02 – Soul Mirror
Elaniel's footsteps echoed along the corridor of Novem Tower, where Aethra students studied soul reflections—a spiritual practice said to reveal fragments of one's previous life. After yesterday's events, the symbol on her hand, and Jasper's gaze that lingered like an invisible trace, Elaniel knew she could no longer ignore it.
The tower was tall, piercing the morning fog. Its walls were engraved with ancient symbols, not all of which could be deciphered. In its central hall stood a circular room with a floor of clear glass, beneath which flowed a river of light called Atherion. The energy from that river was believed to open the gap between the present soul and the past.
Elaniel stood at the center of that circle. Her hands clenched at her sides. The spiritual trainer, a middle-aged woman with piercing eyes named Seraphyne, observed her from the edge of the room.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Zenona?" asked Seraphyne.
"Yes," Elaniel answered.
"This practice isn't about discovering who you were. It's about finding what remains unfinished."
Elaniel didn't respond. She lowered her head, took a deep breath, then placed her hand on the blue crystal symbol on the floor. In an instant, the room went dark.
---
When she opened her eyes, she was no longer in Aethra.
Red sky. Scorched earth. Air filled with ash and howls. She stood atop a stone tower, wearing silver-black armor that felt strange yet familiar on her body.
And below, an army.
Hundreds, maybe thousands of black-robed figures stood before her, all facing her in reverence. They awaited her command. But Elaniel—or Elaraen—only stared at the horizon.
She was not just a warrior.
She was a commander.
"You once led a war," a voice echoed in the back of her mind.
But even within that vision, there was a sense of loss. She held a small pendant, engraved with the same symbol that had appeared on her hand yesterday. She stared at it for a long time before clenching it tightly.
---
"Elaraen."
She turned.
A man appeared behind her—tall, armed, with dark eyes and a gentle gaze that was painful to look at. She knew him. Even before realizing his name, her soul had already recognized that vibration.
Kaelion.
"You have to go first," Kaelion said. "I'll hold them off at the Abyss Gate."
"No," Elaraen shook her head. "We promised…"
"We've fulfilled our part of that promise. This isn't about the vow. This is about ending karma."
Their eyes met. Just like Jasper's gaze yesterday. Exactly.
"If we're reborn…" Elaraen whispered. "Find me."
"I will. Even without a name. Even without memory. I will still know who you are."
And in the next second, the vision burned into light.
---
Elaniel collapsed onto the training room floor, her body trembling. Seraphyne was already at her side.
"What did you see?" the trainer asked.
"War," Elaniel answered hoarsely. "And… sacrifice."
Seraphyne watched her in silence, then nodded. "That means your karmic debt isn't over. And someone is searching for it with you."
---
That day passed in silence. Elaniel didn't speak much in class. But her mind throbbed, digging and linking everything she had experienced since coming to Aethra. The symbol, the dreams, the name Elaraen, and Jasper's gaze.
Night came with a biting chill. Elaniel didn't return to her room. Instead, she stood at the edge of the lake behind Umbra Tower. Its waters were dark, reflecting the sky and stars with reverence. On its surface, faint glimpses of past faces would sometimes appear.
She stared into the water, waiting.
"You should be asleep," a voice came from behind.
She didn't need to turn.
"Following me again?" she asked flatly.
"I only show up when you seem too far," Jasper replied.
Elaniel took a deep breath. "I've seen it. All of it."
"So have I," Jasper stepped beside her. "Your name is Elaraen."
"And you... Kaelion," she whispered.
They stood in silence. Not looking at each other. But something flowed between them—something older than memory, deeper than words.
"I don't believe in reincarnation," Elaniel finally said.
"But you believe in feelings that can't be explained, right?" Jasper returned.
She turned to him. And for the first time, she saw the wound in his eyes. A wound not born from this life, but from a loss older than time itself.
"What really happened back then?" Elaniel asked.
"We tried to save the gate between worlds, and we failed."
"Then... why are we back?"
Jasper didn't answer.
"Maybe because we're not done."
Elaniel closed her eyes. Behind her eyelids, she saw scattered fragments constantly emerging, a gate opening to a red sky, screams of souls left behind, and the heavy steps of someone holding destruction at bay to keep the world intact. But she also saw a hand—a hand that never let her go, even when their bodies were wounded and time began to collapse.
It wasn't just a story of war. It was the story of two souls chosen to fail, so they could learn to walk again—together.
---
The next day, Elaniel returned to Vox Tower. She'd heard of an ancient mirror capable of showing fragments of the past—the Soul Mirror. Not all students were permitted to see it, but because of her training with Seraphyne, she had been given limited access.
In the tower's inner room, the mirror stood atop a stone altar. Its surface was dark, like water that never rested. As Elaniel approached, she didn't see her own face—but Elaraen's. Her hair was longer, her body soaked in blood, but her eyes… were the same.
She reached out. Touched the mirror's surface.
The vision moved. Elaraen on a battlefield. In the distance, Kaelion was being overwhelmed by shadowy enemies. Elaraen screamed, ready to run—but her body was failing.
And then… the mirror cracked.
A flash of light poured out, enveloping Elaniel.
---
She was thrown to the floor.
And a voice rang—not in her mind, but from the ceiling above:
"Time is not yet finished. You are still bound by a promise unfulfilled."
"Not just love. But sacrifice."
"You must choose again."
---
That night, Elaniel sat atop the dormitory roof. Beside her, Jasper said nothing, only stared at the star-filled sky. They didn't touch, but the space between them was close enough to share the deep silence.
"If we fail again…" Elaniel said softly.
"We won't," Jasper answered shortly.
"You're sure?"
"I've never trusted this world. But I trust you."
The words weren't sweet. But somehow, they pierced deeper than anything else.
---
The lake was still. The sky full of stars. Two souls sat in silence.
Not as lovers.
Not as friends.
But as two parts of the same soul, trying to find its shape again in a new life.
---