The canyon's depths swallowed them whole. The farther they descended, the darker and warmer the air became. The walls glowed faintly with streaks of molten gold, pulsing like veins under stone.
Eiji led the way, his hand still marked with light from the last seal. Every few steps, the medallion at his chest hummed, resonating with something deep below.
Lyra muttered as she brushed dust off her boots. "If this place gets any hotter, I'm going to melt before we find anything."
Kael smirked. "Then you'll save us all the trouble of cooking."
"Ha. Hilarious," she shot back, though a smile tugged at her lips.
Selene's tone was quieter. "Keep your focus. The air feels… unstable."
She was right. The air shimmered faintly around them, bending the light in strange ways. Occasionally, Eiji thought he saw shapes in the walls — shadows frozen in the stone, their faces twisted in silent screams.
They reached a plateau halfway down the canyon, where a massive circular gate was embedded into the rock. It was covered in symbols, each glowing faintly as Eiji approached.
"This must be it," he whispered. "The fifth seal."
Before anyone could speak, the medallion pulsed violently. The ground trembled, and a voice echoed faintly through the canyon.
"You shouldn't have come here."
Kael drew his sword instantly. "Show yourself."
From the shadows near the gate, a figure stepped forward — tall, draped in black armor that seemed to flicker like smoke. His face was hidden behind a mask shaped like a cracked mirror.
Lyra muttered, "Please tell me that's not another memory monster."
Eiji shook his head slowly. "No. That's real."
The figure tilted his head. "I was once like you. Searching for truth. Believing in redemption. And then I learned the truth — some things shouldn't be remembered."
Selene took a cautious step forward. "Who are you?"
The stranger's mask reflected their torchlight as he spoke. "I am what remains of the Oracle's will. The part that refused to die."
Eiji's breath caught. "Another fragment?"
The stranger nodded. "The Heart Below — the guardian of the fifth seal."
Kael frowned. "So you're going to stop us."
"I'm going to test you," the Heart replied. "Because if you cannot withstand your own truth, you'll become the next ruin this world buries."
Before anyone could react, the ground beneath them rippled like water. The canyon vanished, replaced by a vast crimson plain under a burning sky.
Lyra gasped. "What—where are we?"
"A memory," the Heart said. "The day the Oracle fell."
In the distance, cities burned. Towers crumbled like ash. The air smelled of iron and smoke. And there, at the center of it all, stood the original Oracle — the Echo's true form — holding a staff of light and flame.
He was surrounded by soldiers, all kneeling, all pleading.
"Please, Lord Oracle!" one cried. "You can still stop this!"
But the Oracle only whispered, "It's too late."
Eiji felt the world spin. His chest tightened. "This is… me?"
The Heart stepped beside him. "It was. You created this ruin. You burned the Hollow Flame into yourself. You ended an age."
Eiji fell to his knees, the weight of the vision crushing him. "No… I didn't…"
Selene ran toward him, but the Heart raised a hand. "Let him see. He must see."
The flames rose higher. The soldiers screamed as the light consumed them, and the Oracle — Eiji's past self — turned toward them with hollow eyes.
"I swore to protect this world," he said softly. "But in doing so, I destroyed it."
Eiji shouted, "Stop it! I'm not him!"
The Heart's voice was calm but cold. "Aren't you? The power in your blood is his. The choices waiting for you will be his again. The only difference is whether you'll break like he did."
The flames closed in, and Eiji felt his skin burn — not from fire, but from guilt.
Then, in a surge of desperation, he raised his hand. The mark on his palm blazed with pure light, shattering the illusion.
The plain disappeared. The canyon returned. Eiji was gasping, his eyes wet, his hands trembling.
The Heart stood before him, silent. Then, slowly, he knelt.
"You faced the truth without turning away," he said quietly. "That is enough."
The gate behind him opened with a deep rumble. The fifth seal's glow filled the canyon.
Selene rushed to Eiji's side, helping him stand. "You did it."
He shook his head weakly. "No… I just saw what's waiting for me."
Kael placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then we'll face it together."
The Heart looked up, his voice fading as the seal's light began to swallow him. "Remember this, Oracle — redemption is not freedom. It is the price you pay to walk forward."
And then he was gone, leaving only silence and the glow of the fifth seal.
Eiji stood still for a long moment, staring at the runes. "Two more," he whispered. "And then the truth."
Lyra exhaled, trying to laugh but sounding shaky. "Next time, can we not almost die inside someone's trauma?"
Eiji smiled faintly. "No promises."
They turned away from the seal, the light fading behind them as they climbed out of the canyon — unaware that far above, Arin stood watching from the cliff's edge, his golden eyes glowing.
He murmured to himself, "He's almost there. The heart has awakened."