The sky above the blackened tower cleared, revealing a blanket of stars untouched by the chaos below. But Violet didn't trust the calm.
The wisp of dark energy had gone somewhere—sent a signal, the Seeker had said. Which meant the Shadowkin weren't done. Not even close.
"We need to move," Violet said, brushing ash from her cloak.
Iris sat on a cracked boulder, still catching her breath. "Move where? That thing nearly wiped us out."
Ren checked his blade for chips. "Wherever they go next, we follow. Right?"
The Seeker nodded, his mask reflecting the moonlight. "Correct. The next dungeon is awakening. And if we don't reach it in time…"
Violet finished for him, "The world won't survive a second Flamecaller."
The tower groaned one last time before collapsing into itself, stone folding inward as if being eaten by the very void it once channeled. When it vanished completely, only a circular scar on the earth remained.
"Come on," Violet said. "Let's find the next Gate."
—
They returned to the village briefly. It remained abandoned, haunted by echoes and mana remnants. But in the ruined library, Violet found something.
A journal.
Covered in dust and sealed with a faint enchantment, it opened only when she placed her wand on it.
The handwriting inside was rough but readable:
> The old Guardian Towers are waking. But each one is bound to a Key. A person. A memory. A price. To unlock them is to risk yourself.
> The next Gate lies in the Mountains of Whispering Stone. Beneath the ruins of Helreth.
Violet closed the book and looked to her friends.
"Mountain climbing, huh?" Ren muttered. "Wonderful."
"It's not the height I'm worried about," Iris said. "It's what's waiting at the summit."
They set out the next morning.
—
The journey to Helreth was long.
They crossed fields of dry grass and rivers that glowed faintly with mana. The further they traveled, the more they saw signs of imbalance—flowers blooming out of season, animals with strange mutations, and weather that shifted without warning.
"We're getting closer," Violet said.
They arrived at the base of the mountains three days later. The air was cold and thin, but laced with magic.
A carved stone gate marked the path forward. Symbols etched into its surface pulsed as Violet approached.
"The Gate's reacting to you," Iris whispered.
"It recognizes a Guardian," the Seeker said. "Only one born of mana can pass."
Violet raised her wand.
The gate opened with a deep rumble, revealing an ancient path winding up through the cliffs.
Together, they climbed.
—
Snow began to fall.
The higher they went, the more the mountain whispered.
Not the wind. Not the trees.
Whispers.
Voices Violet didn't recognize—but somehow understood.
They spoke of old things. Forgotten names. Lost cities. Wars fought in silence.
Ren shivered. "Tell me I'm not the only one hearing that."
"You're not," Violet said. "They're memories. Trapped in the stones."
"This place…" Iris breathed. "It's alive."
When they reached the ruins of Helreth at dusk, the world changed.
Columns of white stone jutted from the cliffs like bones. Shattered walls were overgrown with frost-covered vines. A giant circular platform sat at the center, its floor covered in runes that flickered with dormant power.
"This is the Gate," the Seeker said.
"It's asleep," Violet said. "But I can wake it."
As she stepped onto the platform, the runes lit up beneath her feet.
Suddenly, the wind howled.
And from the shadows emerged a figure draped in robes of crystal blue, eyes glowing with sapphire light.
"You dare approach the Gate of Memory?"
Ren drew his blade.
Violet raised her wand.
"I do," she said. "And I won't back down."
---
The robed figure stepped onto the platform, his feet not touching the ground.
"You step into sacred ground, mage," he said, voice echoing unnaturally. "What is it you seek?"
Violet held her wand steady. "I seek the truth. And the power to stop the Void."
The figure tilted his head. "Then face the Guardian's Echo."
The moment he spoke, the runes beneath Violet exploded with light. The air shimmered, and a second Violet appeared—an exact duplicate, down to the expression on her face. But this one had eyes of molten gold.
"What—" Ren stepped forward, but the Seeker held him back.
"This is her trial. We can't interfere."
The false Violet smiled. "Are you ready to face yourself?"
The duel began.
Violet cast a flame burst, but her double countered with a mirrored attack. They clashed in a whirlwind of fire and light, spells lighting the mountaintop like a storm.
"You hesitate," the double said. "You fear your own power."
"I don't!" Violet shouted.
"You fear what you could become."
They clashed again—lightning and shadow, flame and ice. The mountaintop trembled.
Then Violet remembered the Seeker's words: "The Void doesn't create. It consumes."
She stopped casting.
Her double raised a hand—but Violet stepped forward and embraced her.
The double froze.
"What are you—"
"I accept you," Violet said. "You're me. My fear. My strength. My past. My future."
The double's body glowed.
And shattered into stardust.
The platform pulsed. The runes turned gold. The Gate awakened.
The robed figure nodded. "You have passed. The Gate of Memory is open."
A doorway formed at the center of the platform—a swirling vortex of stars and mist.
"This leads to the next tower," the Seeker said, awe in his voice. "No one has crossed this way in centuries."
"Until now," Violet said.
She turned to her friends. "Are you ready?"
Ren grinned. "Always."
Iris adjusted her gloves. "Let's finish this."
They stepped through the portal together.
—
On the other side, the world was silent.
They stood in a forest of silver trees. The air was heavy, like holding your breath. The trees pulsed faintly with mana.
A sign stood nearby, carved in runes:
> Welcome to Luthen Vale. Realm of Echoes.
"This isn't our world," Iris whispered.
"It's a Realm in between," the Seeker said. "A reflection of Earth. Twisted, but familiar."
From the shadows came movement.
Not a monster.
A child.
She looked about ten. Pale hair. Eyes glowing faintly blue. She wore rags, and her hands were covered in dirt.
"Help me," she said.
Violet knelt. "Who are you?"
"I'm… I was… I think I'm a Guardian."
They exchanged glances.
"She's not lying," Iris said. "I feel it too. She's tied to the tower."
The girl pointed toward the horizon, where spires of light flickered.
"The next Gate is broken," she said. "If you don't fix it… everything will fall."
Ren sheathed his blade. "Then let's fix it."
Violet took the girl's hand. "What's your name?"
The child blinked. "Echo."
The Seeker tensed.
"Echo isn't a name," he said. "It's a title. One given only to remnants of lost Guardians."
"Then she's more important than we thought," Violet said. "And she stays with us."
The silver forest darkened as shadows stirred.
The Void had followed them through the Gate.
But this time, Violet was ready.