The Dreambearers attacked like a black wave, their distorted bodies moving unnaturally, their hollow eyes fixed on the four. Lemon was the first to act, his sword carving an arc through the air—not to cut, but to deflect, pushing the creatures back.
"Don't kill them!" he reminded the group as he blocked another attack. "They're just possessed bodies!"
Nayari closed her eyes for a moment, then raised her hands before her. A wave of faint blue light emanated from her, pushing the nearest creatures back, causing them to stumble and fall.
"Your power!" Aliana exclaimed in astonishment.
"What's left of it, at least," Nayari replied, already looking exhausted. "Without the crystal, I can't do much."
Aliana was fighting in her own way. The black crystal on her chest pulsed strongly, releasing waves of dark light whenever one of the Dreambearers approached her. The effect of this light was strange—the creatures it touched froze momentarily, as if regaining some awareness, then staggered away in confusion.
Celine was the least capable of defending herself. She carried only a small knife, which she used more for intimidation than harm, keeping the creatures at bay as best as she could.
"The path to the tower!" Lemon shouted, nodding toward a side passage that seemed to lead to the central tower. "Is that the secret way you mentioned, Nayari?"
Nayari nodded as she blocked another creature. "Yes! We need to move—now!"
As one, they began moving through the square, fending off the attacking creatures and carving a path toward the side passage. Their progress was slow and stumbling, but they pressed on, forcing their way forward despite the relentless onslaught.
When they reached the passage, they saw it was sealed by a heavy metal door, inscribed with intricate symbols and markings glowing with a faint blue light.
"Can you open it?" Aliana asked Nayari as she fended off an approaching Dreambearer.
"Yes, but I'll need a moment to focus. Protect me!"
Lemon stepped forward, taking position in front of Nayari, his sword tracing quick circles in the air to keep the creatures at bay. Aliana stood beside him, using the black crystal as a luminous shield against the attacks, while Celine joined Nayari, helping her decipher the symbols on the door.
Nayari placed her hand on the metal door and began murmuring strange words, unrecognizable as any known language. The symbols on the door glowed brighter in response to her words, shifting in shape and color.
"Hurry!" Lemon urged as he fended off more attackers. The number of Dreambearers was increasing, pouring in from side streets and gradually filling the square.
"Almost...!" Nayari said, her eyes shut tight in intense concentration, her fingers tracing a deliberate pattern over the symbols. "Almost..."
At the moment when the number of attackers became overwhelming, the symbols on the door emitted a brilliant light, then disappeared entirely. The sound of internal mechanisms moving followed, and slowly, the heavy metal door began to open.
"Now!" Aliana shouted. "Inside, everyone!"
The four of them rushed through the door, which opened just wide enough for them to squeeze through. Once inside, Nayari quickly closed it again, sealing it as fast as she had opened it, leaving the Dreambearers outside, slamming their bodies against the metal door in blind fury.
They found themselves in a narrow corridor, lit by glowing blue torches mounted on the walls. The passage led directly to the base of the central tower.
"Will the door hold?" Celine asked, panting as she tried to catch her breath.
"For a while," Nayari replied. "But the Shadow's Echo is strong; it may find a way in. We need to keep moving."
They advanced through the corridor, which gradually widened until it opened into a large circular chamber—the base of the Tower of Dreams.
"Unbelievable..." Celine whispered as she saw the chamber for the first time.
It was a vast hall with a high ceiling, made entirely of glowing blue crystal. The walls were etched with symbols and images that told ancient stories, illuminated from within, giving them a vibrant, almost living appearance. At the center of the chamber stood a massive spiral staircase made of transparent crystal, winding upward into the darkness above.
"This is the tower's staircase," Nayari said. "It leads to the Hall of Mirrors, where the crystal is. But..."
A thunderous sound interrupted her, followed by a violent tremor that shook the entire tower. From above, they could see intermittent flashes of red light, occasionally interspersed with blue.
"The crystal is resisting... but it won't hold for long," Nayari said anxiously. "We must hurry!"
They began ascending the spiral staircase. It was much longer than it appeared, winding around the tower's core and climbing to dizzying heights. With each turn, they could see more of the city through the tower's transparent crystal walls—Teralith was now engulfed in unnatural darkness, though it was daytime, and the black cloud was expanding, consuming more parts of the city.
"What exactly is the Shadow's Echo trying to do?" Lemon asked as they climbed.
"It's trying to open a door between the physical world and the Dreamworld," Nayari replied, her voice strained from the effort of climbing. "The Dream Crystal is a point of connection, a bridge between the two worlds. If it gains control of it, it will be able to bring nightmares into the waking world—not just as Dreambearers, but as real, physical entities."
"And what would that lead to?" Celine asked.
"The collapse of the boundaries between the worlds... the collapse of reality itself... and the beginning of the Age of Nightmares."
The tower shook again, this time more violently, forcing them to cling to the edge of the staircase to avoid falling.
"It has reached the crystal..." Nayari whispered in horror. "It's touching it!"
"Hurry!" Aliana urged, quickening her pace.
When they finally reached the top of the staircase, they were exhausted and breathless, but there was no time to rest. Before them stood a double door made of crystal, adorned with carvings of stars, crescents, and celestial shapes. The door was sealed, but light seeped from within—red and blue, locked in a fierce struggle.
"The Hall of Mirrors..." Nayari said. "The Shadow's Echo is inside, trying to take control of the crystal."
"How do we get in?" Aliana asked.
"With the black crystal," Nayari said, pointing to Aliana's chest. "The Eighth Crystal is the key to all doors."
Aliana looked at the black crystal hanging around her neck, which was now pulsing faster and stronger, like a heart sensing danger. She raised the crystal and brought it close to the door.
The reaction was immediate—the carvings on the door shimmered with a deep blue light, responding to the crystal. Slowly, the doors began to open, revealing what lay within. The Mirror Room was entirely different from what Aliana had anticipated. It was a vast, circular chamber, its walls and ceiling made entirely of reflective mirrors that endlessly echoed images, creating a dizzying visual maze. Even more astonishing, the floor of the room was made of water—a still, deep, and dark surface that mirrored the reflections above, creating a weightless effect, as though the room hung suspended between the sky and the earth.
At the center of the room, floating above the water, was the Dream Crystal—a large, glowing blue crystal, pulsating with an inner light, struggling against a column of rippling darkness that surrounded it from all sides.
The column of darkness began to take form, coalescing until it became a familiar figure—the Echo of Shadow, larger and more powerful than they had seen in the arena, its glowing red eyes burning with ferocity, its shadowy hands reaching for the crystal.
"You're too late..." the Echo of Shadow said, its voice reverberating across the chamber, amplified by the mirrors. "The crystal will be mine... and the door will open..."
"We stopped you before, and we'll stop you again!" Naiari shouted, stepping forward into the room, her feet causing small ripples on the water's surface.
"You never stopped me," the Echo of Shadow replied coldly. "I was merely playing... You are the ones who allowed me to exist. When Cairn-the-Shadow reshaped the world, when he imprisoned himself between realms... he left a void. A void that I filled."
Aliana stepped forward as well. The black crystal on her chest now glowed steadily, sending fine threads of light reaching toward the Dream Crystal.
"I will restore balance," Aliana said confidently. "That is what Cairn asked of me."
The Echo of Shadow laughed. "Cairn... that weakling. Half-being, half-human, neither here nor there. Do you think he's strong enough to stop me? He is now a prisoner between worlds, and the Eternal Shadow itself is fading."
With these words, it tightened its grip on the Dream Crystal, causing its light to dim further.
"No!" Naiari screamed and leapt directly toward the crystal.
"Naiari, wait!" Aliana cried, but it was too late.
The Echo of Shadow raised one of its hands and unleashed a wave of darkness that struck Naiari mid-air, sending her crashing into one of the mirrored walls. She fell onto the water's surface with force, creating violent ripples throughout the room.
Lemon rushed to her side immediately, helping Naiari to her feet before turning to face the Echo of Shadow, his sword raised defiantly. "We won't wait for you to succeed. We'll stop you now."
Selene stood beside Aliana. "What do we do?" she whispered anxiously.
Before Aliana could respond, the entire room began to tremble. Through the black rift in the sky, now visible through an opening in the ceiling of the Mirror Room, creatures began to pour in—not like the Dreambearers, but stranger and more grotesque, shapes indescribable, emerging from nightmares themselves.
"It has begun..." the Echo of Shadow declared triumphantly. "The fabric is tearing... The world of dreams and the waking world are merging... and a new era of chaos and darkness will arise."
Aliana realized there was no time left for thinking or planning. She raised the black crystal high and stepped directly toward the Echo of Shadow.
"In the name of the Eternal Shadow, and in the name of Cairn, Keeper of Balance... I close this door!"
The black crystal emitted a powerful beam of light that shot directly toward the Dream Crystal. For a moment, the two lights—black from the Balance Crystal and blue from the Dream Crystal—intertwined, forming a mesmerizing pattern of dancing light.
But the Echo of Shadow did not relent. It tightened its grip further around the Dream Crystal, beginning to pull it away from the beam of the black crystal.
"You are too weak alone, Bearer of the Eighth Crystal!" the Echo of Shadow shouted. "Where are your seven Guardians? Where are your other Bearers? You are but one... and I am an army!"
He was right, Aliana realized. In the previous world, she had the other Crystal Bearers with her—Selene, Naiari, Sariel, Icarus, Lemon, and Marissa. Now, though some of them were here, they did not remember, did not possess their former connection to their crystals.
At that very moment, Aliana felt a hand on her shoulder—Lemon's hand.
"You're not alone," he said calmly, pulling out a piece of the red crystal from beneath his jacket. "I may not be the full Bearer of the Crystal as I once was... but I remember enough to stand with you."
Selene stood on her other side. "And so do I. I don't remember much... but I feel it." She touched her heart with her hand. "I feel that I must be here, by your side."
Naiari joined them, standing in front of Aliana, her hand extended toward the Dream Crystal. "We are four... and even if we don't have all seven crystals, we have the will of the Guardians."
The Echo of Shadow laughed disdainfully. "Will? Against my power? I am the other face of the Eternal Shadow, the part that refused to merge!"
"And that is your weakness," Aliana said suddenly, realizing something. "You are just a part, merely an echo. You are not the Eternal Shadow itself."
She raised the black crystal higher and took another step forward into the water. "And I do not carry just the Balance Crystal. I carry a part of Cairn himself... a part of the Eternal Shadow."
As if to confirm her words, the black crystal began to change, expanding, releasing beams of light that grew more intense, more powerful. Then, from within the crystal, a form began to appear—a face, Cairn's face, with his mismatched eyes, gazing directly at the Echo of Shadow.
"Father..." the Echo of Shadow whispered suddenly, its voice altered, and for a moment, it seemed to falter.
"I am not your father," the face within the crystal said, its voice resonating throughout the room. "You are not a part of me... You are the distortion, the rejection, the anger I refused to merge with."
"I am the truth!" the Echo of Shadow shouted, beginning to distort, stretch, and attempt to move closer to the Dream Crystal. "I am what you always feared!"
"I do not fear you," the face replied calmly. "I accept you... but I will not allow you to destroy the balance I created."
The light from the black crystal expanded further, spreading across the entire room, merging with the blue light of the Dream Crystal. From Lemon's hands, a red light emerged from the shard of the Pain Crystal, and from Selene's heart, where her hand rested, a faint pink glow appeared, as though the memory of the Love Crystal still lived within her.
"Together..." Aliana said, taking her friends' hands. "We close the door!"
Together, the four unleashed a massive wave of combined light, surpassing the Echo of Shadow and enveloping the Dream Crystal in a multi-colored shield of protection.
The Echo of Shadow screamed in rage and pain, reaching out desperately for the crystal, but the united light was too strong. Its grip began to loosen, its strength waning, and the Dream Crystal started to regain its full radiance.
In the sky, the black rift began to shrink, the nightmarish creatures that had spilled through being pulled back into the void from which they came.
"No!" the Echo of Shadow roared. "You cannot defeat me! I am the Eternal Shadow!"
"You are nothing but an illusion," Cairn's voice said from within the black crystal. "An echo, a rejection, a mirage."
With these words, the united light erupted in a colossal wave, flooding the entire room. The wave struck the Echo of Shadow, which began to disintegrate, dissolve, and fade like mist under the morning sun. "I shall return... I shall always return... as long as fear resides in hearts... as long as there is rejection of darkness within the light..."
With these final words, the echo of the shadow vanished entirely, leaving behind a void and an eerie, absolute silence.
The light faded gradually, and the Dream Crystal settled once again in the center of the room, glowing softly with its familiar blue hue. The rift in the sky closed completely, and the black cloud above the city began to dissipate.
Alyana, Lemon, Selene, and Nayari stood amidst the water, looking at one another with astonishment, relief, and exhaustion.
"We did it..." Nayari whispered, disbelief in her voice. "We defeated him..."
"We restored balance," Alyana said, the black crystal on her chest having returned to its normal size, though it still felt warm, pulsing with life. "But I don't think it's over."
"What do you mean?" Lemon asked, sheathing his sword.
"The Echo of the Shadow said he would return... and I believe him." Alyana glanced at the black crystal. "And Kyren... he appeared, helped us, but he's still... distant."
"What happened to the face inside the crystal?" Selene asked.
"It returned to the liminal space, I think. To its place between worlds." Alyana sighed. "But it showed me that it's still there... watching, waiting."
Nayari approached the Dream Crystal, reaching out to it gently. "Will... will the sleepers return now?"
As if answering her question, the Dream Crystal began emitting pulses of blue light, spreading outwards from the room, through the tower, and into the city beyond. The blue light poured out like water, soft and tender, enveloping every corner of Teralith.
"Yes," Alyana answered, watching the light spread. "The people of the city will awaken now."
"We should go back to see," Selene said, heading towards the door, but Nayari stopped her.
"Wait. There's something we must do first."
Nayari moved towards the Dream Crystal, stopping directly in front of it. She extended her hands and touched the crystal gently, whispering inaudible words, as though communicating with it in a special way.
"I'm reestablishing my bond with the crystal," she explained, continuing to touch it. "As the Guardian of the Dream Crystal, I must renew the vow."
For several minutes, Nayari remained that way, deeply connected to the crystal in profound silence. The crystal itself responded to her, its color shifting slightly from blue to a soft violet, matching the hue of Nayari's eyes.
When Nayari finally stepped back, she looked visibly drained, but her face now shone with a new glow, her eyes holding a renewed spark of strength.
"Now, the crystal can remain safe," Nayari said. "And the city can heal."
Alyana stepped forward towards Nayari. "As the bearer of the Eighth Crystal, may I... may I examine the Dream Crystal? I feel like I... need to connect with it."
Nayari nodded in approval and stepped aside. Alyana approached, placing her hand on the glowing blue crystal. It was warm, pulsing with power. As she touched it, she felt a deep connection, as though the crystal was speaking to her without words, conveying ancient knowledge.
"I saw..." Alyana said after a moment, her eyes wide. "I saw the Seventh City... the City of Light. There's... there's a problem there too. The Light Crystal is in danger."
"How do you know that?" Nayari asked, astonished.
"The crystals... they're connected to each other. They can communicate, in a way. The Eighth Crystal senses the others, and the Dream Crystal... it told me what remains."
Lemon lowered his head, thoughtful. "That means... the Echo of the Shadow wasn't just a threat here. The danger is greater."
"Yes," Alyana replied. "The danger persists. After the world's reshaping, Kyren told me the balance is fragile, and there are fractures in several places. Teralith was just the beginning."
Selene interrupted their thoughts. "I hear something."
Everyone stopped, listening. From below, at the base of the tower, sounds could be heard—growing louder, approaching. It sounded like voices... human voices... someone climbing the spiral staircase quickly.
"Has the Echo of the Shadow returned?" Lemon asked, his hand moving towards his sword hilt.
"No... this is..." Nayari said, her eyes widening in recognition. "It's the Council of Teralith! They've awakened!"
And indeed, moments later, a group of men and women entered the room, dressed in formal blue robes, their faces a mixture of awe and concern.
"Nayari!" called the eldest among them, a man with a long white beard. "What happened? The last thing I remember is... a shadow... and then deep sleep..."
"A nightmare," Nayari said simply. "A nightmare attacked the city, but we defeated it."
"We?" the man asked, then noticed Alyana, Lemon, and Selene for the first time. "Who are these people?"
"Guests from Eidolith," Nayari answered. "They came to help us. Especially her..." She gestured towards Alyana. "The bearer of the Eighth Crystal."
At these words, murmurs spread among the council members. It seemed that "the Eighth Crystal" was a term known and revered among them.
"You...?" The man with the white beard stepped closer to Alyana, his eyes wide with amazement. "You are the bearer of the Crystal of Balance?"
Alyana raised the black crystal on her chest, allowing it to glow faintly as proof. "Yes. I came at Nayari's request, to restore balance."
"Then... the legends are true," the man whispered reverently. "The Eighth Crystal exists... and balance has been restored."
After a moment of solemn silence, the council members moved to return to the city to ensure the safety of the residents and organize matters. Nayari looked at Alyana, a silent question in her eyes.
"We need to talk," Alyana said. "Without the council's interference."
"You will come with me to my home," Nayari decided. "We can speak freely there."
Nayari's home was unlike what Alyana had expected—not a grand palace befitting the Guardian of the Crystal, but a modest dwelling partially built into the trunk of a massive tree, located on the outskirts of the city. Inside, the walls were lined with books and scrolls, the floors covered with colorful rugs, and the wide windows opened to a small garden filled with strange, exotic flowers Alyana had never seen before.
"It's... different," Selene said, looking around curiously.
Nayari smiled. "A Guardian's home must be a place of inspiration. And who can be inspired if surrounded by luxury and formality all the time?"
Once they had all settled in the cozy living room, Nayari prepared a strange, aromatic tea that glowed faintly blue and served it to them in glass cups.
"Dream Tea," she explained. "It helps with focus and clarity of vision. We'll need it for our discussion."
Lemon sat near the window, his eyes watching the city as it slowly came back to life. Selene sat cross-legged on a large cushion on the floor, taking in the room with curiosity. Alyana settled into a chair facing Nayari, the black crystal in her hand, her thoughts distant.
"What I saw when I touched the Dream Crystal..." Alyana began. "The Seventh City, the City of Light, is in danger. But the danger there... it's different."
"What kind of danger?" Nayari asked. "This time, it's not the echo of the shadow, but something else. As if... multiple shadows are trying to extinguish the light."
Lemon turned to them. "Do you mean there are different threats for each crystal?"
"That's what I fear," Aliana replied. "When Cairn reshaped the world, when he created the new balance, he left behind cracks in the fabric of reality. Different forces are trying to exploit those cracks."
Selene added quietly, "And the shadow's echo was just one of those forces."
"Exactly. That's why Cairn gave me the eighth crystal and asked me to monitor the balance," Aliana sighed. "And that means... our mission isn't over."
"Our mission?" Selene asked, her eyebrows rising.
"Yes, our mission. You, me, Lemon... and Nayari." Aliana looked at each of them seriously. "In the previous world, before it was reshaped, we were all crystal bearers. We were a team."
"How is that possible?" Selene asked, confused. "I don't remember any of this."
"Because the world changed, and memories changed with it. But... the soul remembers, even when the mind fails." Aliana looked at Lemon. "You've started to remember, haven't you? Through dreams, and through the shard of the Crystal of Pain."
Lemon nodded slowly. "Sometimes... I see scenes, faces. But they're like scattered pieces of a large puzzle."
Aliana turned to Selene. "And you, when we faced the shadow's echo... there was a pink light that emerged from your heart. The light of the Crystal of Love, which you once carried."
Selene looked puzzled, but she didn't deny it. "I felt something... a strange warmth in my heart. But... why don't I remember?"
"Because memories return differently for each person," Nayari interjected. "I regained my memories because I'm the guardian of the crystal, connected to it since birth. Lemon began to remember because he found a shard of his crystal. And you..."
"And I remember everything," Aliana said, "because the eighth crystal protected me from the changes in memory. But now, what's important is what we're going to do."
"And what exactly are we going to do?" Lemon asked.
"We'll track the threats, restore balance in the other cities, and protect the crystals." Aliana paused for a moment. "And we'll search for the other crystal bearers—Sariel, Icarus, and Marissa."
"And after that...?" Selene asked.
"And after that... we'll help Cairn return."
The three of them looked at her with visible astonishment. Nayari was the first to speak.
"You think it's possible to bring him back from the limbo between worlds?"
"I don't think so, I'm certain of it," Aliana replied confidently. "Why were my memories preserved? Why did the shards of the crystals appear in specific places? Why are the memories gradually returning? Because Cairn is planning his return. Because the balance he created was only a transitional phase."
"But," Lemon said, "it seems there are many forces trying to prevent that. The shadow's echo was just the beginning."
Aliana nodded. "That's why we need to work together. To recover the crystals, re-establish balance, and prepare for his return."
Nayari smiled. "I'm with you. As the guardian of the Crystal of Dreams, I'll help you."
Aliana looked at Lemon. "And you?"
"I've always been by your side in the past, even when I didn't fully understand. I see no reason to stop now." Lemon gave a rare smile. "Besides, I'm very curious to see the rest of my memories."
Finally, Aliana turned to Selene. "And you, my friend?"
Selene hesitated for a moment, then lifted her gaze, a new determination in her eyes. "I don't remember the past you're talking about. I don't know who I was, or what I did, or how I was connected to these crystals. But..." She placed her hand on her heart. "There's something here telling me that my place is with you. That this is my journey too."
Aliana smiled, extending her hand and clasping Selene's warmly. "Thank you, all of you. Together, we can do this. We can restore balance and prepare for Cairn's return."
"So, what's the next step?" Nayari asked.
Aliana thought for a moment. "We need to visit the seventh city, the City of Light. That's where the next threat is, according to what the Crystal of Dreams showed me."
"I can't leave Teralith now," Nayari said regretfully. "As the crystal's guardian, I must stay here, regain my strength, and help the city recover."
"We understand," Aliana said. "Lemon, Selene, and I will go to the City of Light. But before we leave, can you help us with information about the seventh city?"
"Of course." Nayari stood, went to one of the shelves, and returned with an ancient manuscript. "This is a book that depicts the seven cities. It contains information about the City of Light, its guardian, and its crystal."
She opened the manuscript, revealing a page with drawings of a city built from tall towers of white crystal, reflecting light in all directions and glowing with an inner radiance.
"The City of Light, Aeloria, is the farthest of the seven cities," Nayari explained. "It's located atop the White Sierra Mountain, in the far east. Its population is small, mostly researchers, scientists, and artists who came to study the light."
"And who is its guardian?" Lemon asked.
"I don't know who guards it in the current world, but in the old world, its guardian was someone named Sirius. He was both a scientist and a poet."
"Sirius..." Aliana repeated the name, trying to recall if she'd heard it before. "Wasn't there another guardian, a woman?"
Nayari thought for a moment. "In ancient legends, there was a woman named Mira who was the crystal's guardian for a time. But that was long ago."
Aliana's eyes widened at the mention of the name. "Mira! Of course! Cairn's mother!"
"What?" Nayari asked, her eyes widening in shock.
"Mira was the bearer of the Crystal of Light, and she was... she was Cairn's mother. Cairn himself was the son of Mira and the Eternal Shadow."
"That... explains a lot," Nayari said slowly. "Especially his power and his ability to reshape the world."
"But what happened to her?" Selene asked.
"I don't know exactly," Aliana admitted. "But I think she... disappeared, or died, when Cairn was very young. And I suspect... I suspect that has something to do with the danger threatening the City of Light now."
"Then our plan is clear," Lemon said. "We go to the City of Light, find the current guardian, uncover the nature of the threat, and act accordingly."
"And we need to be cautious," Aliana added. "If the shadow's echo was this powerful, the next threat might be even stronger."
By evening, Teralith had almost returned to normal. The inhabitants had fully awakened, though most were confused, trying to understand what had happened to them. The council announced that the city had been under the influence of a "sleeping epidemic" and that things had returned to normal thanks to Nayari and the guests from Eidolith. They didn't mention anything about the shadow's echo, the crystals, or the impending threats.
"People aren't ready for the full truth yet," Nayari said, watching the city from her home's window. "Perhaps they'll never be ready."
"That's why we're here," Aliana replied. "To face the truth on their behalf."
Before the sky was fully blanketed with stars, the three gathered their belongings and bid Nayari a warm farewell. "I will stay connected with you through the Dream Crystal," Nayari said to Eliana. "If you need me, send me a dream, and I will see it."
"And if you discover more about the other threats, inform us," Eliana replied.
"Be careful," Nayari warned them. "The City of Light is far, and the road to it is fraught with dangers. The boundaries between the realms are still fragile, and you may encounter things... that do not belong to this world."
And so, the three left Teralith, heading eastward toward the distant City of Light, Aeloria, with a strange mix of determination and fear in their hearts. Eliana led the group, the black crystal on her chest glowing faintly, like a small star guiding the way.
As they moved farther from the city, Eliana looked up at the starry sky.
"We will find you," she whispered into the night, as if speaking to the distant Kyren. "We will restore balance, find you, and bring you back."
And from somewhere, far away in the liminal space between the realms, some thought they saw a single star flicker in response before resuming its steady glow in the sky.