Chapter 8: The Glass City of Elheim

Kalea and Eiran's footsteps echoed down the deserted stone corridor as they approached the gates of Elheim. The sun had just set, and the sky over Nyxterra turned into a shade of dark crimson, like congealed blood.
Elheim was never like other cities. Once a place of light and illusion, where artists, poets, and seers gathered, it had changed since the collapse of the Seven Gates. Now, it was a mirror of nightmares—a labyrinth of twisted memories and deceptive possibilities.
"This is no place for ordinary humans," Elsera said, standing between them with an ancient scroll in her hands. "Inside Elheim, time flows backward, memories become real, and even your own shadow might turn against you."
Kalea only nodded. "I'm no ordinary human."
Elsera turned her gaze to Eiran. "And you?"
"I may not be ready," he answered, "but I won’t let her face it alone."

---
The gates of Elheim opened on their own as they approached. No guards. Only soft whispers that sounded like distant children's cries and muffled laughter.
They stepped inside.
The buildings were made of glass—not just physically, but metaphorically. Every wall reflected faces, memories, or deepest fears. One window showed the moment Kalea—still Angeline—fell from the school rooftop. She turned quickly, but the image vanished like smoke.
“Don’t stare too long,” Elsera warned. “Elheim lures with memories. But each memory demands a price.”
They kept walking, the streets forming an endless maze. Every corner seemed to repeat itself. Without Elsera’s magic compass, they could have wandered forever.

---
At the heart of the city stood the Memory Tower.
A translucent spire whose walls reflected the past of anyone who neared it. Elsera stopped at its glass doors.
“Inside this tower lies a soul—Arcren—revived by the cracks in the Gray Pact. If she awakens before we seal her, Nyxterra will drown in mist.”
Kalea placed her hand on the door.
Her reflection stared back. Not herself now—but Angeline, with tear-filled eyes.
“Are you afraid?” Eiran asked behind her.
“Always,” Kalea replied. “But I keep walking.”

---
Inside the tower, they were separated.
Elheim tested each soul individually. Kalea walked through halls filled with versions of herself: one smiling at school, one crying alone at night, one with empty eyes during the final betrayal. Each shadow spoke.
“You’re weak.” “You trusted too easily.” “No one cared.”
But Kalea was no longer the fragile girl from before. She walked through the illusions, burning them with the dark purple aura bound to the Gray Pact.
Meanwhile, Eiran faced his own demons.
He saw himself standing still while Angeline was bullied. He saw himself laughing with the others, pretending not to see.
And now, he knelt.
“I’m sorry...” he whispered. “I was scared... but I won’t run again.”
Golden light erupted from his chest, tearing through the illusion surrounding him.

---
Back in the tower’s center, Kalea and Eiran reunited before the altar of magic.
Elsera was waiting, her body nearly translucent. “I’ve unlocked the final seal. But you must finish it. Arcren’s soul will appear... and you must forge a new pact.”
From the altar, mist of violet and silver flowed, forming a child-like figure with silver eyes and glass wings. Arcren.
“I... I don’t want to return,” she said. “I just want to sleep. The world hurts too much.”
Kalea looked at her. “I’ve felt the same.”
Eiran stepped forward. “But sleep isn’t the answer. You can choose to wake up... and change it.”
Arcren stared at them both. Then... she smiled.
“One condition. If I give you my power, you must make the world remember—that a smile can heal... but also destroy.”
Kalea nodded. “I am that reminder.”
In an instant, light burst from the altar. A new seal was forged. The mist vanished from Elheim, and for the first time in decades, the city felt at peace.

---
Outside the tower, as they returned to the main road, Kalea and Eiran paused.
“You’ve changed,” Eiran said.
Kalea gave a faint smile. “Or maybe... I’m becoming who I was meant to be.”
They walked side by side. No hand-holding, but the world around them felt... less cold.
Yet from behind the glass walls, a pair of eyes watched.
And in the shadows beyond Elheim, a nameless creature stirred.
The pact had been made. But the cost of change... was yet to be paid.