When Nujah opened his eyes, he found himself inside a royal palace.
It didn't stink like the places ruled by Alvaren; on the contrary… there was calm. A strange kind of happiness.
Strange—yes. But a beautiful kind of strange.
Before long the door opened. An armored soldier stepped inside.
"Easy, son," he said. "Our Mother the Queen will see you shortly."
"Where… am I?" Nujah asked.
The soldier smiled and shrugged. "I'm not the one to answer that, handsome," he said with a wink. "She'll be here soon. Please wait."
The door closed.
As Nujah sank to the floor, the white dragon statue to his right caught his eye. He tried to look away and couldn't; the marble seemed to drink in the light.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" a voice said. "The first dragon of the universe: Aseriel."
Nujah startled to his feet. "Forgive me… who are you, my lady?"
From the far corridor, a woman approached: an aura strong and beautiful, unlike anything ordinary.
"How rude of me," she said gently. "I am Naraka. The place you see—our kingdom."
"Naraka as in the hell?" Nujah narrowed his eyes.
Naraka gave a wistful smile and shook her head. "No. Let me introduce myself properly:
Destroyer of Darkness, Goddess of Light, Mother of the Shiora Universe. Chosen by the Light."
Caught between belief and doubt, Nujah let out a small laugh. Naraka's gaze turned serious.
"Here—let me show you," she said.
She snapped her fingers—and in an instant they were in the sky.
They stood above the kingdom, in a space even the wind wouldn't dare approach. Nujah cried out for a heartbeat; but when Naraka appeared at his side, his fear ebbed and his pulse steadied.
"Why did you bring me here?" he asked, catching his breath.
"To speak freely," Naraka said, settling onto what felt like an invisible platform in the void. "Most ears cannot hear us here."
After a brief silence, she asked:
"Do you remember what came before?"
"A spear was driven into my back…" Nujah's eyes widened. "My siblings—Seren—what happened to them? Are they safe?"
Naraka's smile softened. Her voice grew warm:
"They're safe. Don't worry. While we speak, King Arthur has taken full control of Alvaren's castle. Seren Valinea will act as an older sister to the survivors. Their lives may not be a fairy tale; but they will be stronger and happier than before—I can promise that. In time, they'll build homes with good people."
Nujah drew a deep breath. "I… never expected that. I only wanted to stop my family—before anything worse happened."
"And that choice," Naraka said, "opened a door to a better future. Arthur has welcomed the people into the keep; no one will starve. Tax burdens will ease. Because of you."
Nujah lowered his head. "Then what do you want from me? If I'm in neither heaven nor hell, I'm here for something important."
Naraka studied him. "Do you know what Shinrei means?"
"No, I don't… my lady."
"Don't call me 'my lady,'" Naraka said, gently. "Shinrei are my children. Don't take it the wrong way—you are my 'child' too; but they are born of my blood and light; they are Guardians of Shiora.
This is Shiora's Heart of Light.
The sacrifice you've made is rare; that is why you interest me, Nujah. I cannot force you—yet if you wish, I want to make you one of the Guardians of Shiora—as my own."
Nujah's eyes lit. "This is… perfect. I would finally have the power to stand against the dark. But what's the price? Handing something so great—into the hands of someone like me—a child…"
Naraka's face grew solemn. "To become Shinrei means you will no longer be human. You will be born again—as an infant. You will grow hundreds of times faster than humans, and you will not age.
But—you cannot marry humans. You cannot have children of your own.
You will lack human organs—stomach, intestines, and the like; instead your body will hold a Soul Stone (Sha)."
"So… what will I be like? A machine?" Nujah asked.
"No," Naraka said, soft but certain. "Shinrei are not simply 'good' or 'evil'; yet innocence and goodwill are their nature. Emotions like vengeance do not live in them. Because you are human, those feelings will fade over time.
Also know this: even if I give you my blood, you will not rise to Shinrei level immediately. You will undergo a long training. Your memories will be reset; your power will grow slowly with your body."
Nujah lifted his head. "There isn't much left for me in the world."
His gaze slid to Aseriel's white silhouette, then returned to Naraka.
He smiled—plain, fearless.
"I accept."
In Naraka's eyes, tenderness and destiny mingled.
"Are you sure?" she asked. "There is no return from this."
"I accept."
A heartbeat later, Nujah found himself back in the palace; beside him a bed of light was forming.
"Lie down, please," said Naraka.
As he lay upon it, an unnameable calm streamed down his shoulders. The texture of light wrapped his whole body and sealed him like a sigil; his mind closed completely.
Naraka raised a small vial in her hand.
"This," she whispered, "is your beginning."
The light in the vial fell drop by drop upon Nujah.
At that moment, something within the machine surrounding the ritual crackled to life.
The blood ran along thin channels and joined the mechanism; the light within the device turned into a drone—as if it were screaming.
The light around Nujah shifted to crimson; his body began to change visibly, swiftly.
Naraka turned her head. "Erymas, come in."
The door opened; a young man hurried inside. "I hope nothing goes wrong, mother," he said—good-natured worry on his face.
"It won't," said Naraka. "Even with his mind closed, the more light around him, the healthier the ritual. You will stay here until tomorrow, understood? I'm going to meet my sister Elyka and her new husband. You will guard him—stay at his side and let no one approach.
If need be—tell him funny memories; keep his soul calm."
"Understood, my Queen. Leave this place to me."
Naraka looked at Nujah one last time; the crimson light quivered like the first beat of a new heart.
And the world began a second time for Nujah.