THE AWAKENING
The Veil trembled beneath Seraphine's feet as she gripped the robed figure's hand. The moment their palms touched, a shock of energy surged through her, like ice crawling through her veins.
Then the world fractured.
A rush of wind howled around her, pulling her deeper into the nothingness. Shadows stretched and coiled, voices whispered in languages long forgotten, and the air hummed with power.
"Do not fight it."
The robed figure's voice echoed in her mind, distant yet near, like the voice of a god speaking from beyond the stars.
Seraphine clenched her teeth as the force around her grew stronger, threatening to consume her. She had never felt magic like this—ancient, boundless, alive. It did not obey the rules of the mortal world. It was something older, something raw and untamed.
She had thought she knew power.
She had been wrong.
---
The Boundless Realm
When the storm of energy finally settled, Seraphine found herself standing in a new place.
The void was gone.
Instead, she stood on a vast expanse of black stone, stretching endlessly in every direction. Above her, the sky was neither dark nor light but shifting between the two, swirling with silver mist and deep violet streaks.
Faint echoes of whispers lingered in the air, like a thousand voices speaking from far away.
Seraphine exhaled, steadying herself. Where am I?
She turned—and froze.
Caius stood a few paces away, arms crossed, watching her with narrowed eyes. But what unsettled her more was the robed figure.
He no longer appeared as the shadowed, faceless entity from before. Here, in this strange realm, his form was clear.
He was tall, draped in black and silver, his robes lined with intricate symbols that pulsed with an ethereal glow. His silver eyes were brighter, and his face—no longer obscured—was sharp, regal, almost otherworldly.
Not human.
Seraphine's heart pounded. "What… are you?"
The figure tilted his head slightly. "I am the Keeper of the Veil."** "Guardian of what lies beyond mortal sight."**
Caius let out a slow breath. "So, not just some mysterious old scholar then."
The Keeper did not acknowledge the remark. His silver eyes focused solely on Seraphine. "You stand now in the Boundless Realm, where magic is unchained and time bends to will."
Seraphine swallowed hard. "And why am I here?"
"Because the power you seek cannot be learned in the mortal world."
A cold shiver ran down her spine.
---
The Trial of the First Gate
The Keeper lifted his hand, and the ground beneath Seraphine shifted.
The stone cracked, and from it rose a massive archway of dark obsidian, carved with ancient runes. The symbols gleamed with silver light, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Beyond the arch was nothing but void.
Seraphine frowned. "What is that?"
The Keeper's voice was calm. "The First Gate."
Caius tensed beside her. "You're making her cross a Gate already?"
The Keeper turned his gaze to him. "She is the Warden of the First Seal. The Veil has already accepted her. Now, she must prove herself."** "Or she will not survive what comes next."**
Caius muttered a curse under his breath.
Seraphine, however, did not waver. She had come this far. She had seen the memories of her mother, had felt the weight of the past pressing down on her shoulders.
She would not break.
She lifted her chin. "What do I have to do?"
The Keeper extended his hand toward the Gate.
"Step through."
Seraphine inhaled sharply, then exhaled. Without another word, she strode forward.
The moment she crossed the threshold—
Pain.
A searing, soul-deep agony tore through her, as if her very essence was being unraveled. Her vision blurred, her breath caught in her throat, and for one terrifying moment, she felt as if she was being torn apart.
But she did not stop.
She pushed forward, through the darkness, through the pain.
And then—
Everything shifted.
---
The Mirror of the Soul
Seraphine stumbled forward and found herself standing in an entirely different place.
It was a vast, endless hall, lined with massive mirrors stretching as far as the eye could see. The air was still, heavy with something unseen.
She turned slowly, heart pounding.
Then she saw it.
Her reflection was not her own.
Instead of the woman she knew—scarred but unbroken, fire in her veins—she saw someone else.
A woman who looked like her but was not her.
Her hair was longer, her eyes darker. Power radiated from her form like a raging storm, and around her, the shadows moved, bowing to her command.
Seraphine's breath hitched. "Who are you?"
The reflection tilted its head, lips curling into a smirk.
"I am who you could become."
---
A Choice of Fate
Seraphine's fists clenched. "This is a trick."
The reflection chuckled, stepping closer, though its feet made no sound. "Is it?"
It lifted a hand, and the shadows around it twisted into shape—a crown, dark and jagged, pulsing with an eerie glow.
"The world will fall to the Harbinger. The seals will break. And when it does, there will be only two choices."
The reflection lifted its chin, eyes gleaming.
"Be consumed by the darkness."
The crown vanished. The shadows recoiled.
"Or rule it."
Seraphine inhaled sharply.
A choice.
A path laid before her that she had never considered.
Was this what the Keeper meant by awakening her power? Was this the truth hidden within the Veil?
The reflection smiled. "You know what you must do, don't you?"
Seraphine swallowed hard.
She did.
She had to choose.
But she would never choose to become what she saw before her.
She lifted her chin. "You're wrong."
The reflection stilled. "Oh?"
Seraphine took a step forward, magic thrumming beneath her skin. "I don't have to choose either. I will forge my own path."
The reflection's smirk faded. The mirrors around them trembled.
Then—shattered.
---
The Return
Seraphine gasped as she was yanked backward, the world pulling her out of the trial.
She collapsed onto the cold stone of the Boundless Realm, heart racing, breath ragged.
The Keeper stood over her, expression unreadable. Caius was at her side in an instant, gripping her arm. "You're back."
She swallowed hard, nodding.
The Keeper's voice was quiet. "You have chosen."
Seraphine met his gaze. "I have."
The shadows around the Veil whispered, as if pleased.
The First Gate had tested her.
And she had survived.
But she knew, deep in her bones—this was only the beginning.