Smoke and energy cracked through the vault.
The real Erik stood—Veyrion in hand—facing his worst fear:himself.
Or rather… the shadow of what he could become.
Black armored Erik, the Mirror Erik, walked out of the shattered glass. His golden eyes gleamed with cruel confidence.
"Nice sword," he said. "Too bad you won't survive long enough to use it properly."
⚔️ A Battle of Self
Erik charged first — Veyrion's blade singing through the air.
Mirror Erik moved effortlessly. Each block, each movement… identical.
Like fighting his own instincts.
Their blades clashed, soul sparks flying. Every strike tore the room further apart — relics shattered, runes faded, magic turned unstable.
"I'm not you," Erik growled.
Mirror Erik grinned. "You will be. You'll beg to be."
🧠 Psychological Warfare
"You hide behind humanity," Mirror Erik hissed, dodging a soul-thread slash. "You want friends. Family. But the moment you lose one… you'll break."
Erik froze for a split second. Lia's face flashed in his mind. His village. His parents.
And in that hesitation—Mirror Erik struck.
A shallow cut across Erik's side.
Blood. Not much — but enough.
Erik winced.
"Don't listen to him,"the soul inside warned."He was born of doubt, not destiny."
⚔️ The Soul Awakens — Partially
"You're stalling," Mirror Erik sneered.
Erik gritted his teeth, knelt, and focused. His Soulflare mark ignited — now spreading to his forearms.
"Then let's end this."
Boom!
A wave of energy burst from him, launching both combatants across the room. Veyrion pulsed violently — its golden core now showing a second glyph forming near the hilt.
"You're unlocking the second gate,"the soul said. "Slowly."
But Erik's body strained under the pressure. His veins flickered with soul-light, muscles twitching.
He wasn't ready to go full force.
🕶️ The Betrayer's Twist
From the shadows, Thevar, the traitor, laughed.
"You think you're fighting a version of yourself?" he said, stepping forward. "He isn't your shadow."
Erik and Mirror Erik both paused.
Thevar's hand glowed red. He pulled out a binding crystal — pulsing with Mirror Erik's energy.
"He's a failed timeline I stole — a discarded possibility. A soul fragment twisted into flesh."
Mirror Erik looked toward Thevar.
"You used me."
Thevar smirked. "Of course I did. You're nothing without him. You were always just a reflection."
Something inside Mirror Erik snapped.
☠️ The Turn
Mirror Erik didn't hesitate.
He stabbed Thevar — straight through the heart.
The instructor gasped, dropped the crystal, and fell.
Erik watched in disbelief.
Mirror Erik turned, now breathing heavily. "He created me. But I'm still you. And that means…"
He raised his blade again.
"I'll still win."
🔥 Final Duel
Their final clash shook the chamber.
Veyrion pulsed stronger now — its edge glowing brighter with every strike.
Mirror Erik shouted, "You fear becoming me!"
Erik yelled back, "I fear forgetting who I am!"
He leapt high, Veyrion glowing like a comet — and struck downward.
A massive blast erupted.
Light. Silence. Dust.
When the smoke cleared…
Erik stood — shaking, breathing hard.
Mirror Erik was on his knees.
Cracked armor. Blood. His face… twisted in pain. But he smiled.
"You think it's over?"
Erik didn't answer. He stepped forward, ready to end it.
But then—
Mirror Erik looked behind him and smirked.
"…Took her long enough."
Erik turned.
And froze.
There, at the vault entrance — stood Arenya.
But something was wrong.
Her red eyes were glowing violently. Her skin was cracked with crimson light.
And she wasn't alone.
A ghostly figure floated beside her — barely visible, wrapped in shadows.
"That's not her,"the soul said sharply."Something's controlling her — something old."
Arenya's voice was layered — not just hers.
"Erik… you opened the blade.Now the ones who lost it…want it back."
The ground split beneath him.
And Erik fell—into a spiraling abyss of light and darkness.