The shadow through which Lyrian had escaped hung in the chamber like a scent of betrayal. But for now, the main enemy was the cracked crystal, still spinning in the center of the room and radiating unbalanced energy.
Moaito's question echoed in the chamber: "How do we destroy it?"
Sere was still trembling with the adrenaline-filled power of her song and resistance. The Threshold Stone on her chest pulled her strongly and warmly towards the crystal. She thought about her response to Lyrian's attack. She had used power not to destroy, but to repair.
"We can't destroy it," Sere whispered, her eyes fixed on the crystal. "We can't think like Kael. This crystal... it's just a tool. What's corrupted is the energy flowing through it. We have to cleanse it. Restore the balance."
Moaito looked at Sere with mild astonishment at these words. He was raised with the "destroy" instinct of a millennia-old warrior. But Sere was right. They were not destroyers, but restorers.
"How?" he asked, his voice softer this time, like a student asking a question.
"Trust me," Sere said with a determined expression.
The two stood before the crystal. Sere cupped the Threshold Stone in her palm. Moaito prepared Lumer and Umbra not in an attack stance, but to be used as conduits. The swords of light and shadow shone gently towards the crystal.
"Now," Sere whispered. "Give me your energy. Your light and your shadow. But pure, without judgment, just the power of its existence."
Moaito closed his eyes. With his millennia of discipline, he focused the energy in his swords not to destroy, but to nurture. From Lumer flowed pure, bright light; from Umbra, a deep, calm shadow. These two opposing forces, instead of annihilating each other, merged within Sere's hands.
Sere channeled this combined energy through the Threshold Stone and directed it at the crystal. The moment it made contact, the crystal vibrated violently. The black and white cracks within seemed to struggle. Outside, the storm intensified for a moment, emitting a deafening roar.
Sere, drenched in sweat, tried to endure. This was more exhausting than any physical battle. "No!" she cried out, her voice trembling with effort. "This is not your nature! You are a messenger, a bearer of change! Remember!"
It was as if the crystal responded to her words. The vibration changed. It shifted from a struggling conflict to a process of purification, of cleansing. The black stains dispersed and vanished like polluted water being purified. The white, fragile cracks softened, blending into the crystal's natural clarity.
With one final shudder, the crystal grew calm. It was now pure, clear, and radiated a soft, balanced light from within. Simultaneously, the terrible noise outside ceased. It was replaced by the whistle of a fresh, clean mountain wind. The storm had subsided.
Both of them collapsed to the ground, their energy completely spent. But on their faces was something deeper than victory: completion.
"We did it," Sere breathed, lying on the ground.
Moaito looked at her. "You did it," he corrected, a warmth in his voice that hadn't been there before. "You teach not only power, but wisdom."
This moment of peace did not last long.
A noise came from the temple entrance. A figure, wounded and exhausted, but still standing, staggered in. Finn, the guard from the border village. His armor was shattered, his face covered in blood and dust. He could barely breathe.
"The others... the others..." he managed in a choked voice. "The villagers... I hid them in a cave... but... they're coming." His eyes were wide with fear. "A black army... marching from Aethelburg. And... and at their front is him. Kael. And beside him... beside him is a woman. Like a shadow that swallows light."
Finn's last bit of energy gave out, and he collapsed to the floor.
Moaito and Sere stared at each other, frozen. Their victory at the Pinnacle of the Wind felt like merely the first skirmish of a much larger war. Kael wasn't just buying time; he was gathering an army.
And now, beside him was a "shadow that swallows light." A new and unknown threat.
Sere slowly stood up. Her fatigue had been replaced by unshakable resolve. She looked at Finn, then at Moaito.
"So this is the war they want," she said, her voice like steel. "Then let's fight."
Victorious moments were short. But they were ready for the next storm.