Aeon stepped toward the gates, the rhythm of the chains beneath his skin quickening with every breath. The tension in the air was palpable, the Vale itself seeming to hold its breath, watching, waiting. His golden eyes flicked between the two towering portals—the gate of light, brilliant and unyielding, and the gate of shadow, dark and consuming.
"Why me?" Aeon murmured, his voice barely audible above the hum of power emanating from the gates.
The woman tilted her head, her silver eyes softening for a moment. "The Vale does not explain itself. It acts. You are its vessel, Aeon, and it has chosen you to bear its burden." She gestured toward the gates, her tattered robes flowing like smoke. "The question is not why, but what you will do with what has been given."
Aeon's fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms. He didn't want this—any of it. He hadn't asked for the chains, the curse, or the impossible choice laid out before him. Yet here he stood, bound by forces far greater than his comprehension, with no path but forward.
His gaze shifted to the gate of light. Its brilliance was almost blinding, and the closer he looked, the more he felt an aching pull in his chest, as though it were stripping him away piece by piece.
"You said the light will take everything," Aeon said, his voice sharper now. "My memories, my past… What's left after that? Am I even me anymore?"
The woman's expression didn't change. "The light will cleanse you, burn away what binds you to your old life. You will become a vessel of pure power, unburdened by weakness, but also untethered from all you hold dear. It is a path of strength, but it is not without loss."
Aeon's stomach churned. He could still see the faces of those he cared about—his mentor, the friends he had fought alongside, the family he had left behind. Stepping into the light would erase them, leaving only echoes where they once existed.
His eyes turned to the gate of shadow. Unlike the light, the shadows seemed alive, coiling and writhing as though waiting to envelop him.
"And the shadows?" Aeon asked, his voice quieter.
"They will keep you whole," the woman replied. "You will retain your memories, your sense of self. But you will be bound to the Vale forever, a guardian of its power. You will belong to this place, a part of its hunger, and you will never see your world again."
Her words sank into him like stones. Both paths demanded sacrifice, and neither offered escape. He took a step back, his breaths shallow.
The chains within him pulsed harder, tugging at him like an unseen force, urging him forward. Their energy felt raw, almost painful now, as if they too were reaching for something they could not yet grasp.
The woman's voice softened. "The chains will not wait, Aeon. If you do not choose, the Vale will choose for you. And it will not be kind."
Aeon's mind raced, his thoughts a whirlwind of doubt and fear. He didn't want to lose himself in the light. But to be trapped in the Vale, cut off from everything he'd fought for… Could he bear that weight?
The ground beneath him shuddered, cracks spiderwebbing outward as the gates began to hum with power. Time was slipping away.
He took another step forward, the chains flaring brightly, their glow casting long shadows across the mist. As he reached the threshold between the two gates, the air itself seemed to twist, pressing against him from all sides.
In that moment, Aeon closed his eyes.
He thought of the people he'd sworn to protect. The friends who had stood beside him. The lives he had fought to save.
And he thought of himself—the boy who had dreamed of being a hero, the man who had been shaped by loss, pain, and triumph. He thought of who he was now, chains and all, and the future that awaited him.
When his eyes opened, his resolve was clear.
Aeon stepped forward, toward the gate of shadow.
The writhing darkness surged toward him as if welcoming him, coiling around his legs and arms, sinking into his skin. His golden eyes flared, the chains within him reacting violently, but he didn't falter. His boots struck the ground with purpose, each step heavier than the last.
The woman's silver eyes followed him, her expression unreadable. "The path of shadow," she murmured, her voice laced with both admiration and sorrow. "You choose to remain whole, even if it means binding yourself to the Vale."
Aeon stopped just before the gate. The shadows twisted and writhed before him, almost alive, whispering his name, calling him forward. The chains within his arm burned, their glow illuminating the darkness around him.
"This doesn't mean I'm giving in," Aeon said, his voice steady. "I'm not a pawn for the Vale or its power. If I'm going to be bound to this place, I'll do it on my terms."
The woman's lips curled into the faintest hint of a smile. "Bold words. I wonder if you'll hold to them when the Vale tests you further."
"I will," Aeon said firmly. "I have no choice."
And with that, he stepped into the gate.
The world erupted into chaos.
Aeon felt the shadows consume him, enveloping him in their cold, suffocating embrace. His vision went dark, and for a moment, he thought he might be drowning. The chains within him pulsed violently, their energy surging through his body as though fighting against the darkness.
The whispers grew louder, filling his mind with fragments of voices he didn't recognize.
𝙰 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎. 𝙰 𝚔𝚎𝚢. 𝙰 𝚝𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚋𝚢𝚜𝚜.
His body convulsed, his muscles locking up as the power of the shadows overwhelmed him. The chains burned brighter, their glow cutting through the darkness, anchoring him even as the shadows sought to pull him deeper.
Aeon gritted his teeth, his golden eyes flaring in defiance. He wouldn't let the shadows take him. Not completely.
Slowly, he raised his arm, the chains thrumming with power. He felt their strength coursing through him, raw and untamed, and he reached out with it, commanding the shadows to obey.
The darkness recoiled, writhing and twisting as Aeon's chains shot forward, piercing through the void. The shadows buckled under the force of his will, and the whispers in his mind faded, replaced by a deafening silence.
For a moment, all was still.
Then the shadows around him began to shift, coalescing into a single form.
Before him stood a figure cloaked in black, its face hidden beneath a hood of swirling darkness. Its presence was overwhelming, filling the space with an aura of power and dread.
"You have chosen the path of shadow," the figure said, its voice deep and resonant, like the echo of a thousand voices speaking as one. "You are bound to the Vale, and to its power. But power is not given freely. It must be earned."
Aeon met the figure's gaze, his golden eyes unwavering. "Then I'll earn it."
The figure extended a hand, and the shadows around it twisted into a long, jagged blade. "Prove yourself," it said simply.
Before Aeon could react, the figure lunged, its blade slashing toward him with impossible speed. Aeon barely managed to raise his arm in time, the chains within him flaring to life and forming a barrier of glowing links that deflected the blow.
The force of the attack sent him staggering back, but he recovered quickly, his instincts taking over. He lashed out with the chains, their energy crackling as they struck toward the figure.
The figure dodged with inhuman grace, its movements fluid and precise. It countered with another strike, its blade slicing through the air toward Aeon's chest.
Aeon dove to the side, rolling to his feet as the chains surged forward again, this time wrapping around the figure's arm and holding it in place. He pulled hard, yanking the figure off balance, and struck out with his free hand, a pulse of energy from the chains slamming into the figure's chest.
The figure staggered, but it did not fall. Instead, it straightened, its hood tilting slightly as though in approval.
"You are strong," it said. "But strength alone will not save you."
Before Aeon could respond, the figure vanished, dissolving into the shadows.
The silence that followed was deafening, the oppressive weight of the Vale settling over Aeon once more.
He fell to one knee, his chest heaving as the chains within him pulsed faintly, their energy ebbing. He could still feel the power of the shadows surrounding him, but now it felt… different. Less hostile, more familiar.
The woman's voice echoed faintly, distant and ethereal. "You have chosen your path, Aeon Solis. The Vale has accepted you. But your journey is far from over. The chains will demand more of you than you can imagine. Be ready."
Aeon rose slowly to his feet, his golden eyes burning with determination. He looked down at his arm, the chains flickering faintly beneath his skin.
He had made his choice.
And now, he would live with the weight of it.