The Prophecy

I opened my eyes to chaos. White flame licked the pine tops, consuming color without smoke or heat. Green needles surrendered to white and gold, the transformation spreading outward like a tide. The grass followed suit, iridescent flame devouring natural hues. Within the arch, a shimmering blue film rippled.

"What is this?" Teras stared in awe. Her tone suggested this wasn't normal.

"I just did what you said. Isn't this how it works?"

"I've never seen such rapid augmentation. Show me the claim's status screen."

"How?"

"Touch the Vestige and will it."

The screen materialized at my touch:

Vestige of Elysium 

This Vestige has been claimed by House Ishan. 

Complete the connection to alter or create a Domain. 

Compatibility: Unbreakable 

Claimed by Asphodel

"Unbreakable..." Teras whispered. "What did you do? This shouldn't be possible—not for me, certainly not for you!"

I described the white-haired man, his crystalline eyes. "What does 'unbreakable' mean here?"

"Your claim cannot be broken. It can be contested, but never overcome."

"And how does that happen?"

"I don't know. I've never heard of it." Her eyes narrowed. "Why does it say Asphodel?"

"Middle name," I sighed.

Her face cleared, as if this explained everything. "Your mother's prophecy—"

"Prophecy? That's what you think that was?"

"Most certainly. We must go. The longer the gate remains unclaimed in dream, the more opposition we'll face." She gestured to the shimmering portal.

I took a final look. The transformation had reached the road, bathing everything in aureate light for a hundred feet in every direction. Taking a breath, I stepped through.

The crossing felt... absent. As if the moment between gates simply didn't exist. Teras appeared behind me, instantly combat-ready, knives drawn.

We stood in a vast marble hall, dark and dank with the stench of wet hay and rotting fruit. Pillars marched toward a distant exit where moonlight spilled across a small clearing. We crept forward.

A piercing wail shattered the silence. The cry shook dust from the pillars, freezing us in place.

I studied our surroundings while we waited. Log cabin walls enclosed cobbled stone floors, their pattern buried under dust. Black-inlaid pillars supported a stained glass dome lost in shadow.

Teras signaled me forward. As we neared the exit, a massive shape emerged.

Moonlight revealed it piece by piece: a razor-sharp beak, white feathers fading to silken fur, enormous feline paws tipped with eagle talons. A gryphon, impossibly large, its folded wings too vast for the doorway. Two sinuous tails trailed behind it.

Teras ignored the beast, scanning the treeline. As the gryphon lifted its head to cry again, she struck. She drove her kukri into its chest, using the blade as leverage to vault onto its back. In one fluid motion, she swung around and opened its throat.

Blood sprayed. The gryphon launched skyward, wings unfurling. I stared at the crimson pool, fighting the rising hunger. I thought of my mother's smile, Dan's laugh, the guild's faces—anything to stay human.

Then the iron scent hit me.

I don't remember moving. Suddenly I knelt in the blood, lapping it like a wild animal. My body warped—muscles bulging then smoothing, nails extending into talons. The hunger pressed me down, and I surrendered.

Through my haze, I saw movement in the trees. A feathered foot stepped into view. My control shattered.

I lunged, slower than Teras but driven by primal need. A harpy emerged—feminine, yellow and red feathers dulled by moonlight, bright green eyes taking in the scene. She wore a simple robe, offering no protection.

I tried to stop. Tried to regain control.

I failed.

My hand closed around her throat and twisted. A hollow pop echoed through the clearing as her lifeless body crumpled to the ground.