The ruins trembled as the Veil disintegrated, layer by layer. What remained was not emptiness—but a vast horizon bathed in golden light, stretching beyond the confines of the mortal world.
Kael shielded his eyes, breathing heavily. "We did it…"
Riven helped Lysara to her feet, her energy drained from anchoring the elixir. "Barely. That guardian almost took us with him."
But Lysara was staring ahead. "No… look."
A bridge of light had formed where the throne once stood. Across it, faint figures stood waiting—transparent, peaceful. Spirits once trapped, now free. One stepped forward—Kael's sister.
She smiled. "Thank you, brother."
Kael's voice broke. "I… I thought I lost you forever."
"You never did," she whispered. "You just had to believe."
The others appeared—loved ones, fallen comrades, ancestors of the ancient order. Riven saw his father, proud and whole once more. Lysara bowed in reverence as her mentor, long since perished in the plague wars, stepped forward to place a glowing crystal in her hand.
"This is the Seed of Aether," he said. "The world will need it."
The bridge began to fade.
Kael stepped forward. "Wait—will we see you again?"
"Someday," his sister said. "When the final dawn breaks."
With that, the spirits turned and vanished into the light. The chamber fell silent once more, but the air felt lighter. Hopeful.
Kael turned to his companions. "This was only the beginning. The world outside still bears scars."
Riven smirked. "Then let's start healing them."
Lysara held up the crystal. "Together."
As they emerged into the sunlight, the first birdsong pierced the morning air—an omen of peace, or perhaps… the calm before the next storm.