Jack looked up at the three glowing figures on the throne. Even though they had no faces or bodies, their energy filled the entire room like thunderclouds ready to strike.
He stepped forward slowly, unsure if he was even allowed to speak.
"So… what's going to happen to me now?" he asked quietly. "Am I really dead? Or... if I'm still alive, can I go back to that world?"
Yaelle — the Dark aura — leaned forward, his voice soft and calm.
"Of course you may return. You're not technically dead, Jack. We just wanted to talk to you… that's all."
Jack blinked. "You pulled me here just to talk?"
Yaelle didn't answer right away.
Then Jack's eyes turned sharp. "If I'm already here… then I want to ask for something."
Then Kronnos the blue aura to the left twitched slightly. Jack turned to it. "Is it possible… to talk to Elara? Just once?"
Suddenly, Kronnos stood up, crackling with fierce energy like a lightning storm.
"No. You may not!" the voice boomed. It echoed like a hundred voices speaking all at once.
Jack stared at the glowing shape, unafraid. Then he turned back to Yaelle.
"You're the reason I ended up here, right?" he said, his voice more firm. "In my world, people say I'm your summon. But I didn't ask for any power, or blessings, or anything. I never even wished for this. The only thing I want right now… is to talk to Elara."
Silence filled the room. Even the floating lights seemed to hold their breath.
Then Batalla spoke up, voice deep and slow like an old mountain.
"He is mortal. Emotions cloud his reason. We should not allow this."
Kronnos snapped again, "He's already causing imbalance. If we let him speak to the dead, what stops others from demanding the same?"
Yaelle stayed quiet for a moment. Then she rose from his throne, his dark light glowing warmer.
"Because Jack is not like the others."
The other two auras flinched.
"He never wished for greatness. He never wanted to be a hero," Yaelle said. "And yet, he carries more grief than anyone we've summoned in a hundred years."
The red aura replied, hesitant, "Still... to let a soul cross paths with another—"
"I vouch for him," Yaelle said firmly. "Let him speak to Elara. Just once."
The throne room went still again.
Then, slowly, the blue and gold auras sat back down, though their glow dimmed as if unwilling.
The blue aura growled under its breath, "This is highly irregular…"
Yaelle turned to Jack. "Follow me."
Jack followed the yaelle as he said, "Follow me, Jackson."
Jack blinked. "Wait—how do you know my real na—"
Before he could finish, their bodies dissolved into thin smoke.
And then... silence.
When Jack opened his eyes, he was standing alone in a place that didn't feel real. The sky was clear, the sun warm. The grass under his feet was impossibly green — soft and perfect like something out of a dream. A gentle wind brushed against him. It smelled like peace.
In the middle of that wide green field stood a small wooden house, simple and quiet.
Jack's feet started moving on their own. Slowly, cautiously, like he was scared to wake up.
As he approached, the door creaked open.
And someone stepped out.
It was her.
"Elara...?" Jack's voice cracked, like it had been buried under a mountain of silence.
She stood there, glowing like the sun had made her its own. Her hair shone like gold, her eyes were gentle and warm, and her smile — it was exactly how he remembered. No, it was more than that. She looked... pure. Peaceful. Alive.
Jack's knees buckled. He dropped to the ground.
And he broke.
Sobs tore through him, loud and raw. He wasn't just crying — he was shattering. He buried his face in his hands and screamed into the grass.
"Elara... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry... I'm—"
Elara gasped and ran toward him. She knelt beside him and pulled him into her arms, holding him close to her chest. Jack clung to her like he'd drown without her.
She gently stroked his head, one hand on his back, whispering softly, "Shhh... Jack... I'm here."
Jack cried harder. His voice shook. "It's my fault... everything. Y-You died... because of me. If I never came to your world, you would still be alive. You didn't deserve this. None of it."
Elara didn't let go.
"Jack," she said, pulling him closer. "Stop. Listen to me. This wasn't your fault."
He looked up at her through tear-filled eyes, lips trembling.
"I chose to protect you," Elara whispered. "Because I saw your heart. I saw how pure you are. You don't hide it behind strength or pride. You care, even when it hurts. That's why I believed in you."
Jack's tears wouldn't stop. "But I should've saved you…"
She smiled softly. "I was a Sword Princess, remember? A general of Eldoria. I knew what I was doing. I would make the same choice again."
Jack let out a shaky laugh, tears still dripping. "Of course I remember…"
Elara gently cupped his cheek, her thumb wiping away a tear.
"Then remember this too," she said. "Don't carry the weight of my death forever. I don't want that. I want you to live, Jack. I want you to fight. I'm always with you... protecting you. Guiding you. Always on your side."
Jack closed his eyes, still in her arms, still crying — but this time... the pain felt lighter.
He didn't feel alone anymore.
Elara's embrace was so warm, so real, so peaceful… it made the world fade away.
But when he opened his eyes again, he found himself still kneeling in the middle of that quiet, green field. Elara was there in front of him, smiling gently.
"I wanna stay here," Jack whispered, barely able to hold it in. "I wanna stay here with you."
But Elara shook her head and interrupted softly, "No… you may not."
Jack looked at her, confused and desperate.
"I don't know why you'd want to stay in this place with me," Elara said, cupping his cheeks with both hands, "but you have so many things to do in my world. So much more to see. You've only scratched the surface, Jack."
She looked him deep in the eyes, her thumbs gently wiping his tears.
"I want you to live. I want you to explore Eldoria. I want you to protect its people… to protect the future. That's what I want for you."
Jack's voice cracked. "But… I'm dead."
"No, you're not," she said, her tone soft but firm. "The gods know it. And I know it too."
She leaned in closer.
"You're alive, Jack. So stop carrying this grief like a curse. It's okay to live, even after everything. Live your life, okay?"
Jack was about to reply, his heart beating so loud in his chest—
But before he could say anything, Elara cupped his cheek again. And this time… she kissed him.
A soft, warm kiss on his lips. Gentle. Lasting. Like she wanted to pour all her feelings into that one moment.
Then she pulled away and smiled.
"Live your life, okay?" she said again—this time with a playful wink.
Jack's eyes widened, his face turning red. "W-Why did you kiss me—"
But the words never finished.
Because when he blinked again… Elara was gone.
He was back—kneeling on the cold stone floor of the chamber of the Three Gods, in the same position he had been before. Alone.
But something had changed.
He touched his lips, where Elara's lips had been. It was still warm.
And his heart—though heavy—felt a little lighter now.