The Sacrifice of Light

**Chapter Five: The Sacrifice of Light**

The chamber seemed to shrink around Isolde as the Oracles' words echoed in her mind: *You are the key. You can bind the Night once more.* It felt like the weight of the universe had settled on her shoulders. The Endless Night—an ancient, insatiable force—was coming, and the stars were already disappearing, devoured one by one. Her every instinct screamed against what the Oracles were asking of her, but the truth was inescapable.

If she didn't act, all of existence would be swallowed by the void.

Kane's voice was low, tight with desperation. "There has to be another way. We destroyed the Engines to stop them from consuming the stars—why would *you* need to be sacrificed now?"

The central Oracle's glowing eyes flickered, and for a brief moment, a deep sadness seemed to pass through the chamber. "The Engines were never the true enemy," it whispered. "They were merely conduits of balance. The Endless Night is the primordial force that existed before time. It was the Engines that kept it from breaking free."

Kane's hands curled into fists. "Then why didn't you warn us? We wouldn't have destroyed the damn things if we knew—"

The Oracle on the right interjected, its voice like the rustling of dead leaves. "The truth would not have changed your course. The Engines were dying long before you found them. It was inevitable."

Isolde remained silent, her mind racing. The Endless Night—this force that had been held back for so long—was it truly something that could be bound? The darkness she had felt inside the chamber, the presence that still lingered at the edge of her consciousness, made her doubt.

"I need to know," Isolde said, her voice steadier than she felt. "What exactly will happen if I agree to this?"

The Oracle in the center tilted its head, the glowing eyes flickering again. "You are bound to the Eclipse Engines. That bond can be used to seal the Endless Night once more, but the cost is great. Your essence—your light—will become the seal. You will cease to exist."

The words hung in the air, cold and final.

Kane stepped forward, his voice filled with anger and disbelief. "No! There has to be another way. You can't just ask her to—"

"I have to," Isolde interrupted, her gaze fixed on the Oracles. "If I don't, everything will die. The stars, the planets, all of it. I can feel it—whatever the Engines were, they weren't enough to hold back the Night forever. And now that they're gone…"

She looked at Kane, her heart breaking at the look in his eyes. "This is the only way."

Kane's face twisted with anguish. "Isolde… don't do this. We'll find another way. We always do."

She shook her head. "Not this time. This isn't a battle we can fight with weapons or plans. This is bigger than us."

The Oracles remained silent, watching as the two of them stood on the precipice of a decision that would change everything.

"I can't let you do this," Kane said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You can't just… leave me."

Isolde swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. "I don't want to," she admitted, her voice trembling. "But if I don't, there won't be anything left for either of us. I can't let that happen. Not to you. Not to anyone."

Kane's hands clenched at his sides, his jaw tight as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. He had always known Isolde was different, special in ways neither of them fully understood. But this… this was too much.

"I can't lose you," he whispered, his voice raw with emotion.

Isolde stepped forward, placing a hand on his cheek. "You won't lose me," she said softly. "I'll always be with you. In the stars, in the light… I'll be there."

For a long moment, they stood in silence, the weight of the universe pressing down on them both. Finally, Kane nodded, though the pain in his eyes was almost unbearable. "I'll never forget you," he whispered.

Isolde smiled sadly, her heart breaking even as she steeled herself for what was to come. "I know."

She turned back to the Oracles, her voice firm. "Tell me what I need to do."

The central Oracle stepped forward, its towering form casting a shadow over her. "The bond between you and the Eclipse Engines still exists, though the machines are no more. You must focus on that bond, draw it into yourself. The void will come for you, as it comes for all light. But you will not resist. You will become the anchor that binds it."

Isolde nodded, understanding the enormity of the task. She had to let the darkness in, had to become part of the void in order to hold it back. The thought terrified her, but there was no other way.

The Oracles stepped back, forming a circle around her, their eyes glowing brighter as the air in the chamber thickened with energy.

"Prepare yourself," the central Oracle intoned. "The Night is already approaching."

Isolde closed her eyes, reaching deep inside herself, searching for the connection to the Engines that had been dormant since their destruction. At first, there was nothing—only the cold emptiness of space. But then, slowly, she felt it: a thread of energy, faint but unmistakable, running through her veins like a pulse.

The bond was still there.

As she focused on the connection, the whispers returned, louder this time, more insistent. The void was calling to her, hungry and relentless. She could feel it pressing in on her mind, trying to consume her.

But she didn't resist. She opened herself to it, letting the darkness flow through her, wrapping around her like a shroud. The cold was overwhelming, a deep, all-encompassing chill that seemed to drain the life from her body.

She could hear Kane shouting her name, but his voice seemed distant, muffled by the void.

The darkness grew thicker, suffocating, until it was all she could feel, all she could see. The light inside her—her very essence—was fading, consumed by the Endless Night.

But just as she felt herself slipping away, something shifted. The darkness stopped, recoiling as if in pain. The connection between her and the Engines flared to life, a brilliant light cutting through the void.

Isolde gasped, her eyes snapping open as the chamber was bathed in radiant light. The Oracles stood unmoving, their glowing eyes fixed on her as the energy surged around her.

The void screamed, a sound like the tearing of reality itself, but it could not penetrate the barrier of light she had become.

For a brief moment, Isolde felt weightless, suspended between the worlds of light and shadow. She could see the stars flickering back into existence, one by one, as the Endless Night was pushed back, sealed once more.

And then, in an instant, it was over.

The light faded, the chamber returning to its oppressive darkness. Isolde stood in the center of the room, her body trembling, her strength nearly gone.

Kane rushed to her side, catching her before she collapsed. "Isolde!" he cried, his voice thick with emotion. "You did it. The stars—they're coming back."

But Isolde didn't respond. Her eyes were glazed, her breathing shallow.

"Kane…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "It's not over."

He stared at her in confusion. "What do you mean? You stopped the Night."

Isolde shook her head weakly, her gaze distant. "The bond… it's still there. The Night… it's still… watching."

And then, before Kane could say another word, Isolde's eyes fluttered closed, and she fell into unconsciousness.

The Oracles stood silently, their glowing eyes fixed on Kane and the fallen Isolde.

"The Night is bound," the central Oracle intoned. "But the sacrifice is not yet complete."

Kane's heart sank as the words echoed in the dark chamber. Isolde had saved the universe—but at what cost?

**To be continued…**