The Forgotten City (Part 2)

Kael's blade came down like a flash of judgment.

But the woman in the crimson robe calmly raised her hand. A violet stone embedded in her palm suddenly flared with light.

A barrier of pure energy burst forth. Kael's sword struck it, scattering sparks, and the force of the impact hurled him backward.

She stepped forward slowly, her voice as cold as the void.

— "You are not of the Kura… And yet, you bear their seal? Curious."

Kael rose to his feet, grimacing, gripping his sword tightly.

— "I don't need to be Kura to end this."

With a single, fluid motion, the woman reorganized her spectral army. The cavalry fanned out in an arc, surrounding Kael's clones. The mages raised their staffs and summoned a storm of violet fire.

Kael dashed toward her again—faster this time. Beyond human speed. Sharper. More precise.

But she was ready.

The stone pulsed once more. Shadows surged, distorting the space around him.

Kael found himself surrounded… by reflections of himself.

Twisted. Corrupted.

Their eyes burned with sickly light. Their faces were broken, unrecognizable. Each held a warped version of his blade.

And they all attacked at once—mercilessly.

---

Kael (thought):

These aren't illusions… They're echoes. Just like in the Marsh.

He spun and spoke a word in the old tongue:

— "Sahar."

The echoes froze… then spoke in unison, their voices warped and disturbing:

— "Again… Why does it happen so often? There cannot be more than one… We must disappear."

They turned on each other. One by one, they destroyed themselves in a storm of violence.

Above the battlefield, the woman was chanting—but suddenly stopped, stunned.

— "What? How is this possible…?"

Kael looked up at her.

— "There cannot be more than one."

The violet stone in her hand cracked. A black light leaked from within, pulsing like a cursed heart.

Kael narrowed his eyes and shouted another word in a forgotten tongue:

— "Koiko!"

The world froze.

Time stopped moving.

Within that stillness, Kael traced complex symbols in the air, his fingers drawing glowing glyphs.

When time resumed—

A cage of radiant light descended, imprisoning the woman. It pulled her toward Kael, bringing her to her knees.

She trembled. The cracked stone now flickered like a dying star.

— "Looks like… it's over…" she whispered.

Kael stepped closer, slowly.

— "Who are you?"

Her eyes softened.

— "My name… was Althira. I was the Kura's Guardian. Their Sealer.

They betrayed me. Used me as a living lock to imprison what they feared."

Kael's brows furrowed.

Althira weakly reached out, placing her hand over his chest.

— "Kill me… Let it finally end."

But Kael raised his hand to the sky.

— "Valvas."

A portal of light opened above them, swallowing the cage and Althira in a spiraling current of energy.

Kael took the cracked stone… and, with fury in his eyes, crushed it in his hand. The violet dust scattered into the air.

Suddenly, a blinding light shone.

A man appeared, clad in flowing white robes, hovering above the ground.

— "You've done it."

Kael clenched his fists.

— "It was you… You locked her away."

The man spoke calmly:

— "Had she spared the innocent… had she only judged the guilty… I would never have done it."

Then he vanished in a burst of light.

The Forgotten Gate slowly creaked open.

Kael turned his back on the battlefield. His eyes fixed on the horizon, he continued forward in silence.

Toward his next destination.

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