A year had passed. The capital of Esteria was not the same gleaming, oppressive city it once was.
It was livelier, more colorful. The scars of the final conflict were still visible in some places, being repaired by work crews of humans and Sun Elves working side-by-side. There was no king.
Instead, a provisional council now ruled, comprised of representatives from the human nobility, the merchant guilds, the common folk, and for the first time in history, the Sun Elves and the Dryads.
Kenji and Akari sat on this council, representing the "Summoned," who had chosen to make Esteria their home.
On a quiet hill overlooking the city, a different kind of monument stood. It was a beautiful, wild garden, known as the Garden of Coexistence.
At its center stood two unique markers.
One was a simple, elegant obelisk of sun-elf crystal, inscribed with the demonic runes for "Sacrifice" and "Redemption."
It was a memorial to Vorlak.
The other was a bench, carved from shadow-wood that seemed to drink the light, placed next to a plot of sun-kissed flowers.
On this bench sat Haruto and Lyra, their hands intertwined.
He no longer wore the clothes of a fugitive or a soldier, but simple, comfortable robes.
She had a circlet of woven silver and living ivy in her hair, a symbol of her role as an ambassador and bridge between worlds.
"It's peaceful," Lyra said, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"It is," Haruto agreed, watching the sunset paint the sky in hues of orange and purple.
"It's not perfect. There are still arguments on the council, and there will always be those who fear what they don't understand."
"But it's a start," she finished for him. He smiled, looking down at their joined hands.
"It's more than a start."
A familiar, confident voice called out from behind them. "Am I interrupting?" It was Kaito.
He wore practical traveler's gear, a pack on his back.
His Sun-Blade was sheathed at his hip, but it no longer blazed with aggressive light; it glowed with a soft, steady radiance. "Kaito!" Haruto stood, clasping his former rival's arm.
"You're leaving?" "The council is stable. My... my purpose here feels complete," Kaito said, a hint of his old confidence returning, but tempered by wisdom.
"There are other parts of this world that were affected by the Core's influence. Other people who need help.
I want to see it. To help where I can. To understand what it truly means to be a 'hero' without a crown or a throne to fight for." Haruto nodded in understanding.
"You will always have a home here." "I know," Kaito smiled. He nodded respectfully to Lyra.
"Look after him. He still has a tendency to brood in the shadows." Lyra laughed. "I will."
With a final wave, Kaito turned and walked down the hill, towards the horizon and his new path.
As twilight deepened, Haruto and Lyra sat in comfortable silence. The first stars began to appear.
Haruto summoned a small, gentle wisp of shadow, not for war or defense, but to dance playfully around Lyra's fingers, making her laugh. It was a simple, quiet magic. A magic of peace.
A magic of a future they had fought for, bled for, and finally won. The Black Shadow had found not just redemption, but his place in the world, and a love that would light his way, always.