The air beyond the Gate of Endings was silent—so silent it hummed. Elara stepped into the space where time frayed at the edges, where stars hung like seeds waiting to fall, and the laws of nature bent with a whisper.
She'd never felt so small… or so powerful.
Behind her, the shattered chamber of mirrors faded into mist. Before her, the new path shimmered, lined with floating runes and echoes of memory.
"Where are we?" she asked.
The Guardian appeared beside her, though she hadn't seen him enter.
"This is the Root," he said. "The first flame. The memory of the world before it chose form."
She turned to him, frowning. "You've followed me here?"
"No," he said, eyes unreadable. "You brought me here. Your choice… made you the key not just to the door—but to the guardians themselves."
Elara blinked. "Wait… does that make me one of you?"
"No," he replied. "It makes you something else entirely."
He extended his hand, and a glowing map unfurled in midair. It showed her kingdom—and something new: dark spots spreading from the western mountains, where the sun never reached.
"What are those?" she asked, heart already tightening.
"Cracks," the Guardian said. "The Veil is breaking. Now that the final gate is open, the ancient ones beyond it stir. If they awaken fully…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Elara didn't need him to.
"They're coming for the key."
He nodded. "And they will not stop."
Suddenly, the map flickered—then glitched. One of the cracks pulsed violently.
Elara frowned. "What was that?"
Before the Guardian could answer, a voice sliced through the air:
"Elara!"
She turned—eyes wide.
A boy stumbled into view, ragged, bruised, and breathless.
"Kai?"
He nearly collapsed into her arms. "They found it. They found the sigil. We tried to stop them, but—"
"Slow down," Elara said, gripping his shoulders. "Who found what?"
Kai shook, eyes wild. "The Drowned Circle. The cult. They've activated the Broken Sigil. They're calling the Woken Star."
The Guardian stiffened.
"No," he muttered. "That sigil was supposed to be sealed."
"Yeah, well," Kai gasped, "someone unsealed it. With a piece of the Mirror. They knew exactly what they were doing."
Elara's blood ran cold. "Then they know about me."
Kai looked at her grimly. "They've known. They just waited until you passed the Gate."
The Root Realm around them trembled. In the starry distance, a roar echoed—deep and ancient.
"We need to go," Elara said. "Now."
The Guardian touched his palm to the map. "Then you must choose your allies wisely. The Mirror fragments have awakened others—gifted, cursed, bound to the key's fate. They will be drawn to you. Or to your enemies."
Kai looked at Elara. "What now?"
She breathed deep. "We gather the fragments. One by one. Before they do."
The Guardian nodded once. "Then your trial continues… in the waking world."
He raised his hand—and the stars collapsed inward, forming a spiral that pulled them into a tunnel of time and memory. Elara held tight to Kai's hand as the world spun.
---
They landed hard—in the real world.
The mountain air returned. The scent of pine. The ache of gravity. Elara blinked the dust from her eyes as Kai groaned beside her.
They were back.
And not alone.
A circle of hooded figures surrounded them, chanting softly. Their robes were soaked with symbols written in ash and blood.
The Drowned Circle.
At the center of the circle stood a tall woman with braided silver hair and a blindfold wrapped around her face.
"I see you, Elara," she said, voice both motherly and cruel. "Even without eyes."
Kai tensed. "That's her. Lady Maevra."
The woman chuckled. "The lost daughter. The last key. How poetic."
Elara rose to her feet, eyes sharp. "You've been waiting, haven't you?"
"Oh yes," Maevra cooed. "For centuries. And now… we only need one thing to break the final seal."
She extended her hand—and revealed a fragment of the Mirror of Memory.
Kai gasped. "That's what they used to unseal the Broken Sigil…"
"And now," Maevra said, stepping closer, "we only need your blood."
Elara raised her hands. "You're not getting it."
Maevra laughed. "Dear child. You've already spilled enough. Your existence has fed the sigil."
Elara glanced at Kai.
"Run," she whispered.
"But—"
"Now."
She turned, eyes glowing gold as the two keys ignited once more. Magic crackled around her like a shield.
"Come then," she said to Maevra. "Let's see what the stars have to say about fate."