The Council of Keepers of Balance listened to Liara''s story about the Star Prison with expressions ranging from deep amazement to obvious concern. The Archivist sat motionless, his golden face inscrutable, but something resembling anxiety rippled in his eyes. Oriana continuously changed her position, her flame-hair fluctuating with increasing intensity. The crystalline being emitted a quiet ringing sound, its frequency gradually rising, creating an almost painful sense of tension.


    "The Star Prison," the Archivist finally said when Liara finished her story. "A place of legends and nightmares. A place many considered merely a myth, a metaphor for the state of fragmentation, not an actual space."


    "But it is real," Liara said firmly. "I feel it. The connection with the shard was genuine, too deep, too... resonating to be a simple dream or illusion."


    Tella, standing beside her, nodded in confirmation.


    "I observed the establishment of this connection," she said. "It wasn''t an ordinary dream. It was actual contact with a shard located somewhere... beyond ordinary space-time."


    Oriana rose from her seat, her fiery eyes narrowing.


    "Even if the Star Prison is real," she said, "it raises countless questions. Who are these Collectors? Why are they gathering shards of the Ancients? For what purpose? And most importantly—can we trust the call of this particular shard?"


    Liara pondered these questions. She couldn''t deny their validity. The call from her dream had been insistent, almost desperate, but what truly lay behind it? Was it really a part of her essence seeking reunion, or something more complex, more... potentially dangerous?


    "I don''t know the answers to these questions," she admitted honestly. "But I feel this is important. That it''s somehow connected to our mission in the Distorted, to the overall... pattern we''re just beginning to discern."


    The Archivist nodded, his ancient face expressing deep thoughtfulness.


    "Perhaps you''re right," he said. "More and more shards are beginning to... awaken, become self-aware, seek connections with each other. What we saw in Craven, the dream about the Star Prison, the situation in the Distorted... all of these might be parts of a larger pattern, a deeper process occurring in the very fabric of the multiverse."


    He glanced around at the other Council members, as if seeking their support or objections.


    "We must carefully consider this new information," he continued. "Decide how it affects our current plans, the mission to the Distorted. And Daren Vultar''s role in all this. His journey to the Echo Repository now takes on new significance, new context."


    The crystalline being emitted a series of melodic sounds that transformed into words:


    "We must be cautious. Very cautious. The Star Prison, if it truly exists, might be key to understanding the nature of shards and their possible reintegration. But it could also be a trap. Bait for those seeking easy answers to complex questions."


    Oriana nodded, her fiery eyes narrowing even more.


    "Agreed. We need to learn more before taking any action. Wait for Daren''s return from the Echo Repository, gather more information about these Collectors, about the true nature of the Star Prison."


    She turned to Liara, her gaze softening.


    "Meanwhile, you and Tella should continue preparation for the mission to the Distorted. That remains our priority. The shard there is in immediate danger, unlike those in the Star Prison, which seem to exist in a kind of... conservation."


    Liara nodded, agreeing with this logic, though part of her felt a strange attraction to the cold stars from her dream, an urgent need to answer their call.


    The Council continued their discussion, developing plans and strategies based on the new information. It was decided that Liara and Tella would continue preparing for the mission to the Distorted, while simultaneously studying everything possible in the archives of the Primordial Garden about the Star Prison and the Collectors. Daren, meanwhile, could gather valuable information in the Echo Repository that might help them in both directions.


    As the Council meeting was coming to an end, and participants began to disperse, a sound suddenly rang out—a strange, pulsating signal that seemed to emanate from the very walls of the hall. The Archivist froze, his golden eyes widening in surprise.


    "Perimeter activation," he said quietly. "Someone is trying to enter the Primordial Garden... in an unusual way."


    "An invasion?" Oriana asked tensely, her flame-hair rising higher.


    "Not exactly," the Archivist shook his head. "Rather... a request for entry. An insistent request from a being who doesn''t know the usual access paths."


    He made a gesture with his hand, and a projection appeared above the table—an image of a strange point in space at the border of the Primordial Garden, where reality seemed to fold upon itself, forming something like a funnel. In the center of this funnel, a figure was visible—humanoid, clearly female, with dark hair, dressed in simple clothes that seemed vaguely familiar to Liara.


    "That''s..." she began, trying to remember where she had seen this young woman before.


    "Nira," Tella finished for her. "An initiate from the Order of Guardians. The one who treated you with ''sincere curiosity,'' as mentioned in the records of your awakening in the temple."


    Liara stared at the projection in amazement. Nira—a young initiate whom she barely remembered from her hazy first days after awakening in the golem body. How could she have found a way to the Primordial Garden? And, more importantly, why?


    "We should allow her to enter," Liara said decisively. "If she found a way to cross worlds and reach this place, she must have a compelling reason."


    The Archivist looked uncertain.


    "It could be a trap," he warned. "An agent of the Order of Guardians, sent to find you."


    "Or it could be someone who needs our help," Liara objected. "Who risked everything to find me."


    She looked at the projection of Nira, seeing fatigue and desperation on the young woman''s face, seeing her persistent attempts to break through barriers that must have seemed insurmountable to her.


    The Archivist exchanged glances with other Council members, then slowly nodded.


    "We will allow her to enter," he said. "But under observation. And if she poses a threat..."


    "She doesn''t," Liara said firmly, though deep down she wasn''t so sure. She barely remembered Nira, had only a vague impression of a benevolent young woman with brown eyes. But her instincts told her that this unexpected visit was important, that it was part of the same pattern that had begun to manifest with her dream of cold stars.


    The Archivist made another gesture with his hand, and the projection changed, showing how the funnel in space stabilized, taking the form of a small but steady portal. Nira seemed to sense the change, her face lighting up with hope, and she stepped forward, disappearing from the projection.


    "She has entered," said the Archivist. "The Junior Keepers will meet her and bring her here." He looked at Liara with an expression resembling a warning. "I hope your faith in her is justified."


    Liara silently nodded, feeling a strange tension inside. What could have made Nira, a simple initiate from the Order of Guardians, seek her across worlds? What did she want to say or ask that was so important it justified such risk?


    They waited in a silence that seemed stretched, filled with unspoken questions and concerns. Finally, the doors of the hall opened, and two Junior Keepers entered, accompanying a young woman who looked both exhausted and determined.


    Nira was thin, almost emaciated, her simple initiate''s clothes torn and soiled, as if she had gone through severe trials to get here. Her chestnut hair was tangled, her face covered with small scratches, but her brown eyes burned with determination and relief when she saw Liara.


    "I found you," she exhaled, taking a step forward. "At last. I was afraid I wouldn''t make it in time."


    "Nira," Liara said softly, approaching her. "How did you find us? How did you cross worlds?"


    The young woman shook her head as if this question was insignificant.


    "That''s not important. What''s important is what I have to tell you." She looked around, her gaze stopping on the Council members, but she didn''t seem frightened by their unusual appearance, as if she had already seen too many strange things to be surprised by anything. "The Order has split. There are those who support High Guardian Sedric, and those who follow Magister Elric. Both seek you, but with different purposes."


    Liara exchanged quick glances with Tella. The split in the Order wasn''t a complete surprise—they had already noticed signs of disagreement during their stay at the temple. But the fact that these disagreements had turned into open conflict was a new and troubling development.


    "Tell us more," Liara asked, gesturing for Nira to sit. The young woman seemed only now to realize her exhaustion and gratefully sank into the offered seat.


    "It all started after your escape," Nira began, her voice quiet but clear. "Sedric was furious. He accused Elric of insufficient vigilance, of allowing you to escape with... with the one who called himself Kairos."


    "Daren," Liara automatically corrected. "His real name is Daren Vultar."


    Nira nodded, accepting this clarification without questions.


    "Elric didn''t accept these accusations. Instead, he made counter-accusations—that Sedric''s methods were too slow, too cautious. That we were losing precious time while the Fading spread faster and faster."


    She paused, gathering her thoughts.


    "At first, their dispute remained an internal matter for the highest circle of Magisters. But then..." she hesitated, as if unsure how to describe what had happened. "Then Elric began conducting his own experiments. In secret from Sedric, in the dungeons of the temple, known only to his closest supporters."


    "What kind of experiments?" asked Tella, her silver eyes narrowing.


    Nira looked at her with an expression that mixed fear and strange determination.


    "He... collects the essence of shards," she said quietly. "Not the shards themselves, but their... energy, their essence. He developed a method to extract it from beings who, he believes, carry fragments of Aeon. And he uses this essence to create... something. A new body, a new form for what he calls ''the true Aeon.''"


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Liara felt a chill run down her spine at these words. Extracting the essence of shards? Creating a new body for Aeon? This sounded like a profound distortion of the idea of reunion, like something eerie and potentially dangerous.


    "And how does he find these... carriers of shards?" she asked, already fearing the answer.


    Nira lowered her eyes, her voice becoming even quieter.


    "At first, he used only volunteers—those from the Order who were completely devoted to his vision. But when they proved insufficient..." she paused, her hands clenching into fists. "He began searching beyond the temple. Ordinary people who showed signs of... peculiarity. Strange abilities, unusual dreams, sudden changes in behavior. Anything that might indicate the presence of a shard."


    She raised her eyes, and Liara saw tears in them.


    "Some of them died during the procedure. Others... changed. Became something else, something... not quite human."


    A heavy silence fell in the hall. The Council members exchanged grim looks, Tella stood motionless, her silver form seeming frozen in shock. Liara felt horror and anger growing inside her. What Nira was describing wasn''t just dangerous—it was deeply wrong, a perversion of the very idea of healing and reunion.


    "And Sedric?" she finally asked. "Does he know about these experiments?"


    "He knows now," Nira nodded. "One of the subjects escaped, reached the upper levels of the temple, where Sedric''s followers found him. Before dying, he told them what had been done to him." She swallowed, her voice trembling. "Since then, the split has become open. Sedric declared Elric a heretic, perverting the sacred principles of the Order. Elric, in turn, accused Sedric of cowardice, of inability to do what''s necessary to save the world from the Fading."


    "And you''re on Sedric''s side?" asked Tella, carefully observing the young woman.


    Nira shook her head, her face expressing a complex mixture of emotions.


    "I''m not on anyone''s side," she said quietly. "I just want this to stop. For the suffering to end." She looked directly at Liara. "That''s why I sought you. I believe you can stop this. Find another way. A path that requires neither Elric''s sacrifices nor Sedric''s inaction."


    Liara was touched by this faith, this trust that seemed to have no basis other than Nira''s intuition, her inner sense of what was right.


    "How did you find us?" she asked. "How did you cross worlds?"


    Nira lowered her gaze to her hands, as if seeing them for the first time.


    "I''m... not entirely sure," she admitted. "After the split became open, chaos broke out in the temple. Sedric''s followers and Elric''s fought each other, using artifacts and rituals that should never have been used that way. I tried to help those who were wounded, but..." she fell silent, her face paling at the memories. "One of Elric''s devices was activated at the moment I was passing by. It created something like... a tear in space. And I just... fell into it."


    She raised her eyes, which reflected genuine bewilderment.


    "I found myself in a strange place. Not quite a world, but rather... a space between worlds. There were paths, glowing threads connecting different points. I didn''t know where to go, but..." she hesitated, as if uncertain whether to continue.


    "But what?" the Archivist gently prompted.


    "I sort of... felt her," Nira nodded toward Liara. "As if there was some kind of connection between us, some thread that pulled me in a certain direction. I just followed this feeling, through... I don''t know how many worlds, how many spaces. Until I ended up here."


    Liara exchanged a quick glance with Tella. A connection? Between her and Nira? This was strange, inexplicable. Unless...


    "Nira," she said slowly, carefully choosing her words. "Have you ever felt... different from others? Had dreams that seemed too real? Known things you shouldn''t have known?"


    The young woman looked at her with an expression of deep surprise and strange relief.


    "All my life," she said quietly. "I''ve always felt... not quite in my place. As if part of me belonged somewhere else." She paused, her brown eyes filling with sudden understanding. "You think that I...?"


    "Possibly," Liara nodded. "Possibly, you too have a shard of Aeon within you. Small, dormant, but strong enough to create a connection with me, to guide you through worlds when you found yourself in the Borderlands."


    Nira looked stunned by this idea, as if she had never considered such a possibility.


    "I... don''t know what to say," she murmured. "It explains so much, and yet... raises so many new questions."


    "We''ll have time to discuss this," Liara assured her. "But now, what''s more important is what you''ve told us about the Order. About Elric''s experiments." She turned to the Council. "We must do something. If Elric is truly collecting the essence of shards, if he''s trying to create a new body for Aeon in this way..."


    "This is extremely troubling," the Archivist agreed. "And possibly connected to what we''ve seen in the Distorted. With the infection spreading there."


    Oriana rose from her seat, her fiery eyes full of determination.


    "We must send a reconnaissance mission to Alkarion," she said. "See with our own eyes what''s happening in the temple, assess the scale of the threat."


    "Not just reconnaissance," the Archivist objected. "If what Nira has told us is true, if Elric is indeed conducting such experiments... we must stop him. Save those who can still be saved."


    He turned to Liara and Tella.


    "You two are best suited for this mission. You know the temple, know the Order. And you have... personal interest in this matter."


    Liara nodded, feeling determination growing within her. The thought that Elric was using innocent people, possible carriers of shards, for his experiments, evoked deep anger in her. It was a perversion of the very idea of wholeness, of the very concept of healing.


    "We''ll go," she said firmly. "But what about the mission to the Distorted? And the Star Prison? And Daren, who''s still in the Echo Repository?"


    "The Distorted can wait," said the Archivist. "The situation there has been stable for a century; a few more days won''t make a difference. As for the Star Prison... we''ll continue research, gathering information. And Daren..." he paused, his golden face becoming thoughtful. "We''ll send him a message, if we can. Tell him about the change of plans. But if we can''t... he''s a smart man. He''ll know what to do when he returns and finds that you''ve gone to Alkarion."


    Tella stepped forward, her silver form glowing with new intensity.


    "When do we leave?" she asked.


    "As soon as possible," replied the Archivist. "Tomorrow at dawn, if you can prepare by then. We''ll provide everything necessary—weapons, protective amulets, maps of the temple, if we have such."


    He looked at Nira, his expression softening.


    "And you, young seeker, must rest. Recover your strength. Your journey was long and difficult, and you''ve earned peace."


    Nira nodded, grateful for this care, but her face remained serious.


    "I want to help," she said. "In any way. I know the temple, know the location of the dungeons where Elric conducts his experiments. I can be a guide."


    Liara and Tella exchanged glances. Nira''s offer was valuable—her knowledge of the temple, especially its secret areas, could be invaluable. But the risk to the young woman, who had just survived such a dangerous journey, was significant.


    "We appreciate your offer," Liara said gently. "But you''ve already done enough, risking yourself to find us, to warn us. Now let us risk ourselves to correct what''s happening in the temple."


    Nira looked at her with a long gaze, in which a strange recognition was readable, as if she saw something in Liara that others didn''t see. Finally, she slowly nodded.


    "I understand," she said quietly. "But please be careful. Elric... has changed since you last saw him. He''s become... obsessed with his mission, his vision of the future. And he has followers, as fanatical as he is."


    "We''ll be careful," promised Tella, her silver face serious. "And we''ll do everything possible to save those who can still be saved."


    With that, the meeting concluded, and the Junior Keepers led Nira to guest quarters where she could rest and recover. Liara and Tella remained with the Council, discussing details of the upcoming mission, strategies for infiltrating the temple, possible ways to rescue Elric''s prisoners.


    When all practical matters had been discussed, and they finally remained alone, walking through the corridors of the Primordial Garden to their rooms, Liara felt a strange mixture of emotions. Anxiety for those suffering in the temple dungeons. Anger at Elric and his perverted methods. Concern for Daren, who was still on a dangerous journey to the Echo Repository. And, deepest of all, a strange feeling of connection with Nira—a young woman who might carry a small fragment of the same essence as herself.


    "What are you thinking about?" Tella asked quietly, noticing Liara''s thoughtfulness.


    "About Nira," she answered. "About the possibility that she too has a shard of Aeon. And about what this might mean for the concept of the Third Path."


    Tella nodded, her silver eyes full of understanding.


    "If this is true, it could be another manifestation of that network of connections we''ve been talking about. Not just between shards that are aware of their nature, but also between those that remain dormant, hidden, yet still... connected."


    "Exactly," said Liara. "And if this connection could guide Nira through worlds, help her find me... it suggests that the network is stronger, deeper than we assumed."


    She paused, her thoughts shifting to another, more troubling topic.


    "And this makes Elric''s experiments even more horrible. If he''s truly extracting the essence of shards from people, if he''s using them as... raw material for his project... it''s not just cruel. It''s fundamentally wrong. It contradicts the very nature of shards, their need for connection, for harmony, for... evolution."


    Tella placed a hand on Liara''s shoulder, her touch cool but strangely comforting.


    "We''ll stop him," she said quietly. "We''ll find those he used, those who are still alive, and help them. And, perhaps, in the process, we''ll learn more about the shards themselves, about their nature, about the possibilities of their interaction."


    Liara covered Tella''s silver hand with her own, feeling the now familiar sensation of resonance, a deep connection that seemed to grow stronger with each day, with each shared experience, with each new understanding.


    "Together," she said quietly. "We''ll do this together."


    They stood like that for some time, holding hands in the quiet corridor of the Primordial Garden, finding comfort and strength in each other''s presence in the face of new dangers, new challenges. And somewhere deep inside, Liara felt that all of this—the split in the Order, Elric''s experiments, Nira''s appearance, the mission to Alkarion—were parts of the same pattern, the same great story that was just beginning to unfold before them. A story about shards seeking new forms of existence, new paths to harmony in a multiverse that itself constantly evolved, transformed, sought its own balance.


    Morning—or what served as morning in the Primordial Garden—came too quickly. Liara woke with a sense of urgency, with a feeling that every minute was precious, that somewhere in the dungeons of the temple in Alkarion were people who were suffering, who needed their help.


    She quickly dressed and packed a small backpack with the most essential items. The Keepers of Balance had already prepared protective gear, weapons, magical artifacts that could help in their mission. Liara checked everything, making sure she hadn''t forgotten anything, that they were ready for any challenges that might await them in the temple.


    Tella was waiting for her at the Gates of Transition, her silver form configured into a more combat variant—more structured, with elements resembling armor, with sharper edges that could serve as weapons if necessary.


    "Good morning," she said, and in her silver voice, Liara heard the same urgency, the same sense of responsibility that she felt herself.


    "Good morning," replied Liara, checking the final details of her equipment. "Are you ready?"


    "Yes," Tella nodded. "The Council has prepared a portal that will take us to the outskirts of Alkarion, not far from the temple. From there, we''ll have to proceed carefully, avoiding attention from both Sedric''s supporters and Elric''s followers until we reach the dungeons."


    Liara nodded, her face serious.


    "And what about Nira? How is she?"


    "She''s still resting," replied Tella. "The Junior Keepers are taking care of her, helping her recover her strength. Her journey through worlds exhausted her more than she''s willing to admit."


    Liara felt a pang of guilt. She wanted to talk to Nira again before departing, learn more about her life, about her possible connection to Aeon. But perhaps it was better that the young woman was resting. She deserved peace after everything she had been through.


    The Archivist and Oriana were waiting for them at the Gates, their faces serious but full of determination.


    "Everything is ready," said the Archivist. "The portal will take you to the eastern outskirts of Alkarion, to an old abandoned temple that was used before the construction of the current complex. From there, you can reach the main temple unnoticed, if you''re careful."


    He handed them two small crystals, pulsating with a soft blue light.


    "Emergency beacons," he explained. "If the situation becomes too dangerous, activate them, and we can open a portal for your evacuation. But keep in mind that the energy flows around the temple may be unstable, especially if the conflict between the Order''s factions has intensified. The portal may take time to form, or may not work at all if the disturbances are too strong."


    "We understand the risks," Liara nodded, accepting the crystal and hiding it in a secure place in her gear.


    Oriana stepped forward, her fiery eyes full of tension.


    "Be careful with Elric," she warned. "If what Nira told us is true, if he''s really experimenting with the essence of shards... he may possess powers he didn''t have before. Unpredictable powers."


    "We''ll be careful," promised Tella, her silver face determined. "Our goal is to save those who can still be saved, and stop the experiments. Not to engage in direct confrontation, if possible."


    The Archivist nodded, then made a gesture with his hand, activating the Gates of Transition. The arch filled with light, not the soft white radiance as when opening a portal to Craven, but a darker, pulsating light resembling a sunset sky.


    "This will lead you directly to the old temple," he said. "Be alert, be careful. And return safely."


    Liara and Tella exchanged glances, in which determination and mutual support were readable. Then, together, they stepped into the pulsating light of the portal, leaving behind the safety of the Primordial Garden and heading to a world where dangers, mysteries, and, possibly, answers to some of the questions they were just beginning to ask awaited them.


    Before completely disappearing into the portal, Liara looked back and saw a figure standing in the doorway of the hall—thin, with chestnut hair and brown eyes full of a strange mixture of fear and hope. Nira, awakened just in time to see their departure. Liara raised her hand in a gesture that could be a farewell or a promise. Then the world around them disappeared, dissolving in a whirl of transition between realities.