The last reflections disappeared.
Silence returned.
But it wasn't the same.
It wasn't the silence from before, empty and still — it was heavy, as if everything they had seen was still there, suspended in the space even after the images had vanished. Arthur remained still for a moment, staring at the now inert mirror before him. The final scenes still echoed within him: the Khaelyr receiving the power… the Katlônios being consumed… and above all, the feeling that those weren't just memories, but possibilities.
— We need to get out of here.
Mia's voice was low, but firm enough to break the state they were all trapped in.
No one disagreed.
There was nothing left there to see.
And even so, there was a constant feeling that staying would be worse.
They started walking.
No formal decision.
No plan.
Just… movement.
As if their bodies refused to remain in that place any longer.
Their footsteps barely echoed.
Almost not at all.
And then—
A sharp sound.
Thin.
Like glass cracking.
A mirror behind them fractured.
Then another.
And another.
Within seconds, every mirror in the room began to splinter at once. Cracks spread across their surfaces like veins of light, opening thin paths through which a white glow, faintly tinted blue, began to leak. It wasn't normal light — it was unstable, pulsing, as if forcing its way through.
Arthur didn't look back.
But he felt it.
The space was breaking.
Not physically.
But structurally.
As if that room was being discarded.
— Move! — Ayame said, picking up the pace.
The group accelerated.
The cracks intensified.
The sound grew louder.
And for a brief moment, as they fully crossed the boundary of the room, there was a sharp sensation — like passing through an invisible membrane.
The world beyond was different.
Darker.
More closed in.
The walls were no longer smooth, instead taking on an irregular, almost organic texture, as if made of overlapping layers of something that wasn't just stone. The air felt denser. Heavier. And there was something there… a constant sense of presence, as if the space itself was aware of every movement they made.
Kazuko took a deep breath, struggling.
— I… preferred the mirror place.
— You're sick — Kidero replied flatly, without looking at him.
But no one disagreed.
They kept moving.
For a few moments, the only sound was their footsteps and Kazuko's uneven breathing. The environment didn't help — the further they advanced, the stronger the sensation of being watched became, as if something was following, waiting for the right moment.
It was Mia who broke the silence this time.
— We need to find Alexius-sensei's group.
Shirō gave a slight nod.
— Yeah. If we stay split like this… we'll just get more lost.
Ayame crossed her arms as she walked.
— And if that place showed us anything… then wandering without direction is exactly what this mountain wants.
Arthur kept his eyes forward.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then he spoke:
— We'll find them.
The words came out firm.
Firmer than he expected.
And at that exact moment—
A faint blue pulse moved through the environment.
Subtle.
Quick.
Almost imperceptible.
But it was there.
A thin vibration, as if the space had reacted to that statement.
Arthur felt it first.
But said nothing.
They continued.
And then—
The first shadow appeared.
It didn't emerge clearly.
It was more like a flaw in the light.
A distortion.
Something that shouldn't be there.
And then it moved.
Fast.
Shooting toward the group.
— Watch out! — Shirō warned.
Kidero was already moving.
Flames ignited along his blade before impact, the fire lighting the corridor with a sharp glow. When he struck, the blade cut through the shadow — and unlike normal attacks, there was a reaction. Light wrapped around the dark form, burning parts of it, destabilizing its structure.
But it didn't disappear.
It pulled back.
And more came.
From the walls.
From the floor.
From corners the light couldn't reach.
— They're coming from everywhere! — Mia said, already gathering magic in her hands.
Bursts of wind mixed with energy, pushing space open while the light reflected from Kidero's flames helped keep the shadows at bay. Shirō moved with precision, intercepting movements and creating openings, while Ayame advanced with quick strikes, maintaining formation at all times.
Kazuko followed.
With difficulty.
But he didn't stop.
One shadow lunged straight at him.
Slower.
Closer.
For a moment—
It hesitated.
Stopped just inches away.
As if it were… observing.
Kazuko didn't understand.
No one did.
The shadow shifted slightly.
And then—
It pulled back.
Turned.
And went for another target.
— …It didn't attack him — Mia said, surprised.
— Why…? — Shirō murmured.
Arthur looked directly at Kazuko.
Then at his chest.
The answer was there.
But he didn't say it.
— Keep moving! — Ayame ordered.
The shadows increased.
More.
And more.
And more.
It didn't matter how many were struck — new ones kept emerging, sliding along surfaces, forming from gaps in the light, advancing without end. The group wasn't winning.
They were pushing forward.
— Don't stop! — Kidero shouted, driving ahead with his flaming blade, forcing a path.
The corridor seemed to close in around them.
The pressure grew.
The air thickened.
Until—
An opening.
Ahead.
More light.
— There! — Mia pointed.
They forced their way through.
Pushing.
Striking.
Advancing.
And then they broke through.
All at once.
The shadows did not follow.
They stopped at the boundary.
As if they couldn't cross.
The environment changed.
A wider space.
Different air.
And—
Other presences.
— …?
Arthur lifted his gaze.
On the other side of the space, another group had also arrived.
Alexius.
And the others.
The encounter was immediate.
Mutual surprise.
Recognition.
But there was no time for words.
Because something greater was already happening.
Behind Alexius—
The gate.
Massive.
Ancient.
Colossal beyond any natural proportion.
Its surface was formed by immense structures covered in deep engravings, too ancient to be fully understood at a glance. Lines ran across its entire span, forming patterns that felt like more than mere symbols — as if they were circuits of something far greater, connecting to points beyond that space.
And at its center—
The structure where the artifact had been placed.
Where the key had been inserted.
Now active.
The gate began to move.
Slowly.
Heavily.
The sound was deep.
Resonant.
As if something colossal was being awakened after ages of silence.
The structure opened just enough to form a fracture.
But that fracture—
Was already more than enough.
A dense darkness revealed itself beyond.
Not the absence of light.
But presence.
Something beyond.
The air shifted.
The environment responded.
And everyone there felt it.
That—
Was the beginning.