🌌 A Memory Reclaimed
Late one night, Artemis returned to the chamber of the Rift Heart under the fractured dome. Moonlight sifted through spiderweb cracks, illuminating drifting dust motes. She placed a gentle hand on the dormant Eidolon Shard.
A familiar warmth pulsed—quiet at first, then echoing through her bones. The crystalline core awakened, and ancient voices whispered in unison:
"By bond and sacrifice, we seal the fracture…"
A golden haze enveloped Artemis, visions blooming in her mind.
đź”± First Wave Ephemeral Echoes
She saw a circle of figures—tall, regal, their eyes aflame with purpose—standing around the original Shard. Their armor glowed, etched with light. They held hands, a living conduit stretching from heart to heart. Luna, Reyan, and Maelis—First Wave champions—stood at the forefront.
Maelis, her eyes fierce with determination, raised the Shard overhead. Rift tendrils writhed nearby—black veins pulsing like living wounds. The Breach yawned behind them, rupturing into their world with raw power.
Maelis's voice rang clear:
"The Rift Heart is poison. Only our unity can cleanse it."
đź’” The Sacrificial Act
One by one, the First Wave warriors closed their eyes and surrendered themselves:
Luna, voice trembling yet strong: "By my heart…" Beams of pure energy shot from her chest into the Shard, her body dissolving into motes of light.
Reyan, stoic and resolute: "By my will…" Rift shadows recoiled as he chanted. His body flickered before merging into the crystal's core.
Maelis, the final bond: "By our bond…" She pressed the Shard to her heart. Rift darkness screamed—and then shattered.
The crystal flared fiercely, light flooding outward like a supernova. The Breach closed. The chamber cracked apart, but their sacrifice endured.
🌺 Aftermath & Legacy
As the light faded, Artemis saw the ruptured world mend—roots weaving back into devastated soil, rivers recleaning themselves, and small creatures awakening, untainted.
Maelis's voice whispered:
"We are the light that binds worlds. Carry our bond forward."
The vision faded. Artemis blinked as reality returned.
🤲 Artemis's Quiet Vigil
Clutching the Eidolon Shard to her chest, Artemis looked up through the cracked dome at the stars.
They died so that this world might live.
She breathed deeply, tears pooling in her eyes.
And she made a vow:
"Your light lives on… in us. We will carry the bond. And we will continue your legacy."
Elara stepped quietly beside her, offering a comforting hand.
Together, they stood—guardians of a promise older than memory.
The past had revealed its truth.
Now, forged from sorrow and hope, they would shape the future.