The great doors of the palace creaked open, their iron hinges groaning under the weight of centuries.
Through them stepped the guard Roderic, in a commoner clothes, his movements calm - too calm. The sunlight shone on him, as he crossed into the courtyard where the soldiers of Altheris still trained.
Lorin froze mid-step. His breath hitched.
That face. That stride. That presence.
The same one from his vision.
The same one the amulet had warned him of.
The hum of whispers returned - fierce now, urgent - echoing inside his skull:
"The blade that bears no soul... the shadow in the King's colors... strike before it strikes you."
"Lorin?" called Captain Rowan, noticing his stance. "What is it, boy?"
But Lorin didn't respond. His sword was already drawn.
With a shout, he charged across the courtyard, boots pounding against the stone. Steel flashed. The guards scattered, startled.
The intruding guard turned just in time to block Lorin's attack, eyes wide in shock. "By the gods-are you mad?!" he barked, parrying with surprising skill.
Lorin pressed harder, every instinct screaming. "Who are you?!"
The man grunted under the weight of the strike. "I am Ser Roderic, son of Alden! A royal guard of this castle- I swear it!"
"Lies!" Lorin hissed. "You are not him- I saw you fall!"
"What-?" Roderic's eyes went wide with confusion, then terror. "I... I did... fall..."
His words faltered. His body twitched. A dark mist began to seep from beneath his armor, coiling around his limbs like living smoke. His voice deepened, warping as he choked out, "He took my form..."
Seraphina gasped from above. The Crimson Amulet blazed bright red, its glow fierce enough to paint her face in light. The whispers filled her mind now, sharp and frantic:
"The darkness wears his name... do not trust the living shell..."
Roderic was one of the most skilled fighters in the palace - and even though he was no longer truly himself, he still moved with deadly precision, each strike echoing his former glory.
Steel clashed in a blur. Lorin fought desperately, heart pounding, the whispers from the amulet growing unbearable.
Then -
The amulet flared.
A violent surge of crimson light burst from Seraphina's chest, spilling across the courtyard like wildfire. She screamed, clutching at the glowing gem as it seared against her skin.
Lorin staggered, gasping as the same pain tore through his body - the amulet's energy linking them, binding their souls. His knees buckled under the invisible force.
Seraphina's eyes glowed red with fury and agony. Her voice shattered the air:
"Come out and face me! Stop hiding behind an orb!"
In that instant, high within the dark tower, the witch and sorcerer stared into their crystal orb - their gazes fixed not on Seraphina, but on Lorin.
The sorcerer's eyes narrowed. "Varion's... incarnate," he murmured.
The witch tilted her head, a slow, knowing smile spreading across her lips. "I knew it, he heard my call."
Down below, in the chaos of the courtyard, the manipulated guard twitched, shadows twisting beneath his armor. His voice dropped to a rasp as he pressed a trembling hand to his bangle.
"Found it..."
The words echoed across both worlds - the battlefield and the tower - sealing the moment that would change everything.