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Chapter 26: The Guardian's Legacy and the Sky Gate
In the ancient stone hall, under the flickering light of torches, Eirin sat before her companions. Her face was calm, but her eyes bore the weight of centuries of secrets.
She spoke in a soft voice:
> “It’s time you knew who I truly am… and why I’ve lived here all this time.”
Hanto stepped forward.
> “We knew you had a secret… but we never imagined it ran this deep.”
Eirin looked toward the wall behind them, where a carving of a giant tree surrounding a floating land hung.
> “I am the last Guardian of the Kingdom's Heart Cube… the legacy left by Noval. It’s not just a source of energy, but a living mind that sustains balance here… and I… was born with a rare ability called The Eye of Reflection.”
Gasps echoed through the group.
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She continued:
> “This ability lets me see the potential future of anyone who intends harm to the kingdom—so long as they stand before me. That’s why I was chosen, raised inside the old palace under the watch of the royal heirs.”
Eirin stood and walked toward a sealed gate that hadn’t been opened in years.
> “But if we’re to stop what’s coming… we must meet the last heir.”
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In the Throne Hall
The heavy doors creaked open, revealing a man in his thirties wearing a white robe woven with silver threads. His eyes held both royal wisdom and sorrow.
It was Eleanor, the heir to the throne.
He said:
> “I heard everything. It’s time you knew the full truth.”
He walked toward a grand window overlooking Atelia’s sky, where the massive eye still loomed above.
> “When the eye first appeared, the people were stunned. Some worshipped it. Others tried to destroy it… and failed. Anyone who got too close either lost their memories or became a hollow shell.
Over time, it became a symbol. But it was never dormant.”
Suddenly—the ground trembled.
A deep hum, a terrifying resonance… then a beam of pure fire burst from the eye toward the land beyond the kingdom walls—obliterating it instantly.
Eleanor’s voice grew cold:
> “That’s what it does when it senses danger… the Eye isn’t just a watcher, it’s a defense mechanism for the Kingdom’s soul.”
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Eleanor sat, then said:
> “But the true threat… isn’t the Eye.
It’s a man named Orsay.”
Hanto asked,
> “Who is he?”
Eleanor answered:
> “A descendant of the alchemist Noval… but far more unhinged. He believes this world’s laws are flawed… and wants to impose his own natural order—
A world without death, without mercy, without emotion.”
He paused, then continued:
> “Worse… he’s backed by a being known as Zork—the Beast of Logic.
A creature from another dimension, devoid of emotion, feeding him with followers and incomprehensible powers that wrap around him like a spider’s web.”
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The Journey Begins
Eirin rose and said:
> “We must go to the Cube… the Heart of the Kingdom.”
Eleanor led them to a hidden passage behind the throne, where a circular gate glowed with violet light.
He opened it and said:
> “What you’re about to see… is the very essence of Atelia.”
One by one, the knights stepped through.
They found themselves in a world turned upside down.
A sky with multiple moons. Seven moons, each glowing a different color, circling above them like celestial sentinels.
Beneath their feet… a vast land floating in the sky, wrapped by a colossal purple tree. Its roots spiraled into the void, and its branches stretched across the horizon.
And at the tree’s heart… pulsed the Cube of Balance, glowing with cosmic hues like the light of an ancient star, shrouded in golden-violet energy—
As if holding both the beginning and end of all things.
Eirin whispered:
> “Here… the final war will begin.”
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