Chapter 119: Separation of Light

Chapter 119: Separation of Light

The chamber was quiet—only the soft drip of condensation and the lingering echo of old prayers filled the air.

Torchlight glimmered on weathered stone, casting elongated shadows across the floor of the catacombs where Lyra knelt in silence.

Volundr drew a circle around her—etched not with chalk, but with threads of deep violet aura that shimmered faintly, woven through his fingertips like strands of memory and will.

Kuroka stood watch nearby, arms crossed, her eyes alert but calm. Caelum prepared a sanctified vessel lined with mirrored obsidian, alchemically reinforced to contain divine resonance without backlash.

The vessel bore the sigil of House Agares—not as it once was, but as it would become.

Lyra's voice broke the silence. "Will it hurt?"

"No," Volundr said gently. "But you'll feel… lighter. In ways that might surprise you."

She nodded. "I'm ready."

Volundr's hand rose, and his limitless aura rippled outward—not in dominance, but in harmony.

He pressed two fingers to Lyra's forehead, channeling the aura through her core. The sacred gear resisted at first, flaring like a dying star, but Volundr guided the process with practiced calm.

A point of radiant light emerged from Lyra's chest—soft gold with edges like liquid glass. It hovered for a heartbeat between them before settling into the obsidian vessel, which closed with a quiet chime. The room dimmed.

Lyra swayed slightly. Caelum caught her by the shoulders.

"I… I can't feel it anymore," she murmured.

"You won't," Volundr said. "But you're still you. And you still matter."

Tears threatened the edges of her eyes, but she blinked them back. "And now?"

"Now," Volundr said, "you come with us."

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Later, at the Stronghold

Volundr's estate—still growing, still evolving—was nestled in a high valley of fog and folded magic.

He gave Lyra a room with an eastern view, a warm hearth, and a garden courtyard. She wandered it quietly, unsure if it was a kindness she deserved.

Kuroka brought her tea. Caelum showed her the library.

Volundr, meanwhile, sealed the Twilight Healing gear inside a shrine of interlocking enchantments—hidden, safe. Meant not just to be a tool, but a future gift: for Valerie Tepes.

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Final Scene

That night, Lyra stood alone under the stars, clutching her coat tighter as a cold wind passed.

Volundr joined her, hands behind his back.

"You've taken a path most would fear," he said.

Lyra didn't look at him. "I don't know what I am now."

"You're free," he said.

"And one day, when you decide what that means, this place will be here. Or you can leave. The choice is yours."

A long pause.

"…Thank you."

He smiled faintly. "Rest well, Lyra. Tomorrow, we move forward."

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