THE FINAL BARGAIN

The golden mist swirled around them, thickening as the remains of the guardian faded into glowing dust. The temple had changed once more, its towering obsidian pillars now humming with a deep, thrumming resonance—as if something **greater** was awakening beneath the ruins.

Kieran's breath was ragged as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. The fight had drained them all, but the entity's words echoed in his mind.

**"The cycle is not yet restored."**

Rebel stood motionless, his golden cloak illuminated by the shifting light of the temple. His eyes narrowed as he turned toward the entity, his fingers tightening around the artifact in his grip. "You're still hiding something from us."

The entity's many-layered voice rumbled through the temple.

**"The Reckoning is incomplete. A final choice must be made."**

Elara exhaled sharply, shifting back into her human form from the hawk she had become in battle. "Of course there's another trial," she muttered. "What is it this time? Another impossible fight?"

A deep, resonant hum filled the space. The mist condensed, coiling together until it **formed a doorway**—a shimmering portal carved from swirling gold and deep blue light. It pulsed with energy, each beat echoing like a heartbeat.

**A path forward. But also a warning.**

The entity's voice was quieter this time, but no less powerful.

**"You have faced power. You have seen the cost of your choices. Now, you must decide which world deserves salvation."**

The words sent a chill through Kieran's bones.

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly.

The mist curled around them, shifting into **visions**.

One showed Earth—**their world**—bathed in familiar light, but with a faint, creeping darkness at its edges. Time flowed forward in brief flashes, showing **Natuka's influence spreading beyond the portal**. The balance was **cracking**, and if nothing changed, **Earth would suffer.**

The second vision revealed **Natuka itself**, but it was different. The sky had darkened, and the land was shifting—unnatural, unstable. The cycle was collapsing, and in their absence, a **new force had risen**.

Elara clenched her fists. "This… this is because of us, isn't it?"

Rebel's voice was quiet but firm. "It was inevitable. The moment the portal was opened, the balance was doomed."

Kieran looked between the two visions. His mind swirled with countless futures, none of them easy.

"So what are we choosing?" he asked. "Who gets to live, and who gets left behind?"

The entity spoke again.

**"One world must be restored fully. The other will remain in chaos. You must decide where the Reckoning's power will flow."**

A heavy silence fell.

For the first time, Rebel turned to face them fully, his golden eyes unreadable. "Now do you understand?" he said softly. "This is the choice I tried to spare you from."

Elara shook her head. "You knew about this?"

Rebel exhaled, stepping forward. His fingers traced the edges of the artifact in his grip. "I suspected. The balance of Natuka and Earth has always been fragile. The Reckoning was never just about **survival**—it's about who gets to **move forward**."

Kieran's fists clenched. "And you think you're the only one who can decide that?"

Rebel's gaze was piercing. "No. That's why I wanted you both to understand. To see it with your own eyes."

Elara's voice was sharp. "And if we refuse to choose?"

The entity's golden light flickered. **"Then both worlds will fall."**

Another silence.

Kieran swallowed hard. His head ached from the weight of the futures spiraling before him. Elara's shape-shifting magic flickered at her fingertips, as if mirroring her turmoil. And Rebel… Rebel stood still, unreadable, waiting.

They had come this far.

They had **fought**.

And now, the final choice was upon them.

—