After the inherent clash between heaven and hell burst open, a mark was left burned into their minds and eyes, as if their fingertips had melted into their seats while witnessing the event in disbelief.
The darkness wasn't complete. There was a subtle pulse, red like an open wound, beating at the edges of Arisha's consciousness. When she opened her eyes, she saw no walls, no sky—only a vast plain of suspended mist in the void. She knew, without needing proof, that this wasn't the real world. The trap had been mental. A spell from Mikhael? Or a manifestation of the seal burning inside her?
A voice called out. It was hers, but higher, more fragile."Do you remember when you stopped believing in yourself?"
Before her stood a child version of herself, green eyes wide with terror. The girl held a cracked mirror, and within it, Arisha saw fragments of parallel realities: Lessa, her body marked with dark fire, kneeling as she whispered a final spell; Kai, enduring the weight of invisible chains, a glowing brand on his chest; Baco, facing a dying figure who seemed to know him better than he knew himself.
When Arisha tried to step forward, a door materialized. In its center, a lock sealed with symbols that burned with violet light. Standing before it was a hooded figure, speaking with her mother's voice… or Sariel's."Blood calls to blood. And you... you haven't chosen yet."
Elsewhere, in the real world, Baco gasped as he awoke. He wasn't alone. Voices not his own sliced through his mind like blades. He saw Lio's face, the vision of a battle in a desert he'd never fought, the cry of a child whose soul he had never cradled.
His body felt stronger. His tense muscles vibrated with latent, dangerous energy. But his mind… was splintering."What am I?" he muttered, staring at his hands. "A key? A curse? A weapon?"
The fire was calling him. And within his chest, something flared with urgency: Arisha. He had to find her before Mikhael used her as an anchor for his ritual.
Lessa had already made her decision. The blood book trembled in her hands, as if it sensed what was about to happen. To save Kai, to awaken what still slumbered within him, she had to pay a price.
She extended her arm toward the flames. The book's pages fused with her skin, devouring part of her soul in the process. Black and crimson light burst from her chest."Make it worth it, Kai… do it for her."
At the center of the bone altar, Mikhael watched Arisha trapped in her psychic prison. His cold, calculating eyes gleamed with anticipation. Beside him, a figure cloaked in white fire bowed.
"The Voice of the Incubator has shown you the path," said the androgynous being. "Her blood will grant you the legacy of the Primeval Seal."
Mikhael nodded."Let the flame purify her. Let my will transform her."
He spoke as if Arisha were merely an object to be used. He stared at her intently, as if to make her understand the fate of those he once loved.
He set the goblet aside, crossed his long legs, and drew the curtains. Stepping onto the balcony, the night breeze kissed his bare skin. He removed the shirt made of golden thread and wrapped himself in a red silk robe. Then, finishing the last of the wine, he opened his chamber door and stepped out."Get ready, Arisha."
He dismissed the guards and personally opened the grand door, breaking the illusion trapping her mind.
The first thing he received was a slap."Idiot!" Arisha shouted, her eyes blazing with fury.
Mikhael lifted his face. Instead of anger, he smiled with pure exhilaration, revealing the twisted truth of his soul."Even if you deny it, always, always remember… you will love me."
As he spoke, the pale moonlight lit Arisha's prison in painful silence. Even the windows were barred. She stepped back as far as she could, disturbed by his closeness and suggestive demeanor.
He took her hand forcefully, then let go gently, his lips brushing her cheek as he whispered:"You love me. I've always known. I read your thoughts… but now you're an empty box. I can't hear a thing."
With a piercing gaze, he leaned in. He didn't kiss her—he licked her cheek slowly.
"No," Arisha said firmly, her voice trembling—not with fear, but indignation.
Then he kissed her fiercely. To his surprise, she kissed him back, until her cheeks flushed red and she pushed him away, biting his lip.
"I refuse…"
Mikhael whispered in her ear, his voice deep and chilling:"You're lying…"