The sky above Aetherion was thick with dark clouds, heavy and oppressive, blotting out the sun's warm glow. The wind-glider descended slowly, its engines humming softly against the eerie silence that awaited below. Riku's heart pounded as he and Aria stepped onto the terrace of the grand castle — a place that should have been alive with activity but was now hauntingly still.
Aria's eyes narrowed, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword. "Something's wrong," she whispered. "Where is everyone?"
Riku scanned the vast courtyard. No guards, no servants, not even a flicker of light from the stained-glass windows. The silence was deafening.
Suddenly, a voice broke the stillness.
"Welcome back, hero."
A tall figure emerged from the shadowed archway — General Kael. His golden armor gleamed dimly under the clouded sky, but his eyes were cold, hard as steel. The once-friendly mentor now carried an air of ruthless authority.
"You've brought nothing but chaos," Kael said, his voice heavy with accusation. "The Council demands your surrender."
Riku's throat tightened. "What? Why? We fought to save this city!"
Kael's lips curled in a bitter smile. "The Shadow Herald's words reached the Council. They fear your power, your origin. They see you as a threat."
Behind Kael, soldiers stepped forward, swords drawn and faces grim.
Aria drew her blade in an instant. "We won't go down without a fight."
Kael raised a hand. "Stand down. This is not a battle you can win."
Riku felt a rush of anger, but also confusion. How had his allies turned so quickly?
Before he could respond, a radiant burst of light exploded above the courtyard. Everyone shielded their eyes, and when the glow faded, a figure floated down gracefully. Cloaked in shimmering silver robes, her face hidden beneath a swirling veil of wind, she exuded an otherworldly presence.
"I am Elyra," she declared in a voice both soft and commanding. "Seer of the Third Mirror."
The soldiers knelt, and even Kael bowed his head.
Elyra's gaze locked on Riku. "The Shadow Herald does not seek open war. He desires reflection. Until you face your three mirrors, you cannot hope to defeat him."
Riku frowned. "Mirrors? What are you talking about?"
She extended a delicate hand, revealing a black crystal shard that pulsed with a faint inner light.
"The first mirror: your past, the memories you have forgotten. This shard holds a fragment of what was lost."
Riku reached out, the shard warm in his palm. Suddenly, visions flooded his mind — childhood faces, forgotten promises, a name he couldn't quite grasp.
Elyra's voice echoed softly. "Only by confronting these mirrors will you become whole."
Before he could speak, she vanished, leaving the courtyard bathed in silence once more.
Aria stepped forward, determination blazing in her eyes. "Looks like your journey's just getting harder."
Riku clenched his fist around the shard. "Then I guess I better start looking into the past I left behind."
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