Fire on the Walls

Kiseki’s roar reverberated across the battlefield, a sound so overwhelming it shook the castle’s foundations. The inner walls burned, covered in fire and smoke. Every crack in the stone spat ashes, and the fallen bodies formed mountains of shattered silence.
The remaining soldiers tried to hold their ground, but the colossal shadow Kiseki had unleashed crushed them mercilessly. It was like fighting the night itself: an endless, unstoppable enemy.
I ran through the half-collapsed corridors, the spear glowing in my hand, while Aria stayed close beside me. The cries of the wounded filled the air, and despair was palpable.
—Regroup the civilians in the inner courtyard! —ordered Cicilia, her voice strained with fury and exhaustion. —Protect the last line!
Rei cut through a group of devotees with an agile swing of his sword, panting. —The last line won’t hold much longer!
Nara appeared behind him, her hands blazing with green fire. —Then let them die quickly, and we with them, right? —She smiled bitterly, sending flames that consumed the enemies.
—Enough, Nara! —Lysbeth retorted, planting her shield to stop an avalanche of creatures. —We’re not defeated yet!

The shadows surged like an endless sea. Every time we felled one, ten more appeared behind.
Aria raised both hands, releasing a glow that spread across the broken wall. Her light repelled dozens of enemies, creating a brief space for the soldiers to breathe.
But at the same time, I noticed her body trembling. Her eyes glistened, and a voice that was not her own whispered through the cracks of her soul.
—Kaoru… —she said softly, with a strange tone—. She… is inside me.
—What? —I turned, alarmed.
—Kiseki… she’s watching me. —She brought a hand to her chest, trembling. —I feel… as if she’s looking at me through a mirror.
The echo within me laughed, satisfied. “Yes. The bond beats stronger. Your two halves are calling each other. And when they unite… I will be born.”
I gripped the spear tightly, fighting the chill. —I won’t let that happen.

Serion appeared at our side, his golden armor cracked and blackened. —This cannot hold. If we keep resisting here, we’ll fall in minutes.
—Then what do you suggest? —I growled.
—Break through to the heart of the shadow. —He pointed to the colossus towering over the city, thousands of eyes glowing on its torso. —Only by destroying its core can we stop this massacre.
Rei gritted his teeth. —Easier said than done.
—That’s why —Serion said dryly— the bearer will need to unleash all his power.
The echo roared in my mind, excited. “Yes! Finally, you understand. Let me out, and I’ll finish her in an instant.”
—No. —I shook my head sharply. —I will not give you anything.
Aria placed a hand on my chest, her eyes burning. —Kaoru… if the darkness tries to take you, I’ll be here. Always.
I looked at her, feeling that these words were my only anchor in the chaos.

The walls shook again. The colossus swiped a paw that leveled an entire district of the castle. Flames shot into the sky, illuminating the night with an apocalyptic glow.
Nara whistled ironically, though her eyes trembled. —Well, I guess there’s no doubt left: this is the end of the world.
—No —Rei replied, raising his sword—. It’s not the end. It’s the chance to show who we are.
—Then show it! —shouted Cicilia, rallying the remaining knights. —Defend the heart of the castle at all costs!
The soldiers roared in response, though fear was still evident in their faces.

Aria lifted her gaze to Kiseki’s colossus. Her lips trembled, but then she spoke with fierce determination.
—Kaoru… I can feel it. Inside her, there is a part that still doubts. A part that wants to listen to me.
I turned to her, surprised. —Doubt?
—Yes. Every time I use my power, Kiseki senses it. And for a moment… she falters.
Serion observed her skeptically. —You intend to redeem an ancestral shadow with words?
—Not with words. —Aria raised her light, brighter than ever. —With what we are.

The colossal figure roared again, but for the first time, I noticed some of its eyes blinking, as if something disturbed them.
—Aria… —Kiseki’s voice echoed from the monster, but this time it was not pure hatred. There was a broken, almost human echo. —Why… do you fight me?
Aria stepped forward, at the edge of the collapsed walls. —Because you are not only darkness. Because you are part of me. And I will not surrender.
The echo inside me stirred, furious. “Do not listen to her! If she doubts, destroy her now. It’s your chance!”
But something in Kiseki’s eyes had changed. Her roar was weaker, as if Aria’s reflection seeped through the monstrous mask.

The soldiers saw the hesitation and redoubled their efforts. Rei and Lysbeth charged together, cutting down an entire line. Nara conjured a circle of fire that annihilated dozens of enemies, screaming with fury.
—Let’s go! Now or never!
The colossus stepped back, as if feeling for the first time the pressure of our resistance.
Serion raised his sword, his voice booming over the battlefield. —All who still breathe, charge! For the kingdom, for the light!
The roar of the last defense rose to the sky.

I ran forward, the spear shining with blinding intensity. The echo screamed inside me, trying to tear me apart. “You are mine! This is our destiny! Let me out!”
—No! —I roared, leaping into the air.
The spear pierced the colossus’s chest, and an explosion of light spread across the battlefield. Kiseki screamed, not in fury, but in pain. For a moment, her human silhouette appeared over the monstrous form.
Aria raised her hands, and her light enveloped the figure. —Kiseki, come back!
The red eyes flickered, and between them appeared a green spark.

The field fell silent, as if everything were suspended. Kiseki looked at us from her colossal form, but her face was no longer only hatred: it was confusion.
—Sister… —she whispered, her voice broken. —Why… do you call me that?
Aria smiled through tears. —Because you are. You always were.
The echo roared inside me, angrier than ever. “Enough! Do not allow this weakness! She must fall, and you with her!”
I gripped the spear, sweating, but looking at Aria I realized the real battle would not be against Kiseki.
It would be against destiny itself.