Chapter 7: The Truth Carved in Stars
The forest had thinned. Beyond the shattered remains of the mirror, the Spirit Realm stretched into a vast plain where silver rivers flowed through the air like veins of light. It was quiet—too quiet. No monsters, no whispers. Only a single altar of stone, worn smooth by time, standing at the center of the plain.
Elior staggered forward, Kael and Liora flanking him. His wounds burned, but not as fiercely as the ache in his heart. He had faced monsters, shadows, and himself… but the weight of unanswered questions pressed harder than any blade.
The altar hummed as he approached. Symbols lit across its surface, and the rivers of stars above began to swirl. Slowly, an image formed—two figures, tall and radiant, their outlines shimmering with power.
Elior's breath caught in his throat. "Who… who are they?"
A voice answered, warm yet trembling with sorrow.
"We are your parents."
Elior froze. His knees buckled, and Kael grabbed his arm to steady him. Liora's hand slipped into his, her grip firm, anchoring him.
The vision grew clearer: a man with a stern yet kind gaze, a woman with eyes that mirrored Elior's own. They were beautiful, but their faces carried exhaustion, as though carved by sacrifice.
"You left me," Elior whispered, his voice breaking. "Why? Why didn't you stay? Why was I alone?"
The woman's image reached toward him, though her hand never crossed the light. "We never wanted to leave you, Elior. We gave everything so you could live."
The man's voice followed, steady as stone. "There was a darkness—the very heart of this Realm. A force that sought to consume the world of men. We sealed it here, binding it in chains made of our souls. But the cost…" He faltered, his voice breaking. "…was our life."
Elior's tears fell freely, splashing onto the altar. "You chose the world over me." His fists clenched. "Do you know what it felt like? Growing up with nothing? With questions that only echoed? With an uncle who wouldn't even look me in the eye when I asked about you?"
The woman's face softened with grief. "We chose because we believed in you. That you would grow strong enough to face this Realm again, should it ever break free. We did not abandon you—we entrusted you."
"Entrusted me?" Elior's voice cracked. "I was just a boy. I was alone."
Kael squeezed his shoulder, grounding him. Liora's tears streamed silently as she whispered, "You weren't alone. Not anymore. You have us. Always."
The light of the altar pulsed, wrapping Elior in warmth. His parents' voices blended, soft and aching.
"We see you now. Not as the child we left, but the young man who carried our silence and turned it into strength. You are our greatest hope, Elior. Our son."
Elior shook, torn between rage and longing. "I don't want to be your 'hope.' I just wanted you."
For a moment, silence reigned. Then his mother whispered, "We know. And we are sorry."
Her voice cracked. Even as shades of memory, sorrow bled through every word. "But love is not always gentle, Elior. Sometimes it is sacrifice. Sometimes it is leaving so another can live."
Elior collapsed to his knees, sobs breaking free from the dam he had built his entire life. Liora knelt beside him, cradling his face, her forehead pressed to his. "Cry," she whispered. "Don't hold it in. Not this time."
Kael turned away, blinking rapidly, pretending not to wipe his eyes.
The star-rivers above spiraled faster, brighter. The visions of his parents began to fade, their voices trembling as if time itself pulled them away.
"Wait!" Elior cried, reaching out desperately. "Don't go! Not again—don't leave me again!"
His father's fading outline leaned close. "We never truly left. We live in your courage. In the bonds you've chosen. In the heart that refuses to break."
His mother's voice was the last to remain, tender as a lullaby. "We love you, Elior. Always."
And then the light was gone.
Only the plain remained, the altar silent, the rivers slowing once more.
Elior stayed on his knees, shaking, his chest hollow and full all at once. For the first time, he knew the truth. And yet, the truth had carved him open in ways he could never have imagined.
Kael finally spoke, voice rough. "They weren't just heroes. They were… parents. Yours. And damn if they wouldn't be proud of you right now."
Liora's arms wrapped around Elior, holding him tightly as though she could shield him from the emptiness left behind. "They loved you. Enough to give everything. And I…" Her voice cracked. "I won't ever leave you. I promise."
Elior buried his face against her shoulder, his tears soaking her sleeve. For the first time in years, the boy who once believed he had no past felt the weight of belonging.
Not because of sacrifice alone. But because love—though painful, though imperfect—had always been with him.
And though the path ahead would still demand more of him, Elior finally understood:
He was not the boy with no past.
He was the son of sacrifice. The heir of love.