The Price of the Heart

The Heart of Aeterion glowed softly in Aria’s hands, pulsing as if it mirrored the heartbeat of a living being. Its light bathed the hall in a warm radiance, unlike any magic we had seen before. For a moment, we all stood in silence, awed and fearful at the same time.
“It’s beautiful…” Aria whispered, unable to take her eyes off the sphere.
The silence was broken by the deep voice of the guardian, still echoing even though his body rested motionless on the throne.
“The Heart responds to the wounded and those who seek redemption. But it grants its power at a price.”
A shiver ran down my spine. “What price?” I asked aloud.
The Heart’s light intensified, projecting figures into the air: shadows depicting scenes from our past. Piko sacrificing herself; bodies fallen in battle; the despair in my eyes when I lost control. The vision surrounded us all, forcing us to confront a cruel truth.
“To restore what is lost, one of you must offer your life essence. Not death, but a giving: a part of your soul will remain bound to the Heart forever.”
A sepulchral silence fell over us. No one spoke for long seconds.
“A part of the soul?” Rei repeated, his face tense. “That’s no small thing. It means losing strength, memory… perhaps something more.”
Nara clicked her tongue nervously. “Damn… who in their right mind would accept that?”
Aria closed her eyes, holding the Heart carefully. “I will. It’s my arm we want to restore. I won’t let anyone else bear that consequence.”
“No!” I exclaimed immediately, stepping forward. “You won’t! You can’t risk yourself like that. You don’t know what could happen to you.”
“Precisely why,” she answered firmly. “If it’s my body, I must be the one to pay the price.”
“And what if you lose more than you gain?” I insisted, my heart hammering in my chest. “What if the Heart takes something irreplaceable? I won’t allow it!”
Lysbeth stepped forward, her voice grave. “Kaoru is right. We don’t know the cost. If Aria loses part of herself, she may never be the same.”
Aria pressed her lips together, tears welling in her eyes. “And what do you prefer? That I live incomplete? That I stand by watching all of you risk your lives while I… can barely fight?”
Nara lowered her gaze. “Aria…”
Rei spoke, his tone surprisingly calm. “Perhaps… perhaps it doesn’t have to be her. The Heart said ‘one of you.’ That means any of us can do it.”
I turned to him, shocked. “Are you insane? I won’t let you sacrifice your soul.”
Rei met my gaze firmly. “And what do I have left? My life has always been vengeance. If I must give something of myself to restore hope to Aria, then it will be my way of making my existence matter.”
Lysbeth interrupted, resolute. “No. I am the one who must do it. I am a knight; I swore to protect others. If my duty is to give part of my soul so we can move forward, then I will fulfill it.”
“Enough!” I shouted, feeling despair consuming me. “I will not let any of you do it!”
Everyone stared at me in surprise. I stepped forward, locking my gaze on the Heart.
“If someone must pay the price… it will be me.”
Aria’s eyes widened. “Kaoru, no!”
“Yes,” I said firmly, though fear coursed through me. “I am responsible for all we have lost. Piko gave her life for me, Aria lost her arm because of my mistakes. I will not allow anyone else to bear a wound in their soul. If the Heart demands a sacrifice, I will do it.”
Aria trembled, tears spilling from her eyes. “You don’t understand… I can’t let you lose yourself!”
The sphere in her hands began to glow more intensely, as if responding to my words. Its pulse intensified, resonating throughout the hall. The guardian spoke one last time.
“The Heart listens to the truth of sacrifice. Let the one whose will is purest offer their essence, and what is lost shall be restored.”
I knelt before Aria, placing my hands on the Heart alongside hers. The relic’s warmth enveloped me, and for a moment, I felt a part of myself gently tear away. Not physical pain, but something deeper—a void in the soul that could never be filled.
Aria screamed my name, but I did not stop.
The Heart shone like a sun, bathing us all in its light. Aria’s bandage disintegrated, and slowly, where there had been emptiness, a new arm began to form, woven from pure light that soon solidified into flesh and bone.
Aria stared in disbelief, tears streaming down her face. “My… my arm…”
I smiled weakly, though I felt the weight of loss inside me. Something within me was gone, something that would never return.
“You did it, Aria. You got it back.”
She hugged me tightly, trembling. “No… you did it.”
The Heart faded slowly, as if it had fulfilled its purpose, and the guardian vanished in a final flash. The hall fell silent, but in our hearts there was both relief and fear.
We had restored Aria’s arm. But I knew the true price was only beginning to reveal itself.