The ruined palace was silent except for the crackle of distant fire and the whisper of shifting ash. Eiji stood still, staring at the Keeper. Her calm expression didn't match the storm twisting in his chest.
"You're saying the Echo of the first Oracle is still alive," he said slowly. "How is that even possible?"
The Keeper walked past him, her steps leaving faint blue imprints on the ground. "When you died in the past, your soul fractured. One half reincarnated as you. The other half—your Echo—refused to move on. It stayed behind, feeding on mana, waiting for your rebirth."
Eiji frowned. "So, it's basically me… but not me."
She nodded. "Your memories, your instincts, your power, but stripped of compassion. The Echo believes the destruction of this world is destiny. And it's getting stronger every time you unlock a seal."
Lyra threw her hands up. "Wait, so every time we do what we're supposed to do, we're actually helping your evil twin?"
Eiji gave a small, defeated laugh. "That sounds exactly like my luck."
Kael sheathed his sword and crossed his arms. "If that's true, then what's the point of restoring the seals at all?"
"The seals must be restored," Selene said quietly. "If left broken, the world will collapse. The Echo's awakening would only hasten the end, not prevent it."
The Keeper turned to her. "Wise words, priestess. But incomplete. The seals alone won't save the world. They are fragments of the Oracle's original heart, scattered to contain his mistake. To destroy the Echo, they must be united again."
Eiji blinked. "United? As in… inside me?"
The Keeper's eyes softened. "Yes. The Oracle's soul cannot be whole without its other half. You can't defeat the Echo. You must reclaim it."
Eiji rubbed the back of his neck. "Great. So my options are either die or merge with a world-ending monster version of myself."
Lyra sighed. "That's comforting."
The Keeper smiled faintly. "There might be another way. A ritual known as the Pact of the Keeper. It allows one who carries the Oracle's bloodline to bind the Echo temporarily, slowing its rise."
Kael looked suspicious. "What's the cost?"
Her expression turned solemn. "The Keeper's life."
The air went cold.
Eiji stared at her. "You'd die?"
She nodded. "I've lived long enough. My purpose was to wait for your return. If my end buys this world a chance, so be it."
Eiji shook his head. "No. I'm not letting anyone die for me again."
The Keeper stepped closer. "You don't have a choice, Oracle. The Echo grows stronger with every breath you take. Even now, it stirs. Can't you feel it?"
He did. Deep inside, like a heartbeat out of rhythm, something dark pulsed within him — familiar yet alien.
"I can feel it," he admitted softly. "But that doesn't mean I'll let it win."
The Keeper studied him for a moment, then smiled faintly. "Then promise me one thing. When the time comes and you stand before your other self, do not hesitate. Pity and doubt will be your undoing."
Before Eiji could answer, the ground beneath them began to tremble. The air shimmered, and a red glow spread through the cracks in the palace floor.
Selene raised her staff. "Something's coming!"
Kael drew his sword again. "It's not the Echo, is it?"
The Keeper turned sharply toward the great archway. "No. Something worse. The Guild's trackers have arrived. They've followed your trail here."
Lyra groaned. "Of course they have. Can we get one peaceful conversation?"
The Keeper extended her hands, blue sigils forming around her. "Go to the inner sanctum. The next seal lies there. I'll hold them off."
Eiji grabbed her wrist. "You can't fight them alone."
She smiled gently. "I've been waiting centuries for something worth dying for. Let me have this."
Before he could protest again, a shockwave burst through the gate, scattering debris everywhere. Figures cloaked in black poured through, their eyes glowing with red runes. The Shadow Guild had arrived in force.
The Keeper turned to Eiji one last time. "Go, Oracle. And remember — light without shadow cannot exist. But you must never let the shadow lead."
Her aura flared, filling the chamber with radiant blue fire. The Guild members charged, and she met them head-on, her power shattering the ground beneath her feet.
Eiji hesitated for only a second before turning away. Kael grabbed his arm. "We can't waste her sacrifice."
Eiji nodded, his throat tight. "Let's move."
The group ran through the collapsing halls toward the sanctum, the roar of battle echoing behind them. The air shimmered with energy, the walls pulsing with runes as if alive.
As they reached a massive door carved with the same symbols as Eiji's medallion, Selene raised her staff. "This is it. The next seal."
Eiji turned one last time. The glow from the battle behind them was fading, but he could still feel the Keeper's presence — strong, defiant, and unyielding.
He whispered under his breath, "I'll finish what you started."
The medallion pulsed, and the door slowly opened, bathing them in light.