The first signal of danger came as a tremor—a thin vibration that ran across the temple floor, causing the crystals on the walls to ring with a quiet, alarming sound. Liara felt it even before she heard it—as if something foreign had invaded the harmony of the temple, disrupting the ancient energy flows.

  Korun froze, listening intently. His face, covered with ritual scars, transformed into a mask of focused concern. The staff in his hand began to glow brighter, responding to the changes in the energy field.

  "They're here," he said quietly, turning toward the exit from the Chamber of the Eye of Veyrin. "And there are more of them than I expected."

  Daren tensed immediately, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon—a strange curved blade that he hadn't used until now.

  "How many?" he asked curtly.

  "Five," answered Korun, closing his eyes and seemingly listening to the temple itself. "One leads... cold, focused. That must be the one you called Elric. The others—his guards. They're armed and carry... artifacts. Powerful. Ancient."

  Liara felt a strange feeling growing inside her—not exactly fear, but rather determination mixed with anger. The part of her connected to the Eye of Veyrin and the ghostly priestess perceived the Keepers' approach as sacrilege, an invasion of sacred space.

  "How did they find us so quickly?" she asked, looking at the sphere that still glowed with an internal silvery radiance, holding within itself the echo of her past incarnation.

  "They've been following your trail since Alkarion," Daren said grimly. "They probably used the blood of the woman from whom they extracted your fragment to calibrate their tracking artifacts. And the activation of the Eye of Veyrin..." he nodded toward the sphere, "must have served as a beacon they couldn't miss."

  Korun raised his hand, calling for silence. His eyes half-closed, and he seemed to sink into a trance.

  "The temple remembers them," he said slowly. "The Keepers. They came here before, many centuries ago, seeking knowledge about the Veil and the worlds beyond it."

  He opened his eyes, which reflected the light of the crystals.

  "But then they came as supplicants, with respect and gifts. Now their intentions are different. They've come to take what they consider theirs."

  Liara looked at the sphere, inside which pulsed the silvery glow of the ghostly priestess.

  "We cannot allow them to take possession of this fragment," she said firmly. "Especially Elric. I feel... he wants to use me for some purpose that has nothing to do with the good of the world."

  Daren nodded, his face becoming resolute.

  "We need a plan," he said. "We can't just run. They'll block all exits from the temple."

  Korun gazed thoughtfully at the Eye of Veyrin, then turned his gaze to Liara.

  "There is a way," he said slowly. "But it requires... a sacrifice."

  "What sacrifice?" Liara asked warily.

  Korun raised his staff, and the light of the crystal at its top intensified, casting strange shadows on the ancient walls.

  "The temple is not just a building," he said. "It's a living organism, with its own will and memory. It can protect those it deems worthy and reject those it considers a threat."

  He took a step toward the Eye of Veyrin.

  "But to activate the temple's full protection, an anchor is needed—a consciousness that will connect with it, become its guiding will."

  Daren tensed, his eyes narrowing.

  "You're offering yourself as this anchor," it wasn't a question.

  Korun nodded, and in this simple gesture there was so much dignity and acceptance that Liara felt a lump in her throat—a strange reaction for a golem body that shouldn't experience such physical manifestations of emotions.

  "I have guarded this place for five centuries," Korun said quietly. "I was its voice and hands when everyone else left. Now the time has come to become its heart."

  Liara shook her head, taking a step toward the old keeper.

  "Korun, no. There must be another way. We can fight them or..."

  "There are five of them," Korun gently interrupted her. "Against the three of us. And they carry artifacts created specifically to counteract the powers of the fragments. The battle would be... uneven."

  He smiled—a sad, wise smile of a man who had long accepted his fate.

  "Besides, child, I have lived too long. Five centuries is not a blessing but a burden. I remained only for you, for the promise I made to the ghostly priestess. And now that you've returned, I can finally fulfill my last obligation."

  Daren looked at Korun with an expression that mixed understanding and respect. He knew what it meant to live for centuries, carrying the burden of past mistakes and promises.

  "Are you sure?" he simply asked.

  Korun nodded.

  "Absolutely."

  Suddenly the temple shuddered again, this time more strongly. Dust showered from the ceiling, and the crystals on the walls began to pulse in an alarming rhythm.

  "They're approaching the inner halls," said Korun. "We need to act quickly." He turned to Liara. "You need to take the Eye of Veyrin with you. The ghostly priestess will help you find the way to the birthplace of the rift."

  "Take the Eye?" Liara asked in confusion. "But how? It looks fixed to the pedestal."

  In response, the Eye of Veyrin flashed brighter, and the ghostly priestess inside it seemed to nod, agreeing with Korun.

  "For you—it's not fixed," said Korun. "You are the High Priestess, even in another body. The Eye recognizes you. Just... extend your hands and accept it."

  Liara looked at the sphere with doubt, but then resolutely approached the pedestal. She extended her hands, embracing the crystal sphere, and... the Eye detached from the pedestal with ease, as if it had always waited for her touch. The moment she lifted it, the sphere shrank, becoming the size of an apple, convenient for carrying.

  "It changed size!" Liara exclaimed in surprise.

  Korun nodded, showing no surprise.

  "It responds to the needs of its keeper." He pointed his staff at one of the walls of the room, previously appearing solid. "There is a secret passage leading deeper into the temple, to the place of the original ritual."

  The wall trembled and began to melt away, revealing a dark passage leading down a narrow spiral staircase.

  "This is the path of the priests," Korun explained. "Only those connected to the temple can see and use it."

  Daren approached the passage, peering into the darkness.

  "Where does it lead?"

  "To the Ritual Chamber," answered Korun. "The place where the ritual that caused the catastrophe was originally performed. There lies the center of the rift in reality that holds part of Liara."

  He looked at Daren with an expression devoid of previous hostility, only tired understanding.

  "There, perhaps, you can atone for your guilt, Daren Vultar. By helping heal the wound you helped create."

  Daren didn't avert his gaze, accepting these words without objection.

  "I will do everything in my power," he simply replied.

  A new tremor shook the temple, this time accompanied by a distant sound resembling an explosion. Korun turned sharply toward the entrance to the room.

  "They're using artifacts of destruction to break through the temple's protective barriers," he said with anger in his voice. "Sacrilege!"

  He turned to Liara and Daren, his face becoming determined.

  "Go. Now. I'll hold them off as long as I can."

  Liara took a step toward him, still clutching the diminished Eye of Veyrin.

  "Korun..."

  The old keeper smiled at her—warmly, paternally.

  "Don't worry about me, child. I've lived a long life and seen more than many will see in ten lifetimes." He gently touched her cheek. "Go. Find your wholeness. And perhaps... give Verdantis my regards from an old priest when you return there."

  Daren decisively took Liara's hand.

  "We need to go," he said quietly but firmly. "Korun's death will be in vain if we waste time."

  Liara knew he was right, but the parting still caused pain. This man had kept a particle of her essence for five centuries, waited for her return longer than many civilizations live. And now he was ready to sacrifice himself to give her a chance to become whole.

  "Thank you," she whispered, looking into Korun's eyes. "For everything."

  Korun simply nodded, then turned to the pedestal where the Eye of Veyrin had previously rested. He raised his staff and forcefully brought it down on the stone floor. The sound of the impact spread throughout the room, reflecting off the walls and ceiling, intensifying with each echo.

  "Go!" he shouted, not turning around. His figure began to glow from within, surrounded by an aura of silvery light similar to the radiance emanating from the ghostly priestess. "The temple will accept me, and I will become its shield!"

  Daren pulled Liara toward the secret passage. She glanced at Korun one last time, whose figure had almost completely dissolved into silvery light, then resolutely turned and stepped into the darkness of the passage. Daren followed her, and the wall behind them began to close, becoming solid again.

  The last thing Liara saw before the passage closed completely was Korun's face—calm, serene, with the slight smile of a man who had found his way home.

  They descended the spiral staircase, leading deep into the bowels of the temple. The Eye of Veyrin, which Liara held in her hands, emitted a soft silvery glow, illuminating their path. Inside the sphere, the ghostly priestess seemed to float, indicating the direction.

  "What do you think Korun will do?" Liara asked quietly, when they had overcome the first flight of stairs.

  Daren, following behind, answered after a small pause:

  "If what he said about merging with the temple is true... he'll become something like the living spirit of this place. Veyrin's temples have always been semi-sentient structures, capable of a certain form of consciousness. Korun will simply... complete this process, becoming the guiding mind."

  "Is it painful?" Liara's voice faltered.

  "I don't know," Daren answered honestly. "But Korun knew what he was doing. He's been waiting for this moment for a very long time."

  They continued their descent in silence, listening to the distant sounds coming from above. Several times the temple shuddered, and dust showered from the ceiling of the passage, but the structure itself remained solid.

  Suddenly, a deafening crash sounded above them, as if something enormous had collapsed or exploded. The staircase beneath their feet trembled so violently that Liara had to lean against the wall to avoid falling.

  "What was that?" she exhaled when the trembling subsided.

  Daren raised his head, looking upward, although there was nothing there except the stone vault.

  "It seems Korun has put his plan into action," he said grimly. "And the Keepers have met resistance they weren't prepared for."

  They continued their journey, now moving faster. The deeper they descended, the warmer the air became, acquiring a strange metallic taste. The walls of the passage changed—now ancient symbols and patterns were visible on them, glowing with a faint bluish light.

  "These signs," Liara ran her hand over one of the symbols, resembling a spiral with radiating rays. "I seem to... understand them."

  "It's the language of the Elders," Daren explained. "Those who built the first temples of Veyrin long before the emergence of modern priesthood. They were... closer to the original nature of the world than those who came after."

  Liara peered at the patterns, and vague meanings began to form in her consciousness—not specific words, but rather concepts, images, sensations.

  "It speaks of... balance," she said slowly. "Of the fine threads connecting realities. Of the breath of worlds, of..."

  She fell silent, trying to grasp the elusive meaning.

  "Of sacrifice," Daren quietly finished. "Of the price that must be paid for crossing the boundaries between worlds."

  The Eye of Veyrin in Liara's hands pulsed, as if agreeing. The ghostly priestess inside the sphere became more distinct, her figure taking on more concrete features.

  "She's growing stronger," Liara noted. "The closer we get to the rift, the more real she seems."

  "That makes sense," Daren nodded. "We're approaching the center of her energy, the place where the separation occurred."

  The staircase ended, leading them into a small circular hall with five arched passages leading in different directions. In the center of the hall stood a stone altar with a depression similar in shape to the Eye of Veyrin.

  Liara stopped, looking uncertainly at the passages.

  "Where now?" she asked.

  The Eye in her hands pulsed stronger, and the ghostly priestess inside it pointed to the middle passage—an arch decorated with symbols resembling stars or snowflakes.

  "There," said Liara, taking a step toward the indicated passage.

  But before they could move further, the temple shuddered again—this time so violently that several stones fell from the ceiling, smashing on the floor. Following the tremor came a wave of energy—invisible, but perceptible at the essence level. Liara felt it like a cold wind, piercing to the bone.

  "What is that?" she asked, instinctively pressing the Eye of Veyrin closer to her chest.

  Daren froze, his face tense.

  "Korun," he said quietly. "He... is gone."

  Liara felt something break inside her—as if a thin thread connecting her to the temple's keeper had suddenly disappeared.

  "Are you sure?" she whispered, though she already knew the answer.

  Daren simply nodded, his eyes momentarily clouding over.

  "I feel the change in the temple's energy flows. Korun has merged with it, become part of it. But the price was... high."

  A new tremor shook the temple, and from one of the side passages came the sound of crumbling stones.

  "The temple is destabilizing," Daren said tensely. "Without Korun's physical presence, the protective structures are beginning to collapse. We have little time."

  They hurried to the central passage, following the directions of the ghostly priestess. The arch led to a long corridor, the walls of which were covered with a mosaic depicting a starry sky with constellations that Liara had never seen before. The floor beneath their feet gradually began to glow, each step leaving traces of shimmering light that slowly faded after a few seconds.

  "We're approaching the Ritual Chamber," said Daren, and Liara heard tension in his voice. "The place where everything began... and ended."

  The Eye of Veyrin in Liara's hands became hot, almost burning, but she felt no pain—only a strange vibration passing through her artificial body, resonating with something deep inside.

  The corridor unexpectedly ended, leading them into a spacious octagonal hall with a high dome-shaped ceiling. In the center of the hall was a pool, similar to the one they had seen in the Halls of Reflection, but much larger. Instead of liquid, it was filled with something that looked like a clot of mist or smoke, constantly changing shape and color.

  Around the perimeter of the pool stood eight crystalline columns, some of which were damaged or completely destroyed. The floor around the pool was covered with a complex pattern of lines and symbols, glowing with the same changeable light as the mist in the center.

  "Here it is," exhaled Daren. "The place where the ritual occurred."

  Liara slowly approached the edge of the pool, mesmerized by the sight. Inside the mist, she could distinguish glimpses of images—fragments of other places, other worlds, flashing and disappearing too quickly to be clearly seen.

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  "The rift," she whispered. "I can feel it. It's... like an open wound in the fabric of reality."

  The Eye of Veyrin in her hands pulsed stronger, and the ghostly priestess inside it seemed to be trying to get out, her silvery figure pressing against the inner surface of the sphere.

  "She wants to be free," said Liara, looking at Daren. "But how?"

  Daren came closer, studying the pattern on the floor and the remaining crystal columns.

  "The ritual was interrupted at the most critical point," he said, kneeling down to better examine the symbols on the floor. "When the portal had already begun to form, but before it stabilized. The result was this rift—an unstable point of contact between worlds, not a full-fledged portal, but not a closed border either."

  He raised his eyes to Liara.

  "And part of you was caught here, between worlds. Not completely here, but not completely there either. Frozen in the moment of transition."

  Liara looked at the mist in the pool with different eyes, and now she could see it—tiny sparks of light floating in the mist, gathering and dispersing, like living creatures. They were so similar to the glowing particles that composed the ghostly priestess.

  "How can we free her?" asked Liara. "How do we heal the rift?"

  Daren rose to his feet, his face serious.

  "Theoretically, if we restore the structure of the ritual—recreate the original configuration of energy flows—we could stabilize the rift and either close it completely or transform it into a controlled portal."

  He pointed to the destroyed columns.

  "But part of the original structure is damaged. Moreover, the original ritual required the energy of the High Priestess and my silver key working in tandem."

  Liara looked at the Eye of Veyrin in her hands.

  "We have the ghostly priestess," she said. "She's not a full-fledged High Priestess, but part of her energy, her essence. And you still have the key, don't you?"

  Daren nodded, taking from an inner pocket the familiar silver artifact—the very key with which he opened portals between worlds.

  "Yes, but the risk is enormous," he warned. "If we err even in the slightest detail, the rift could widen, engulfing not only us but the entire temple, possibly even all of Veyrin."

  Liara looked at the pool with mist, at the sparks of light inside it, then at the ghostly priestess in the Eye of Veyrin.

  "We have no choice," she said firmly. "If we leave the rift as it is, Elric and the Keepers will sooner or later get here. And who knows what they'll do with this power."

  She raised the sphere, looking at the ghostly priestess inside.

  "Besides, we can't leave her here, trapped between worlds for another five centuries. Korun sacrificed himself to give us this chance. We must try."

  Daren looked at her for a long moment, his green eyes examining her face as if searching for something. Then he slowly nodded.

  "You're right." He gripped the silver key in his hand. "We must try. But before we begin, I must tell you something."

  His voice became quieter, more intimate.

  "If we succeed, and the fragment is freed... it may merge with you or remain a separate entity. The choice will be yours and hers. But whatever you decide, know this: my promise remains. I will support any choice you make."

  Liara felt warmth spreading inside her from these words. Deep down, she still doubted her path, what it meant to be a fragment of Eon, whether she wanted reunification or preferred to remain as she was. But Daren's confidence in her right to her own choice gave her the strength to move forward.

  "Thank you," she simply replied. "Now let's begin."

  Daren nodded and knelt at the edge of the pool, studying the remaining columns and the pattern on the floor.

  "We need to restore the structure of the eight columns," he said. "They serve as anchors for the energy flows, focusing and directing the power of the ritual."

  He pointed to the destroyed crystals.

  "Three are completely destroyed. Two are damaged but can function. Three remain intact."

  Liara looked around, searching for something that could replace the lost columns.

  "Maybe we could use other crystals from the temple?"

  Daren shook his head.

  "These columns are unique. They were grown specifically for the ritual, tuned to certain frequencies of the Veil. Ordinary crystals won't work."

  The Eye of Veyrin in Liara's hands suddenly pulsed brighter, drawing her attention. The ghostly priestess inside the sphere was pointing to the pool of mist.

  "She wants me to..." Liara wasn't sure how to finish the phrase, but some inner understanding came to her. "She wants me to place the Eye in the center of the rift."

  Daren sharply raised his head, his eyes widening.

  "That might work," he said slowly. "The Eye of Veyrin is an artifact created to interact with the temple's energy flows. If placed at the center of the rift, it could serve as a stabilizing focus, replacing the function of the missing columns."

  He rose to his feet, his face tense with concentration.

  "But there's a risk. The Eye contains the ghostly priestess. If placed in the rift, two parts of your essence will be in direct contact with an enormous amount of unstable energy. The result could be... unpredictable."

  Liara looked at the sphere in her hands. The ghostly priestess inside gazed at her with a calm, determined look—the look of one who had already once sacrificed herself to save the world.

  "She knows the risk," Liara said quietly. "And still wants this."

  She raised her eyes to Daren.

  "So do I. If there's a chance to heal the rift and free the part of me trapped here, I must try."

  Daren looked at her for a long time, then slowly nodded.

  "Then let's begin."

  He approached the edge of the pool and raised the silver key. The artifact began to glow in his hand, emitting thin threads of light that connected with the symbols on the floor, making them glow brighter.

  "I'll activate the remaining columns," he said, concentrating on the key. "When they begin to resonate, place the Eye in the center of the rift. But be ready to step back quickly if something goes wrong."

  Liara nodded, gripping the sphere tighter in her hands. Inside her, a strange feeling was growing—a mixture of fear, anticipation, and some ancient knowledge that she couldn't fully comprehend but which guided her actions.

  Daren began to move around the perimeter of the pool, touching the silver key to each of the remaining columns. Upon contact, the crystals began to glow, emitting a quiet but pure sound, like the ringing of a crystal goblet. As each column was activated, the pattern on the floor glowed brighter, and the mist in the pool began to move more purposefully, forming a spiral slowly rotating around an invisible center.

  When the last undamaged column was activated, Daren stopped and looked at Liara.

  "Now," he said. "Place the Eye in the center."

  Liara took a deep breath, though her golem body didn't need air, and stepped toward the pool. The mist parted before her, forming a passage to the center of the spiral. She slowly extended her hands holding the Eye of Veyrin over the center of the vortex.

  "Good luck," she whispered, addressing both the ghostly priestess inside the sphere and the part of herself trapped in the rift.

  Then she released the Eye.

  The sphere didn't fall but hovered in the air, supported by invisible forces. The ghostly priestess inside it suddenly became bright as a small sun, her figure straightening, arms spread wide. The Eye began to pulse, emitting waves of light that synchronized with the pulsation of the activated columns.

  The mist around the sphere swirled faster, turning into a vortex of energy that seemed to be simultaneously drawn into the Eye and radiated from it. The symbols on the floor flashed so brightly that Liara had to shield her eyes.

  Daren approached her, holding the silver key before him, which glowed and vibrated in his hand.

  "It's working," he said, shouting over the growing hum of energy. "The Eye is stabilizing the rift!"

  But something changed. The vortex of energy surrounding the Eye suddenly changed color, from silvery-white to reddish-purple. The hum turned into a piercing wail that seemed to make the very air tremble.

  "Something's going wrong!" shouted Daren, trying to maintain control over the key, which writhed in his hand like a living creature. "The energy flows are unstable!"

  Liara felt it—a disturbance in the structure of the ritual, as if something from outside was interfering with the process, disrupting the fragile balance they were trying to establish.

  And then she heard it—a cold, calculating voice, sounding as if from nowhere and everywhere at once:

  "Impressive attempt, but I'm afraid I cannot allow you to complete the ritual."

  Liara and Daren turned toward the entrance to the hall. There, in the arched doorway, stood a man whom Liara recognized instantly, though she had seen him only once in her current life—Magister Elric, Gate Keeper of the Order of Alkarion. His blue eyes glowed with a cold light, and in his hands, he held a strange device resembling an astrolabe with a crystal in the center.

  "Greetings, Child of Breath," he said with a slight smile. "Or, how should I address you now? Fragment of Eon? Fugitive? It doesn't matter. What matters is that your journey ends here."

  Daren stepped forward, shielding Liara with his body, his eyes flashing with emerald fire.

  "You're too late, Elric," he said. "The ritual is already in progress. Trying to stop it now is dangerous for all of us."

  Elric laughed—a dry, joyless laugh.

  "Stop it? Oh no, Daren Vultar, I don't intend to stop it. I intend to... redirect it."

  He raised the device, and the crystal in its center flashed with a bright blue light. At that moment, the vortex of energy around the Eye of Veyrin jerked, as if from an invisible blow, and began to change shape.

  "What are you doing?!" shouted Daren, trying to counteract the interference with the silver key.

  "What I should have done five centuries ago," replied Elric, his face distorted with strain. "Fix the rift in a stable state and use it as a gateway for controlled access to other worlds."

  He took a step into the hall, his figure seemingly enlarging, surrounded by an aura of blue light.

  "You were a fool, Daren. You tried to open a portal without fully understanding the mechanisms of its operation. You thought that mere desire and love for the High Priestess were enough. But something more was needed—understanding the structure of the Veil itself, knowledge of rituals older than this temple."

  His eyes narrowed, looking at Liara.

  "And she paid the price for your ignorance, torn into pieces, scattered across worlds... A fragment wandering in search of wholeness she may never attain."

  Liara felt anger rising within her—not just an emotional reaction, but something deeper, more powerful. The part of her connected to the Eye of Veyrin and the rift responded to Elric's words, and she felt energy beginning to flow through her artificial body, making the seams on her skin glow.

  "You have no right to interfere with this ritual," she said, her voice sounding strange, as if many were speaking simultaneously. "You don't belong to this temple. You're not part of its history or its future."

  She took a step forward, feeling the energy of the rift responding to her words, to her will.

  "I am the High Priestess of Veyrin, whatever body I may inhabit. And I will not allow you to use my sacrifice for your purposes!"

  Elric recoiled, his self-confidence momentarily faltering in the face of the power emanating from Liara. But then he straightened, his face becoming hard.

  "You are but a fragment," he hissed. "A piece of what was once whole. You have no power here, only what I allow you to have."

  He made a gesture with his hand, and from the shadows behind him emerged four figures in dark robes—his guards, each holding a strange artifact emitting a cold blue glow.

  "Hold her," ordered Elric. "And the Traveler too. I need to focus on redirecting the energy flows."

  The guards moved forward, their artifacts aimed at Liara and Daren. But before they could approach, the floor beneath their feet suddenly trembled, and stone spikes grew from it, forcing the guards to retreat.

  "What?!" Elric turned, seeking the source of the interference.

  And then they all heard it—a deep, resonating voice, seemingly coming from the walls of the temple themselves:

  "You forgot something important, Magister of the Keepers," thundered the voice, in which Liara surprisingly recognized Korun's intonations. "This temple is not just a building. It's alive, it remembers. And it keeps its loyalty to its Priestess."

  The walls of the hall began to glow, revealing hidden symbols and patterns that were previously invisible. The floor continued to transform, creating barriers between Elric's guards and the center of the hall where Liara and Daren stood.

  "Korun?!" exclaimed Liara, looking around in amazement. "You..."

  "I became the temple," replied the voice, now softer. "Or perhaps the temple became me. It no longer matters. What matters is that I can give you the time you need to complete the ritual."

  Elric recoiled but quickly regained his composure. His face contorted with rage.

  "This cannot be," he hissed. "No human can merge with a temple and retain consciousness!"

  "And yet," replied Korun's voice with notes of dry humor, "I am here. And I will not allow you to interfere with the healing ritual."

  With these words, the ceiling above Elric's guards shuddered, and stones rained down on them, forcing them to retreat toward the exit of the hall. One of the artifacts fell from a guard's hands, smashing on the floor and scattering sparks.

  Elric, seeing that he was losing control of the situation, raised his device higher.

  "If I cannot control the rift," he growled, "then no one can!"

  He turned something in his artifact, and the crystal in its center changed color from blue to blood-red. The vortex of energy around the Eye of Veyrin responded, becoming even more unstable, pulsing and distorting.

  "He's destabilizing the rift!" shouted Daren, trying to counteract with the silver key. "If he continues, there will be a catastrophic energy release!"

  Liara understood that they had mere moments. Elric's actions threatened not just to disrupt the ritual—they could cause an energy explosion that would destroy the temple and possibly a large part of Veyrin.

  She looked at the Eye of Veyrin, suspended in the center of the rift. The ghostly priestess inside the sphere looked directly at her, and in this moment, a silent exchange took place between them—understanding, decision, acceptance.

  "I know what to do," said Liara, turning to Daren. "Continue stabilizing the remaining columns with your key. Whatever happens, don't stop."

  Daren looked at her, fear flashing in his eyes.

  "What are you going to do?"

  Liara smiled—a calm, confident smile that momentarily made Daren see in her the Liara he had known five centuries ago.

  "What I must," she simply replied. "What I returned for."

  Without waiting for an answer, she turned and stepped directly into the vortex of energy surrounding the Eye of Veyrin.

  The moment her body made contact with the energy whirlwind, something remarkable happened. Instead of pushing her away or destroying her, the energy seemed to accept her, envelop her, as if she had always been part of it. Light surrounded Liara, and she felt her artificial body becoming lighter, more transparent, gradually dissolving into the radiance.

  Daren shouted something, but his voice now came from far away, muffled by the noise of energy. Elric recoiled, his face contorted with a mixture of fear and fascination. Korun's voice swept through the hall, but Liara couldn't make out the words.

  All that mattered now was the connection she felt: the connection to the Eye of Veyrin, to the ghostly priestess inside it, to the energy cluster trapped in the rift. They were parts of a whole, separated by a catastrophe five centuries ago, and now, finally, they met again.

  The Eye of Veyrin opened like a flower, releasing the ghostly priestess, who floated toward Liara, her silvery figure becoming more defined, more real. From the center of the rift rose the energy cluster that Liara had seen in her vision—shining with all the colors of the rainbow, pulsing in sync with the beating of her heart.

  The three entities—Liara in the golem body, the ghostly priestess, and the energy cluster—joined in the center of the vortex, and a fusion occurred. Not one absorbing the other, but a unification, a synthesis, creating something new from disparate parts.

  Liara felt knowledge, memories, emotions flooding her consciousness—not just from this life, but from hundreds of others. She saw herself as a priestess of Veyrin, as Daren's student, as an explorer of the Veil. She saw the moment of catastrophe through the eyes of the ghostly priestess, felt the pain of separation and simultaneously a strange liberation.

  She saw how part of her remained in the temple, preserving its integrity, helping Korun maintain the ancient structures. She saw how another part was carried to Verdantis, becoming part of Silva. She saw how a third part wandered through worlds, reincarnating again and again, until finding itself in the body of a woman discovered by the Keepers.

  And all these parts were her—not separate personalities, but facets of a single whole, reflections of one essence, scattered but not lost.

  The fusion reached its peak, and a beam of pure light erupted from the center of the vortex, connecting heaven and earth. The energy of the rift, which for centuries had destabilized the temple, now flowed through new channels, guided by the united will of the three aspects of Liara.

  The rift began to close—not collapsing catastrophically, but gradually healing, like a wound closing without a scar. The symbols on the floor flashed one last time and began to dim, their energy absorbed into the closing rift.

  And in the center of this process stood a figure—no longer a golem, but not an ordinary human either. A woman with skin glowing from within with a pearlescent light, with hair resembling liquid silver, and eyes in which a starry sky was reflected. She was dressed in a simple white gown, but the fabric seemed to be woven from light itself.

  Daren gazed at her with reverent awe, his silver key lowered, no longer needed to stabilize the ritual.

  "Liara?" he called quietly.

  The woman turned to him, and a gentle smile appeared on her face—a smile of recognition and greeting.

  "Daren," she said, and her voice sounded like music, like the whisper of wind, like distant bells. "I remember you. I remember everything."

  Elric backed toward the exit, his face white with fear.

  "What have you done?" he whispered. "What are you?"

  Liara—or what she had become—turned to him, and her gaze was not angry, but rather sad.

  "I am what you wanted to control, Magister Elric," she replied. "That which cannot be framed or used as a tool. I am a fragment of Eon, but also something more. I am the bridge between worlds, the keeper of balance."

  She took a step toward him, and Elric recoiled, his guards fleeing, abandoning their leader.

  "You thought you could use me for your purposes," she continued. "But you didn't understand the most important thing: I don't exist to serve anyone's ambitions. I exist to connect, to heal, to maintain balance."

  She extended her hand, and Elric's artifact flew from his grasp, hovering in the air before Liara. The crystal at its center changed color from red to silvery, then crumbled to dust.

  "Leave, Magister of the Keepers," said Liara. "Return to Alkarion and tell your Order that the fragments of Eon do not belong to them. They are not weapons, not instruments of power. They are part of the great balance that surpasses the understanding of even the wisest among you."

  Elric, deprived of his artifact and the support of his guards, backed toward the exit. His face contorted with powerless rage.

  "This is not the end," he hissed. "The Order will find a way. Other fragments, other worlds..."

  "Then I will await our next meeting," Liara calmly replied. "In this life or the next."

  Elric cast a final glance at her, full of hatred and fear, then turned and ran from the hall.

  When he disappeared, Liara turned to Daren, who still stood, stunned by the transformation that had occurred.

  "Liara," he called again, taking a cautious step toward her. "Are you... all right?"

  She smiled, and in that smile, he saw echoes of all versions of Liara he had known—the priestess from the tower, the woman in the white dress from Veyrin, even the golem created by the Keepers.

  "I am more than all right, Daren," she answered. "I am... whole. Not completely—parts of me still remain in other worlds, like the silver tree in Verdantis. But enough to remember, to understand. To choose."

  She extended her hand to him, and after a moment's hesitation, he took it. Her touch was warm, alive, real—not ghostly, not artificial.

  "What happened?" he asked. "How did you..."

  "Fusion," she explained. "But not absorption. We—three aspects of one essence—discovered that we could exist as a single whole without losing the memory of what we were separately. The ghostly priestess, the energy cluster in the rift, and I in the golem body—we became... me. A new version, containing all of us."

  She looked around the hall, where the rift had now completely closed, leaving behind only a soft silvery glow emanating from the floor.

  "And we healed the rift. Not just closed it, but transformed the energy, directing it toward restoring the fabric of reality."

  Korun's voice again filled the hall, now calmer, almost peaceful:

  "You have succeeded even more than hoped," he said. "I feel the temple restoring itself. The energy that for centuries leaked through the rift now flows along its natural paths. Veyrin can begin to heal."

  Liara raised her head, as if trying to see the source of the voice.

  "Korun," she called gently. "Thank you. For everything you did. For guarding a part of me all these centuries."

  "It was an honor, High Priestess," replied the voice. "And now that the rift is healed, and you have regained wholeness, I can finally find peace."

  The walls of the temple momentarily flashed with a soft light, as if in a farewell greeting, then the glow slowly faded, returning to its normal state.

  "Is he gone?" asked Daren, looking at the walls.

  "Not exactly," answered Liara. "He has become part of the temple, its keeper and protector. Not a separate consciousness, but not just a structure either. Something in between... like myself."

  She looked at her hands, studying her new form.

  "What now?" asked Daren after a long silence. "Where will you... we... go from here?"

  Liara looked at him, and stars reflected in her eyes—not metaphorically, but literally, as if a whole night sky was contained within them.

  "We will continue our journey," she said. "There are other fragments waiting for liberation or understanding. There are worlds in need of healing. And there is the Order of Keepers, who must be stopped before they find other fragments and use them for their purposes."

  She extended her hand, and as if from the air, the Eye of Veyrin materialized in it—now transformed, with a silvery mist inside where glimpses of other worlds could be discerned.

  "This will be our compass," she said. "It will help us find the way to other fragments, to other worlds where our presence is needed."

  Daren looked at her with an expression that mixed reverence, hope, and uncertainty.

  "Are you sure that..." he fell silent, as if reluctant to ask the question.

  Liara smiled, understanding his unspoken doubts.

  "That I am still me? That I haven't become something so different that I've forgotten who I was, our shared memories, our... feelings?"

  She took a step toward him, reducing the distance between them.

  "I remember everything, Daren. The tower five centuries ago. Our studies of the Veil. The catastrophe and separation. I remember the temple in Veyrin, and how you came for me, and how we tried to open a portal. I remember the silver tree in Verdantis, and my journey through many lives."

  Her eyes softened, a human warmth appearing in them, visible through the starlight.

  "And I remember that you searched for me for five centuries. That you never gave up, never abandoned hope of finding me again."

  Daren looked at her, unable to avert his gaze or hide the emotions reflected on his face.

  "I didn't know if I would find you," he said quietly. "Or, if I did, whether you would recognize me. Whether you would want to remember what was between us."

  Liara raised her hand and touched his cheek—a gesture she had repeated in different lives, in different forms.

  "Some connections are too strong to be broken even by catastrophe," she said. "Some promises survive centuries. And some love..."

  She didn't finish the phrase, but in her eyes, in her touch was everything Daren needed to know. In five centuries of searching, he had never allowed himself to hope for such an outcome—not just to find Liara, but to find her capable of remembering, capable of feeling, capable of choosing him again.

  The temple around them began to glow with a soft, welcoming light, as if approving their reunion, their new beginning. The rift was healed, the threat had retreated, and a new path opened before them—not an end, but just a new chapter in a story that began five centuries ago and could continue for as many more.

  "It's time for us to go," Liara said gently. "Elric will return to Alkarion, and the Order will begin to prepare for new searches. We must stay ahead of them."

  Daren nodded, taking out the silver key.

  "Where to now? Back to Verdantis?"

  Liara shook her head, raising the Eye of Veyrin, inside which images of many worlds flickered.

  "There is a place more important now," she said. "A world where paths converge, where allies and knowledge can be found. The one who caused the fall and separation of Eon will not stop until all fragments are under their control. We must find those who will help us oppose this threat."

  She looked at him with determination that Daren remembered from their first meeting five centuries ago.

  "Are you ready for a new journey, Daren Vultar?"

  He smiled—a sincere, hopeful smile that Liara hadn't seen on his face for a very long time.

  "With you? Always."

  He raised the silver key, which glowed in his hand, resonating with the Eye of Veyrin in Liara's hands. The space before them began to tremble and distort, forming a portal—not a raging rift, but a stable, controlled passage between worlds.

  And together, hand in hand, they stepped into the radiance, leaving behind the healed temple of Veyrin and five centuries of separation, setting off toward new worlds, new trials, and the possibility of finally correcting what had been destroyed in a long-gone past.