and out of existence.
It's here," the figure said, their tone venomous. "The Beast of Eldralore. The one they had cast out long ago. And it has come to take the Heart and undo all that was done.
Emmie's heart was racing; the Beast looked monstrous, its power unimaginable. He was no hero, and he wasn't even certain that he was worthy of the Heart's power. Yet, upon looking at the Beast, looking at the destruction it could bring, a resolution hardened within him. He needed to protect Mira, Amara, and the world. Even if he had no idea how to do so.
"I won't let you destroy anything," Emmie muttered to himself, his grip on the shard tightening.
The figure before him nodded solemnly, his face grim. "Then you must choose, Emmie. Now. Are you ready to face the true power of Eldralore?"
Emmie didn't have time to answer. With a snap of their fingers, the figure thrust him forward, and he went flying into the heart of the Beast's darkness.
The void shifted, and Emmie was back in the chamber with the Heart. Now, however, everything was dominated by the presence of the Beast. Even the tower itself seemed to groan in protest as the shadow of the Beast spread across the world.
"Emmie…" Mira's voice came from behind him, full of fear. He turned to see her, Amara, and the others staring, their faces pale as they realized the danger they now faced.
Stay back," Emmie ordered, his voice more commanding than he felt. "This is my fight."