Time stood still, frozen like unmoving fire. Astran, the figure wreathed in black flames, stood at the center of the fractured space. His presence weighed on everyone, like a burden threatening to crush not just their bodies but their resolve. The spheres reacted to his arrival—some glowed brighter, others dimmed, while the red sphere, already cracked, began to splinter into fragments.
“You sought balance, yet you fail to understand that balance cannot exist without sacrifice,” Astran spoke, his voice even, like a ritual chant. “You destroyed the old order and created chaos, which will now consume you.”
Melania stepped forward, positioning herself between Astran and the spheres. Determination and a faint trace of fear burned in her eyes.
“You speak of sacrifice, but it was your ambition that caused the fracture,” she said. “You try to impose your will on the system, while we are here to return its freedom.”
“Freedom?” Astran smiled, his grin cold as a blade. “Freedom is an illusion. In a node, there is always one who governs. If not me, then someone else.”
“Not this time,” Endar interjected, stepping beside Melania.
Astran raised his hand, and the space around them began to disintegrate. The spheres trembled, emitting chaotic bursts of energy. One of the blue spheres suddenly exploded, releasing a wave that forced everyone to stagger back.
“The choice is simple,” Astran said. “Either you submit to me and allow me to restore order, or you destroy yourselves trying to oppose me.”
Melania felt the energy of the spheres flowing into her body. They seemed to be seeking an outlet while simultaneously demanding guidance. She realized that the node itself had called her, recognizing her decision as crucial.
“We will not submit,” she declared, her voice firm and full of power. “If the node demands sacrifice, I am ready to give my strength, but I will not let you dictate its future.”
“You do not understand what you are dealing with!” Astran surged forward, his black, terrifying flames reaching out to engulf Melania.
In that instant, Endar stepped in front of her without hesitation, spreading his arms wide. His body began to glow with a golden light as the energy of the spheres flowed into him.
“No!” Melania shouted, but it was too late.
Endar closed his eyes and let the energy pass through him. His voice was quiet but resolute:
“I know what you seek, node. Accept this. Accept me.”
Astran’s flames collided with the golden radiance, and the space erupted in a brilliant flash of light. All the spheres began to sing, their sound filling every part of the node, every part of the souls present.
When the light faded, Endar stood in place, but his gaze was shadowed. Black flickers crept along his arms, while the golden glow within him had dimmed, as if something had been taken away.
“What did you do?” Melania asked, her voice trembling with concern.
“I gave the node part of myself to stabilize it,” Endar replied, though his voice was weary. “But it took more than I expected.”
Astran stepped back, realizing the spheres no longer responded to his power. He smiled again, this time with bitter amusement.
“You’ve won this round, Endar, but the node will always demand a guide. And next time it calls, it might choose me.”
With those words, Astran vanished, and the node returned to equilibrium. The spheres glowed in harmony once more, but now there was something new within them—a shadow of the choice they had accepted.
Melania approached Endar, taking his hand.
“We’ll find a way to fix this,” she said.
“And if we can’t?” he asked quietly.
“We have to try,” she replied.
The space around them began to shift, and the heroes realized the node was sending them back. But as they returned, the echo of what had happened lingered—a memory and a warning that would stay with them forever.