The night air was still.
Lucian and Selene stood in silence, watching Alistair disappear into the dark horizon. The remnants of the Abyss had faded completely, leaving nothing but the quiet expanse of an unfamiliar land stretching before them.
For the first time in what felt like forever, there was no immediate danger. No shadows clawing at their heels. No war raging around them.
They were free.
But freedom, Lucian realized, came with its own weight.
Selene let out a deep breath, squeezing his hand. "What now?"
Lucian scanned their surroundings. They had escaped the Abyss, but this was not the world they had left behind. The air smelled different, the sky held stars he didn't recognize, and the land stretched in rolling hills of silver grass, glowing faintly under the night's embrace.
"This isn't the Emberlands," Selene murmured. "Or anywhere I've ever seen."
Lucian frowned. "Then where are we?"
A rustling in the grass made them both tense.
Lucian instinctively shifted in front of Selene, his grip tightening around his sword hilt. His body ached from the battle, but adrenaline still pulsed in his veins.
The rustling grew louder. Then—
A figure emerged from the shadows.
At first, Lucian thought it was Alistair returning, but this was someone else.
A woman.
She had silver hair cascading down her back and eyes that shimmered like the moon. Her skin was marked with faint glowing runes, shifting in color like flowing water. She wore robes woven from something that seemed part fabric, part light.
Selene tensed beside him. "Who are you?"
The woman's gaze swept over them, lingering on their battle-worn forms. She spoke, her voice calm but firm. "You are not meant to be here."
Lucian frowned. "Where is here?"
The woman took a step closer, the runes on her arms pulsating softly. "The Realm Between."
Selene's breath caught. "That's a myth."
The woman's lips curved slightly. "Many things are."
Lucian exchanged a glance with Selene. He had heard legends of the Realm Between—a place that existed outside of time and space, where lost souls and forgotten gods wandered.
But legends weren't supposed to be real.
Selene straightened. "We didn't come here by choice. The Abyss collapsed, and—"
"I know," the woman interrupted gently. "The Abyss was an unnatural tear in existence. Its destruction was necessary. But its unraveling sent ripples through the fabric of the worlds."
Lucian's pulse quickened. "You're saying we were pulled here?"
The woman nodded. "And you must leave before the Realm decides to keep you."
Selene took a slow step forward. "Can you help us?"
The woman studied her, then Lucian. There was something ancient in her gaze, something that made him feel as if she were looking through him, not just at him.
"I can guide you to a passage," she said finally. "But the path will not be easy."
Lucian let out a dry chuckle. "When is it ever?"
The woman turned, motioning for them to follow. "Come. There is little time."
Lucian and Selene exchanged another look, then moved in step behind her.
As they walked, Lucian felt the strangeness of this place settle into his bones. The land was eerily silent, yet filled with unseen motion. The stars above seemed to shift as if they were watching. The silver grass swayed in a wind that did not touch his skin.
Selene wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't like this place."
Lucian couldn't blame her. It felt wrong—not in a dangerous way, but in an unnatural, unfinished way. As if they were standing in the cracks between reality itself.
After a few minutes, Selene spoke again. "Who are you?"
The woman didn't stop walking. "I am called Elaris."
Lucian frowned. "You said this realm could keep us. What does that mean?"
Elaris finally turned to look at them. "The Realm Between is where lost things go. If you stay too long, you become part of it. The land will forget where you came from. And so will you."
Selene's breath hitched.
Lucian clenched his fists. "Then we need to get out. Fast."
Elaris nodded. "We are close."
Ahead, a faint light shimmered. A doorway—no, a tear in reality itself—stood at the crest of the hill. It flickered, shifting between images of different places: a vast ocean, a golden desert, a towering castle, an endless forest.
Selene's grip tightened on his arm. "How do we know which one leads home?"
Elaris's expression darkened. "You don't."
Lucian exhaled sharply. "That's not helpful."
Elaris motioned toward the tear. "The Realm will test you. It will show you what you want most. But desire is not always truth. You must see past the illusions."
Selene hesitated. "And if we choose wrong?"
Elaris's gaze turned somber. "Then you may never return."
Lucian and Selene stood before the shifting portal, watching as it cycled through possibilities.
Selene's voice was barely above a whisper. "What if we can't tell?"
Lucian took her hand. "Then we do it together."
They exchanged one last glance, took a deep breath—
And stepped forward.