The deeper they went, the more the world began to twist. The air itself shimmered as if reality were folding in on itself. The Abyss was alive here — breathing, pulsing, watching. Every sound echoed longer than it should, and the light that came from Kaien's aura dimmed as though swallowed by an unseen hunger.
Reina could feel the weight of it pressing against her chest. The whispers that had haunted her since they entered this place grew stronger, clearer, almost familiar now. They didn't sound like strangers anymore. They sounded like her.
She walked a few paces behind Kaien, her silver eyes flickering in the faint light of the dark fires that burned along the walls of the canyon. The ground was slick with shadow, soft as ash, and every footprint they left behind seemed to sink deeper than it should.
The army followed silently. They were fewer now. The first gate had drained even the strongest among them, and the Abyss had begun claiming the weaker ones. Sometimes a soldier would simply stop walking, staring blankly into the dark until their bodies turned to dust. No one spoke of it. No one dared to.
Kaien moved without hesitation. Every step he took seemed deliberate, as though he had already walked this path before. The glow from Noxveil pulsed faintly at his side, lighting the way with a deep, otherworldly hum.
Reina finally spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. "Kaien… how many more gates are there?"
"Six," he replied without turning. "Each one built to guard a fragment of Zarveth's power. Each one worse than the last."
She fell silent for a moment, watching the way his hand tightened slightly around his sword as he spoke. "And if you destroy them all?"
"Then there will be nothing left between me and the Demon King."
His words were calm, but there was something hollow beneath them. Reina could hear it — a tone she had never noticed before. It wasn't fear. It was weariness.
She hesitated, then asked quietly, "What happens if you lose?"
Kaien stopped. The army froze behind him. The air went still.
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, without looking back, he answered, "Then everything ends. Every realm, every soul. The Abyss will consume what remains."
Reina lowered her gaze. "Then you can't lose."
He looked over his shoulder, his eyes faintly glowing red against the dim light. "That's why I don't intend to."
He turned forward again, but she caught something in his expression — a flicker of doubt, gone as quickly as it appeared.
They continued in silence until the ground began to slope downward. The canyon widened into a vast expanse filled with floating stones and rivers of black mist that shimmered with faint blue light. In the center of it all stood a single statue — a woman carved from crystal, kneeling, her face hidden behind flowing strands of stone.
Reina stopped as soon as she saw it. Her breath caught in her throat.
Kaien noticed. "What is it?"
She didn't answer. Her eyes were locked on the statue. The whispers in her mind grew louder now, overwhelming.
You know her, they said. You were born of her light.
Kaien turned fully to face her. "Reina."
She stepped forward slowly, almost in a trance. "It's… her," she whispered. "The First Seraph. The one who brought light to the mortal realm."
Azrael frowned. "That's impossible. The Seraphs perished in the War of Origin."
Reina shook her head. "No. They didn't. They became this."
Kaien's expression hardened. "The Second Gate. The Gate of Memory."
The statue's eyes opened.
A wave of light erupted outward, engulfing them all. The soldiers staggered back, shielding their faces as memories not their own flooded their minds — visions of a time before time, when light and shadow were one.
Kaien saw the heavens before their fall. He saw the Seraphs standing beside beings made of pure shadow, working together to weave creation itself. Then he saw the first betrayal. The Seraph in the statue, the one Reina recognized, reached out to the shadow's hand — only to have her wings burned away when the gods turned on her.
The vision shattered.
Kaien dropped to one knee, gripping Noxveil as the echoes faded. Reina fell to the ground beside him, trembling. Her hands glowed faintly, threads of silver and black running beneath her skin.
Kaien looked at her sharply. "Reina, what's happening to you?"
Her voice shook. "I… I don't know. I can feel something inside me. It's like it's waking up."
The statue's head tilted downward, and a soft voice filled the air — ancient, melodic, and sorrowful. "Child of balance. You carry my spark. The light that was cast into mortal flesh when the heavens fell."
Reina's eyes widened. "You're… my origin?"
"Yes," the statue whispered. "You are the vessel of my lost essence. The bridge between light and shadow. And he—" her gaze turned to Kaien "—is the blade forged to protect you. Together, you were meant to end what we began."
Kaien frowned. "You're saying she was created for this?"
"No," the voice said softly. "She was chosen."
Reina clutched her head. "Chosen for what? I never wanted any of this!"
The light around her grew brighter, almost blinding. Kaien reached out instinctively, grabbing her wrist. His own aura flared in response, dark and steady, wrapping around her like an anchor.
"Stay with me," he said quietly.
The statue's light dimmed, her form beginning to crack. "The Gate tests not your strength, but your truth. To pass, you must face what binds you both."
Before they could react, the ground split open beneath them.
Kaien and Reina fell through a whirlpool of light and darkness, landing in a place that felt unreal. It looked like Eclipsera — the realm they had fought so hard to save — but everything was reversed. The sky was black, the rivers silver, and the stars burned red.
Kaien stood slowly, scanning the horizon. "An illusion again?"
Reina's voice came softly from behind him. "No. A memory."
He turned to see her standing beside a version of herself — younger, dressed in white, her wings still whole. The two Reinas looked at each other, mirror images divided by time.
The younger one spoke first. "You were meant to remain pure," she said. "But you let him change you."
Reina's fists clenched. "He didn't change me. He saved me."
The younger self shook her head. "No. He made you like him. A creature of both light and dark. You were never meant to exist."
Kaien stepped between them. "Enough."
The two versions of Reina looked at him. The younger one sneered. "And you… you're the reason she's trapped here. You carry the power of the destroyer. You think you fight for balance, but all you bring is ruin."
Kaien's eyes glowed faintly crimson. "If I bring ruin, it is only to those who deserve it."
The younger self raised her hand. "Then prove it."
Light burst outward, blindingly bright. A spear of pure radiance formed in her grasp, and she hurled it toward Kaien.
He caught it with his bare hand. The force shook the ground, but he held it firm. The light burned his skin, yet he didn't flinch.
"Reina," he said quietly, looking past the weapon to the older one. "You have to choose. Which version of you will live?"
The real Reina's eyes filled with tears. The choice was tearing her apart. One side represented purity — a world untouched by pain. The other was the path she had chosen — one of darkness, of power, of truth.
She looked at Kaien. "I don't want to lose who I was… but I don't want to lose you either."
He stepped closer, still holding the burning spear, his voice calm but steady. "Then accept both. You were never meant to be only light or shadow. You are what the world needs — balance."
Reina took a trembling breath. Then she walked forward, reaching toward her other self.
The younger version tried to step back, but it was too late. Their hands met, and light enveloped them both. The air filled with a sound like a thousand bells ringing in harmony.
When the light faded, only one Reina remained. Her hair shimmered with both silver and black, and her wings — once broken — were now whole again, half dark and half luminous.
Kaien let the spear crumble in his hand. The illusion shattered, and they found themselves back before the statue.
The crystal figure was now fully crumbled, her form fading into dust. A faint smile touched her lips as she whispered her final words. "You have faced memory. You have accepted truth. The Second Gate is open."
The air split apart. A beam of light rose into the sky, and the way forward appeared — a vast staircase descending deeper into the Abyss, glowing faintly with alternating streams of light and shadow.
Kaien turned to Reina. She stood taller now, her new wings gleaming faintly.
He nodded once. "You've changed."
She smiled faintly. "Maybe. But I think I finally understand what I'm fighting for."
He looked ahead toward the endless path. "Then let's keep moving."
As they walked side by side, the Abyss whispered again — quieter now, almost in awe.
Two souls walk as one. Light reborn in shadow. The balance begins to wake.
And far below them, in the deepest pit of the Abyss, the Demon King stirred. His eyes opened, burning like dying suns.
"The gates fall one by one," he murmured. "So the Sovereign comes… Let him."
He rose slowly, his massive form casting shadows across a thousand miles of darkness. "For when he reaches me, only one truth will remain — even balance must kneel before the void."