The wind stopped.Even the dust froze.The world held its breath.
Vael stood still.Eyes black.Crown glowing faint red.
The creature knelt before him.Not moving. Not speaking.
Reylen stepped back.His hands trembled.That wasn't the boy he knew.
"Vael…"His voice cracked.
Nyra pointed her staff.But she didn't cast.Her eyes searched the face behind the shadows.
Then—
Vael blinked.
Just once.
The black faded from his eyes.Slightly.Barely.
He looked down at his hands.They were trembling.
"…What did I become?"
The creature stirred."You became what you must be."
"No," Vael whispered."I didn't ask for this."
The crown pulsed.But softer now.Like it was listening.
"I wanted power," Vael said."To stop the pain.To end the killing.But I never wanted this."
The creature hissed."You wore the crown.You fed it blood.You belong to it."
"No," Vael said again."I belong to no one."
He stepped forward.The creature rose.
Reylen held his breath.Nyra chanted something under it.
The creature lunged again.Faster this time.
Vael didn't move.He let it come.
And when the strike came—
He caught it.With one hand.
The crown flared.Dark veins crawled up his arm.But he held firm.
"You are memory," he said."But I choose what I remember."
He crushed its wrist.The creature shrieked.
Then Nyra's magic hit.White flame. Pure.
It burned memory.The creature's face melted away—revealing a blank nothing.
Then it vanished.Smoke in the wind.
Silence returned.
Vael stood alone.Panting.Crown dim.
Reylen walked up beside him.
"You okay?"
Vael looked at his hands again.One still blackened.
"No," he said."But I'm still me.For now."
Nyra stared at him."I don't know if that's good…or terrifying."
Vael didn't answer.
The wind moved again.Far above, the tower's peak cracked.
The city whispered.And deep below…
Something else awoke.