The journey to the valley was like walking through a dream woven in starlight and silence.
No maps could chart the path.
No compass could guide it.
The Watcher merely pointed to a rift in the sky — a thin seam of silver hovering over a forgotten cliff — and whispered, "Walk with intent, and the world will bend."
And so, they stepped through.
---
The Valley was not of this world.
It existed between breaths — suspended in an eternal twilight, where time did not move forward or backward… only inward.
The trees glowed with soft luminescence, their leaves whispering ancient lullabies. Rivers floated above the earth like ribbons of liquid moonlight. The sky shimmered with pale constellations that changed shape when looked at directly — forming symbols only the soul could understand.
Seraphina could feel the child stir the moment they arrived.
It wasn't kicking… it was listening.
Like the valley itself spoke to the life within her.
Ravon's demon senses were on edge. "This place… it's too quiet."
The Watcher nodded. "Because this land listens before it reveals. If your heart is loud, you will hear nothing."
They pressed onward.
---
At the heart of the valley stood a stone cradle, etched with glowing runes and covered in living vines. It floated just above the earth — untouched, eternal.
Seraphina approached it slowly, drawn by something deep and primal. As she touched the stone, a soft hum vibrated through her body.
The glyphs ignited — and visions flooded her.
---
A child born in fire, standing between two armies.
A crown of starlight above her brow.
Her eyes... Seraphina's eyes.
But burning brighter.
Behind her, a dark creature with Ravon's blood, wings torn but standing as guardian.
And above them both — the Veiled Gate, yawning open like the mouth of creation itself, light and shadow pouring through.
Then came a voice, clear and haunting:
> "You carry the Seed of Equilibrium. The child who will bind or break the balance between realms.
Choose what you feed it — your fear, or your faith."
---
Seraphina collapsed to her knees, trembling.
Ravon was at her side instantly, holding her. "What did you see?"
She looked up at him, her voice barely a whisper.
"Not just our child's fate… but mine. This valley—it's not just about the baby. It's about me… and what I'm becoming."
The Watcher stood at the edge of the cradle, silent.
"You are not the same woman who entered this realm," he said. "Because this realm reflects what you're growing into: not just a mother, but a maker of destiny."
The wind stirred. The valley shifted — as if waking.
And in the shadows of the glowing trees…
They were not alone.
Figures began to appear — cloaked in star-robes, bearing staffs shaped like crescent moons and sun-dripped blades.
The Cradle Keepers had arrived.