The word burned across the device:
FINAL.The next tear ends a life.
The chamber fell dead silent.
Even the dust stopped falling.
Lina felt her heart slam painfully in her chest.Her breath came in short, sharp gasps.
Kai shifted in front of her, sword drawn, Shadowsteel flickering weakly around him. He was still shaking from his near-transformation.
But he stood between her and the device anyway.
"No one dies," he said quietly.A command.A promise.A threat.
Reyon swallowed. "Please tell me that thing is bluffing—like a haunted toaster."
Seren shook her head violently."No.I can feel it choosing.Something is being… decided."
Kai grabbed Lina's hand, gripping it tightly.It was shaking.
Not his.
Hers.
"Lina?" he whispered.
"I—" She swallowed. "I feel something pulling at my flame again…"
Seren gasped suddenly, eyes going wide.
"It's scanning you— all of you.It's trying to decide who the tear belongs to."
Reyon exhaled shakily. "Yeah, no pressure at all."
The device pulsed.
A circle of gold expanded outward—then split into four threads of light.
Each thread shot toward one of them.
One struck Reyon—He convulsed, illusions exploding out of him in violent fractals.
One hit Seren—She cried out as voices screamed through her.
One hit Kai—He dropped to a knee, clutching his burning mark.
And the last hit Lina.
She gasped, gripping her chest as a cold shock surged through her.
Then—
The threads snapped back into the device.
A single rune lit.
CHOSEN.
Lina's blood ran cold.
Reyon staggered. "Chosen WHO?!"His illusions began splitting him into multiple versions — one crying, one panicking, one dead-faced calm.
Seren stumbled into the wall. "Someone's life… someone's soul… was chosen by the device."
Kai forced himself to his feet.
"Tell us who."Shadowsteel spilled from him like dark frost.
Seren pressed her trembling hands to her ears.
"The voices—they're whispering—too many—too fast— I—I can't—"
Lina grabbed her shoulders. "Seren, listen. Just one voice. One word. Who is chosen?"
Seren's eyes rolled slightly as the soul-echoes forced themselves through her.
Then her head snapped up.
Her voice was not her own when she whispered the answer:
"You, Lina."
The world collapsed.
Kai's sword fell from his hand.
Reyon's illusions froze mid-motion.
Seren covered her mouth, horrified at the words that escaped her.
Lina stepped back, shaking her head violently. "No… no… n-No—"
Kai reached her in two strides, grabbing her arms.
"Lina—listen to me—nothing is taking you. NOTHING."
But the device disagreed.
A new rune flared:
BEGIN.
Light chains shot out—
Straight at Lina.
Kai moved first.
He threw himself in front of her—
But the chains phased through himlike he wasn't even there.
"KAI—!"Her scream tore the chamber.
The chains wrapped around her wrist, her flame, her chest.
White-hot agony shot through her.
"KAI!" she gasped, knees buckling.
He tried to tear the chains off—Shadowsteel slicing through nothing.
"LET HER GO!" he roared, voice breaking.
Reyon sprinted forward, illusions forming blades—They passed through the chains like smoke.
Seren screamed, "Lina—NO—NO—DON'T LET IT—"
The device flared.
A projection formed.
A silhouette.
A body.
Collapsed on the ground.
Lina's breath froze.Her heart stopped.
Was it hers…?
No.
Not hers.
It was—
"KAI," she whispered, voice cracking. "Please—please don't look—"
Kai grabbed her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his.
"Whatever it's showing—ignore it. Lina, LISTEN TO ME—"
But he turned.
And saw it.
His own body.
On the ground.
Blood pooled beneath him.Shadowsteel flickered weakly.His eyes were open—dead, cold, empty.
Kai staggered back.
Reyon swore under his breath.
Seren sobbed.
But Lina—
Lina screamed.
"STOP! STOP IT! STOP SHOWING US THIS!"
The projection grew clearer—Kai, dying.Reaching toward someone—
Toward her.
Kai dropped to his knees.
"Is… is that how I die?"
"No!" Lina cried, grabbing his face."No, no, no—this isn't real! It's a lie—it's showing us lies—"
Seren trembled violently. "I—I don't think it's lying… I think it's showing a possible future— if Lina is the one chosen—"
Reyon clenched his teeth. "Then we change the future! EASY!"
But another rune lit up.
ACCEPT.
Lina's eyes widened."No. No— I won't accept any of this—"
"ACCEPT."
The chains squeezed tighter.
Her flame flickered wildly inside her chest.
Kai grabbed her desperately.
"Lina! Don't accept ANYTHING! Stay with me—look at me— NOT at that thing— ME!"
She sobbed, clinging to his uniform.
"I'm scared—Kai, I'm so scared—"
"I know— but I'm here— you're not choosing ANYTHING—"
But the device ignited.
The chamber trembled.
And a voice—not from the device, not from Seren, not from memory—A voice from DEEP beneath the academy—
whispered in Lina Veris's mind:
"Little flame…it is not his death that awaits you."
The chamber went silent.
Lina froze.
Kai froze.
Reyon froze.
Seren froze.
The voice continued, gentle, ancient, cruel:
"It is yours."
The light exploded—
To be Continued© Kishtika., 2025All rights reserved.