Cire woke up lying on the cold floor, a strange warmth coursing through his body. It was unsettling—this heat contrasted sharply with the icy waters that had almost claimed his life moments ago. His eyes fluttered open, and he blinked against the dim glow surrounding him.
The cave had transformed. The ancient runes on the walls glowed softly, their patterns now vivid and intricate. The dragon statues surrounding him looked alive, their scales finely detailed, their eyes glowing faintly as if watching him. Light emanated from their forms, pooling in the center of the cavern.
Where the lake had once been, the surface was now smooth and flat, gleaming like a perfect mirror. The light reflected across its surface, illuminating the chamber in ethereal hues. Cire tried to sit up, his body trembling under the weight of exhaustion and pain.
"Dad… Mom… Sergei…" he mumbled, the names catching in his throat. The memories of their sacrifice hit him like a storm, threatening to pull him under once more. But before despair could take hold, a voice echoed through the cavern.
"Rest now, Cire Regis. You have been chosen."
The words reverberated around him, deep and harmonious, as if the walls themselves spoke. Cire's head shot up, his eyes darting around the cave in search of the voice's source.
The light reflected on the mirror's surface began to glow brighter, its radiance intensifying. Slowly, an ethereal figure materialized above the mirror. Its form was almost translucent, shimmering faintly, and its eyes were like galaxies containing thousands of stars. The figure's presence was neither comforting nor oppressive, but it demanded attention.
"Who… who are you?" Cire stammered, his voice trembling.
"They call me Wish," the being replied, its voice clear and resonant, like glass shattering in silence. "I am a Guardian, bound to those who dare defy destiny."
Cire stared at her, his face a mixture of awe and disbelief. "I didn't choose anything! I… I've never had a choice. I was born like this!" His voice cracked, frustration spilling out with every word.
Wish tilted its head as though studying him. "The will to survive is a choice, Cire Regis. A wish as powerful as any other. The strength you showed in your despair, the relic that illuminated this place—they brought you to me."
Cire frowned. "The… relic? What relic?"
A faint light drifted toward him, landing softly on his leg. He recognized the object immediately—the strange, finger-like shard wrapped in cloth, the gift his father had fought to protect. He swallowed hard, his chest tightening as the memories returned. "This… this started all of this."
"That relic carries a fragment of my power," Wish explained. "But your connection to me is not automatic. If you refuse me, this relic will be consumed, and I will disappear."
Cire shivered, his thoughts racing. The idea of accepting something so strange and unknown filled him with fear. But then the memories of his family flashed before his eyes: his mother's brutal death, his father's sacrifice, Todd's last stand, Sergei's final words. His fists clenched tightly.
"And if I accept? What does it mean?"
Wish smiled faintly, its shimmering form glowing brighter. "Then we become one. I will lend you my strength; if you are strong enough, you will fight for what you believe is right. But there is a price."
"A price?" Cire whispered, lowering his gaze.
"The will to persist, even when everything seems lost. The will to push forward, no matter the cost. For I am the Wishful One, the lost Guardian of Desire. WIsh of Desire."
Cire's heart pounded. His father's words echoed in his mind, and he raised his head, determined, "You are the reason we push forward." a memory of hope and resilience. Slowly flickering in his eyes. "I accept, Wish of Desire."
Wish's star-filled gaze softened. "And I accept you, Cire Regis, Keymaster."
Her form shimmered, dissolving into a radiant orb of energy. It drifted downward, surging toward Cire's legs. He gasped as warmth flooded his body, spreading through his limbs. For the first time in years, he felt something stir within him—an awakening he could not yet understand.