The world they returned to felt quieter than before, like the silence just before thunder.
The Echo Fragments were whole now. Seven shards of ancient power, pulsing with the memory of the Realms and the weight of eternity. Aria could feel them humming inside her like a second heartbeat. They aligned with the scar on her palm, drawing lines of silver across her veins like lightning beneath her skin.
They were no longer just fragments. They were a part of her.
And yet, she didn't feel invincible.
She felt *human*.
---
The trio made camp near a waterfall in the realm of Lyndhriel, a peaceful borderland just beyond Nihrelion. The forest here was untouched by war, birdsong threading through the trees like music from another time. Lyrien gathered firewood while Arinthal sketched runes in the dirt, preparing wards for the night.
Aria sat near the water, her knees drawn to her chest. The scar on her palm glowed faintly in the dusk.
"We did it," she whispered.
She didn't sound triumphant. She sounded tired.
Lyrien sat beside her, not touching her, just offering his presence.
"You're allowed to feel everything," he said quietly.
"But what if I feel *nothing?*" she asked, voice raw. "I thought reaching this point would bring clarity. Closure. But all I feel is... dread."
Lyrien looked at the sky. "Because now it's real. We're on the final path. And no matter how strong you are, no one walks that path without fear."
She turned her head to look at him, eyes shining with unshed tears. "Even you?"
He smiled, soft and sad. "Especially me."
There was a pause. Not uncomfortable. Just full.
"Do you ever wonder what happens *after*?" she asked. "If we stop Xandros. If I survive. What then? Who am I without this mission?"
He finally looked at her. "You'll be Aria. The girl who fought for the world and didn't let it define her. The one who carved a future with her own hands."
He reached out then, brushing her hand gently. Not taking it. Just letting it rest beneath his fingers.
And she didn't pull away.
---
They traveled for two more days, heading toward the Forgotten Plains—a wasteland that bordered the heart of Xandros' territory. As they moved, they passed ruins and scorched earth, reminders of the last time Lord Xandros had tried to take the world.
Everywhere, echoes of his darkness remained.
And at night, Aria began to dream.
Dreams of herself, standing beside Xandros.
Dreams where she said *yes*.
---
On the fourth night, they encountered the first of the final guardians.
It came from the sky like a comet—a creature born of stone and shadow, with wings that shattered sound and eyes that bled lightning. It roared as it descended, scattering trees and setting the horizon on fire.
Arinthal threw up a barrier just in time to keep them from being crushed.
"Runes won't hold it!" she shouted.
"Then we fight!" Lyrien said, blades already drawn.
But Aria didn't move. She felt the mark on her hand throb, and a whisper filled her ears—a voice that was her own, but wrong.
*Let go.*
She blinked, disoriented.
The creature charged.
Lyrien struck first, his blade slicing across one massive wing. The beast shrieked but recovered instantly, backhanding him into a tree. He crumpled to the ground with a grunt.
Arinthal launched beams of arcane light, trying to buy them seconds.
Aria stood frozen.
Inside, a storm raged. Doubt. Fear. *What if she wasn't strong enough? What if she failed now, after coming so far?*
The creature lunged for her.
And then she screamed.
Light burst from her body in a wave, hurling the monster back a dozen yards. The mark on her palm blazed, and the Echo Fragments inside her sang.
She moved without thinking.
Dodging. Striking. Channeling.
The power didn't consume her this time. It *answered* her.
With a cry that echoed across the plains, she launched a pulse of pure energy into the sky. It caught the creature mid-flight and shattered it into stardust.
Silence followed.
Then Lyrien groaned. "Remind me never to piss you off."
Aria rushed to his side, laughing and crying all at once.
Arinthal watched them, her expression unreadable. But her eyes were soft.
---
Later that night, they sat together beneath the stars.
Arinthal spoke first.
"You faced your fear today, Aria. And you didn't run."
"I almost did," she admitted. "The voice was back. Xandros. I think he's trying to break me before I even reach him."
Arinthal nodded. "He knows he can't beat you in power. So he's attacking the one thing he thinks is still vulnerable."
"My mind."
Lyrien poked the fire. "Then let's make it less vulnerable. We have to trust each other. Fully. No secrets. No doubts. Not now."
He looked at Aria.
"I'm not just here to help you fight. I'm here because I *believe* in you. No matter what happens at the end, that won't change."
She stared into the flames.
"I think... I think I believe in me too. At least a little more now."
And for the first time in weeks, they all slept without fear.
---
The next morning, the sky turned black.
Not from clouds.
But from shadows.
Hundreds of them.
A swarm of wraiths sent by Xandros himself.
Their final test had begun…..