Sakolomé lay unconscious, breathing steadily, stretched out on the bed of the small room. At his bedside, Salomé sat, her eyes fixed on her brother, worry etched on her features. On the other side, Bakuran also rested, immersed in the same deep slumber, his face peaceful despite the ordeals he had endured.
The door opened quietly. Rivhiamë entered, her steps muffled by the heavy silence. She met Salomé's gaze and whispered:
— It must be hard to see them both like this.
Salomé took a deep breath, stood up, then sighed as she observed her motionless brothers.
— It exasperates me… she admitted. I'm afraid they won't pass Ñout's trial… and that they'll die.
Rivhiamë sat on a chair near the bed, while Salomé resumed her seat, hands clasped on her knees.
— What's strange… is Sakolomé, Rivhiamë continued thoughtfully. He's back. He hasn't become Deviant, but he seems to have conquered his shadow self… so why has he fallen unconscious again?
Salomé remained silent, her gaze returning to her brother.
Rivhiamë furrowed her brows slightly.
— And the strangest part… is that I can't enter him. It's as if an unknown force blocks my access. A force that tolerates no intrusion.
Salomé turned her head toward her, eyes slightly wide.
— Really?
Rivhiamë nodded gravely.
— Yes. And it's not the first time such a phenomenon has occurred.
The silence thickened for a moment. Salomé leaned forward slightly, her full attention on her companion.
— Do you remember… your confrontation with Shushu, about five years ago? Rivhiamë resumed. When I was about to leave Sakolomé's body to face him, a force suddenly held me back… and cut me off from all reality.
Salomé's eyes widened even more, her voice filled with surprise.
— A… a force cut you off from reality? Inside Sakolomé himself?
— Yes, Rivhiamë confirmed with a nod. And when I regained control… it was all over. His wounds, which should have erased him from existence, had healed. I don't know what it was, but… it remained a mystery.
Salomé stayed silent for a moment, then turned her attention back to her sleeping brother.
— There are… really many mysteries surrounding Sakolomé, she admitted softly.
Rivhiamë crossed her arms, thoughtful.
— That's precisely what drew Ñout's attention. I don't know what's brewing inside him… but it's immense. Perhaps too much, even for us.
Salomé nodded slowly.
— Even I, as a Deviant… can't read him. It's as if an equal or even superior force keeps me at bay.
Silence fell again in the room, broken only by the peaceful breaths of the two brothers.
The silence of the chamber weighed heavily, only disturbed by the steady breathing of the two sleeping brothers. Salomé, eyes lost in thought, suddenly sat upright: a memory had surfaced, or rather a name.
— Tell me, Rivhiamë… where has Kai gone? she asked, voice tinged with a hint of worry.
Rivhiamë paused, her eyes fixed on some invisible point ahead, then lowered her head slightly.
— Kai left to seek the Work of the Eleventh Heir.
Salomé jumped.
— What? But… that's not fair! We were supposed to go together!
Rivhiamë slowly shrugged.
— I don't know his true reasons. But he didn't take well the idea that you all might become Deviants.
She paused, raising her red eyes to Salomé.
— Kai fiercely clings to that power. Maybe it's not only because of his defeat against the Black Grief… There's something deeper, even darker.
Salomé sighed, a bitter pout.
— The problem is that he refuses to open up to others… to anyone, really.
A thought suddenly struck her, sparking a light in her eyes.
— Rivhiamë… do you think Ysolongue knows more about him?
The Demon tilted her head sideways, skeptical.
— If that were the case, she would have already guided him toward Deviance. I don't know why, but his silence… his behavior… all hide something older and graver.
A dull thud made the door vibrate, abruptly pulling them out of their reflections. It creaked open, revealing Zelongue. His dark eyes immediately fixed on Salomé.
— Excuse me, he said in a deep voice. I would like to speak with you… alone, if you agree.
Salomé and Rivhiamë exchanged a long silent look. Finally, Salomé stood, nodded, and said:
— I'll be right back.
She followed Zelongue into the hallway, leaving Rivhiamë alone with the two sleeping brothers.
Salomé and Zelongue stood still, face to face, eyes locked. A heavy silence reigned, broken only by the distant sound of air moving in the corridor.
Zelongue sighed, his golden gaze shining with a mixed glow of frustration and regret.
— I won't lie to you, Salomé… I'm not proud to see you like this. Having become… a Deviant.
Salomé raised an eyebrow, challenge in her eyes, but he continued relentlessly:
— I had chosen you. You had no path yet. I could have offered you mine, a path forged by draconic power. You would have become Deviant under my conditions… and you would have borne my mark.
He turned his back, hands clasped behind him.
— But it seems a path already existed within you. Ñout ruined everything. Honestly… I would have preferred you to die rather than become Deviant like this, outside of my influence.
— Tsss… Zelongue, is that so? Salomé growled. Stop talking to me as if I were your possession! I don't know you, I don't belong to you! If you brought me here for that, then this discussion is over!
She turned to leave, but his voice cracked sharply behind her:
— Dragon wings… are made of magical particles that probe their environment for miles around. They scrutinize everything: matter, energy… even concepts. The more powerful a dragon is, the farther its domain extends.
Salomé stopped dead and turned around, eyes narrowed.
— And so? Why are you telling me this?
Zelongue took a step toward her, his aura filling the corridor with draconic pressure.
— You already carry that power within you. But you know nothing of its nature, its limits, or its use. I can teach you to master them… and even transcend them.
A thin, almost predatory smile stretched across his lips.
— Alone, it will take you years to understand. With me… a few moments would suffice.
Salomé frowned.
— I don't know your intentions, Zelongue. You still see me as an object. Even with what you've just said, I have no desire to bind myself to you. You only think of yourself, and everything you offer seems to serve only your interest.
She paused, her expression hardening.
— I don't need you. Ysolongue could just as well help me master my draconic skills.
Zelongue's face twisted with barely contained irritation, his eyes flashing yellow sparks.
— Listen to me, little one! I need a human like you. You may be the last of your kind. Letting this opportunity slip… would be an irreparable loss. We must ally ourselves.
— Ally myself with you? Salomé repeated, her eyes blazing with challenge. What does that mean?
Zelongue fixed his incandescent gaze on hers. Slowly, he bent his knee, placing a hand on his chest in a solemn gesture.
— I'm ready to change, Salomé. Ready to bind my destiny to yours. An association… an alliance that would make us both stronger. You should know: Dragon heirs are not born divine. They become so through conditions, evolutions, and successive transcendences.
Raising his head, he stared intently:
— That means… we too continue to evolve. And I refuse to be limited to what I am today.
Salomé stared at him, unsettled.
— Oh… I see. You say you're ready to change… for me?
Zelongue nodded without hesitation:
— Whatever you want. But let's ally ourselves, you and me, just as the dragon Arlongue once united with a demon… becoming one and the same entity.
Far away... Kai walked alone through the Quarlhon Mountains, leaving behind a trail of silence. The echoes of battles had ceased: every creature that had tried to stand against him now lay in dust, dissipated like a shadow in the sun. His silhouette cut through the mists, marked by cold determination.
Before him, the obsidian wall opened into a gaping arch: the cave of Evoressence. Its contours seemed to breathe, as if the mountain itself invited him to cross its threshold. A thick, undulating violet mist escaped, saturating the air with ancient mana. Every stone of the Quarlhon Mountains bore the mark of a bygone past, but here, the essence that permeated the walls was even older: a power predating the memory of certain mythical beings, a vestige of a time when the laws of existence were not yet fixed.
Inside, luminescent stalactites cast a pale glow. Cracks in the floor let escape filaments of raw energy, painting the cavern with shifting lights. In this atmosphere hovered an oppressive presence: sylvan demons, lurking in the fissures of reality, watched Kai without him seeing them. These beings, sensitive more to intentions than to forms, recoiled before him: his will was an impassable wall.
Each step brought him closer to what he sought: at the heart of the cave, concealed behind layers of mist and silence, rested the Egg of Evoressence, whose mere existence distorted the surrounding air.
Kai stopped, his half-closed eyes reopening slightly. The true trial was just beginning.
Kai gave a cold smile, his breath condensing in the mana-saturated air.
— Finally… you stand before me.
The Egg of Evoressence stood at the center of the cavern, colossal, its surface a deep black seeming to absorb the very light. Dark veins pulsed slowly on its shell, as if something inside breathed, waiting to be freed.
Kai took a step, his hand rising to grasp the artifact. But before his fingers touched it, a clear and sharp voice pierced the air:
— Stop!
Kai turned slowly, his tattooed eyes shining under the pale light.
A female silhouette stood at the cave entrance. Her short, dazzling white hair framed a closed face. Her armor, engraved with ancient crosses, radiated an aura of authority and faith. A mythical priestess, no doubt… perhaps one of the Egg's guardians, though no one knew for sure.
— Who are you? And what do you know of this Egg? she demanded, her voice icy.
Kai stared at her, his harsh features defined in the violet mist.
— I'm not obliged to answer you, you know?
The priestess's gaze hardened; she drew a long sword from her armor. The metal vibrated, emitting a sacred light that drove back the surrounding shadows.
— If you refuse… I will not hesitate to use force.
A sneer escaped Kai's lips.
— So, what are you waiting for?
His words cracked in the air like a provocation.
The priestess's eyes widened slightly, her breath catching in her throat.
— You… you are nothing but a brash fool!