When the searing light of the Heart receded, Emmie found himself sprawled on unfamiliar ground. Cold, uneven stone pressed against his palms as he pushed himself upright, the shard still faintly glowing in his hand. Around him stretched a sprawling landscape of broken ruins, great and desolate with jagged spires piercing a blood-red sky.
Heavy silence prevailed, save the faint whispers of the wind blowing through what must once have been a grand city. The scene tightened in Emmie's chest as his eyes swept the horizon. There was no Mira or Amara to be seen.
"Mira? Amara?" His voice only echoed; his response came in the form of wind.
The shard in his hand pulsed faintly, its light weak but insistent, as if urging him to move. Emmie struggled to his feet, every muscle aching from the weight of his recent trial. He clenched the shard tighter, its surface cools against his skin, and took a hesitant step forward.
"Lost already, little heir?"
The voice was soft, mocking, yet held a menace that could not be mistaken. Emmie spun around, his heart hammering, and saw a figure emerge from the shadows of a crumbling archway. Cloaked in black, their faces were obscured by a hood, but their silver eyes gleamed like twin moons, cutting through the gloom.
"Who are you?" Emmie demanded, his voice steady despite the chill crawling up his spine.
The figure chuckled, a sharp and cruel tone. "I am the echo of what you have loosed. The Keeper may have spoken of the consequences, but he failed to prepare you for the storm that follows.
As they drew closer, the air seemed to ripple around them, charged with a sinister energy. The ground beneath Emmie shook, and cracks began to form, leaking tendrils of black mist that coiled and twisted like living things.
You think wielding the Heart's power has made you strong," the figure pressed on. "But all you've done is shatter the fragile balance holding this world together. The light you unleashed has awakened something far older… and far more dangerous."
Emmie's grip on the shard tightened. "I did what I had to do. The darkness was consuming everything. I couldn't stand by and let it win.
"And yet," the figure continued, its voice oozing with scorn, "you have something worse in motion. The Eclipsed One is stirring, and it will not be content until all light has been doused."
The tendrils of mist started to rise higher, coalescing into shadowy figures looming over Emmie, faceless forms radiating malice. He retreated a step, his heart racing, but the shard in his hand flared briefly, holding the shadows back.
"You talk in riddles," Emmie said, forcing himself to meet the figure's piercing gaze. "If this… Eclipsed One is so powerful, then why warn me? Why not let it destroy me?"
The figure leant his head, his silver eyes narrowing. "Because you are not the only one who will suffer. This world will burn, its people reduced to ashes beneath the Eclipsed One's shadow. You hold the Heart's power, yes-but that power is a beacon, drawing it closer with every breath you take.
Emmie's mind was racing as he thought of Mira and Amara, of the villages they had passed through, the lives they had sworn to protect. You must live with the consequences, the Keeper had said. His voice rose with his question. "What am I supposed to do?" he demanded. "How do I stop it?" The figure gave a low, mirthless laugh. "You don't stop it, little heir. You survive it—if you can."
Before Emmie could say a word, the shadows launched themselves forward, twisting into grotesque shapes with eyes aglow like embers. The ground bucked beneath him, heaving and cracking, sending him stumbling.
"Find your friends," it said, its voice slicing through the tumult. "You'll need them. But remember this: when the Eclipsed One comes, you will stand alone. No shard, no allies, no Keeper will save you.
The figure dissolved into the shadows, leaving Emmie surrounded. The creatures continued to close in, their twisted forms letting out guttural snarls that echoed through the ruins.
Emmie raised the shard, its light flickering weakly, and braced himself. "I don't need saving," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "I just need to keep fighting."
The first beast attacked, claws raking through the air. Emmie dodged and thrust the shard of light forward like a blade, its light into the shadow. It yowled as it dissolved into mist, but more took its place, their red eyes shining bright with hunger.
For every shadow he struck down, two more rose to take its place. The shard's light began to dim, its power waning with each blow. Emmie's movements grew slower, his limbs heavy with exhaustion.
Then, through the din of battle, he heard it-a faint, familiar voice calling his name.
"Emmie!
He turned toward the sound, his heart leaping. Mira and Amara stood at the edge of the ruins, their faces etched with determination. Mira's staff glowed with a soft, golden light, while Amara's daggers gleamed, ready for battle.
"About time," Emmie said, a weary smile breaking through his fear.
Amara smirked. "You didn't think we'd let you have all the fun, did you?
Together they forged into the battle, their combined energy pushing back the shadows. The battle was far from over, but for the first time since she had entered this weird place, Emmie did feel a spark of hope.
The shard pulsed in his hand, its light growing stronger as it resonated with the presence of his friends. Whatever lay ahead-whatsoever the Eclipsed One was-he would face it.
The shadows retreated, drawn back into the fissures that riddled the ruins. Emmie leaned on his knees, his breath coming in short gasps, while Mira and Amara flanked him, their weapons still glowing faintly.
"What was that thing you were fighting?" Mira asked, her tone sharp but laced with concern.
Emmie straightened, his gaze fixed on the empty space where the cloaked figure had stood. "Not just a thing. Someone—or something— knows more about this Heart than even the Keeper. They warned me about the Eclipsed One, something older and stronger than the darkness we've been fighting."
Amara crossed her arms, her daggers still held loosely in her hands. "Great. Just when I thought we were getting somewhere, the stakes got even higher. What else did they say?"
"That the Heart is a beacon," Emmie said, his voice heavy. "And the more I use it, the closer this… Eclipsed One comes.
Mira's brows furrowed as she paced. "That makes sense, in a twisted sort of way. The Heart is powerful enough to shift the balance of the world. If something as ancient as this Eclipsed One exists, it would be drawn to that power. But why warn you? Why not just let it take over?"
Emmie shook his head. "I don't know. They kept talking about survival, about how no one could save me when it comes. I think… I think they wanted to test me."
"Test you?" Amara echoed, incredulous. "You're not some lab experiment, Emmie. If this thing is as dangerous as they say, we can't wait around to find out what happens next.
Before Emmie could answer, the ground began to shake beneath them; a low rumble resounded throughout the ruins. Mira steadied herself against a crumbled pillar, her eyes scanning the horizon.
"What now?" she muttered.
From the distance, a jagged column of black mist erupted from the earth, twisting into a spiraling vortex. The air grew colder, the pressure intense, as if the world itself recoiled from the manifestation. The shard in Emmie's hand burned hotter, its light flaring in response to the vortex's dark energy.
"That's not good," Amara said, her voice tight.
As the swirling mass appeared at the edge of the ruin, with each step closer, it showed the faint shapes that started to emerge within: outlines of people with pale and hallow features of face, their eyes empty of their shine.
"Souls," Mira whispered in a trembling voice. "Shadows. They are absorbing them."
Emmie pressed her jaws. "This shouldn't go this way. We can't allow that.
Stop that?" Amara repeated, gesturing toward the vortex, her tone so disbelieving. "Do you even know what we're dealing with? Because I don't!"
Mira stepped forward, grasping her staff. "We have dealt with worse. The shard's light can weaken the shadows-it might work on this."
"And if it doesn't?" Amara asked, then her voice was sharper.
"Then we find another way," Emmie said, firmly. "We didn't come this far just to let it win.
With that, he raised the shard high, its light blazing as it responded to his resolve. Mira and Amara exchanged a glance before nodding, their weapons at the ready.
The trio advanced toward the vortex, the oppressive energy pushing against them with every step. Emmie focused on the shard, willing its power to extend outward, to cut through the dark mist that coiled and writhed around them.
By the time they reached the bottom of the vortex, a figure emerged from within it. His garb was the same, yet this figure commanded an enormous amount of respect. He had a deep voice that boomed across the area.
So, the heir dares to approach," the figure intoned. "You wield the Heart's power, but you are unworthy. You are nothing but a flickering light, destined to be snuffed out."
Emmie tightened his grip on the shard, its light pulsing brighter. "You're wrong. I've faced shadows before, and I'll face you, too.
The figure lifted its hand, and the vortex suddenly surged with energy; the shadows coalesced into a huge creature with glowing red eyes and limbs that were long and jagged, claw-like.
"Prove your worth, heir," the figure said, it voice cold.
The creature roared, charging toward them with terrifying speed. Mira raised her staff, unleashing a wave of golden light that slowed its advance, while Amara darted forward, her daggers slashing at the creature's limbs.
Emmie stood in the center, the shard glowing in his hand. He focused on the light, channeling the energy into a powerful beam, striking the creature's core. It let out a deafening yell of pain as its form began to flicker, but it wasn't enough to destroy it.
"You must push harder, Emmie!" Mira called, strained, her voice fending off smaller shadow creatures that seemed to have appeared from the vortex.
Emmie gritted his teeth, pouring more of his will into the shard. The light grew brighter, enveloping him in a radiant aura. The creature staggered, its form beginning to break apart.
But just as victory seemed within reach, the cloaked figure raised both hands, and the vortex intensified, its energy coalescing into a second creature—larger, more monstrous than the first.
"You cannot win," the figure said, their voice echoing with finality. "The shadows are infinite. Your light is but a fleeting spark."
Emmie's heart pounded as he faced the new threat. He glanced at Mira and Amara, their faces etched with determination despite the odds.
"We've beaten the odds before," he said, his voice steady. "And we'll do it again."