Chapter 22: Chapter 22: The Goddess Reborn
The night over Vael'Thar was eerily quiet.
Seren sat alone in the courtyard of the Shadowborn Academy, gazing at the obsidian moon above. Her thoughts were restless, tangled like spiderwebs. For weeks now, the whispers of the spirits had grown louder. But tonight was different.
Tonight, a voice reached through the veil of reality—familiar… yet not.
> "Seren…"
She froze. Her pulse slowed. The air thickened with ancient magic.
> "Seren… you are the reincarnation of Sarah, The Goddess of Death."
Her breath caught in her throat.
> "Unlock the seal on your body to remember your past. Go to King Karen. He alone can unlock your sealed memories."
And then—silence.
But Seren knew… this was no dream.
It was truth.
---
The Journey to the Throne
Before the first light of dawn, Seren stood before the throne of Vael'Thar. King Karen Dragon watched her approach, his golden and black eyes scanning her soul.
"You heard it," he said softly, before she could speak.
Seren nodded. "The voice… she called me Sarah. The Goddess of Death."
Karen rose slowly from his throne, his cloak trailing shadows like living wings.
"You were sealed," he said. "I sensed it the moment you awakened your Spirit Magic."
"I need to remember," Seren said. "All of it."
Karen stepped forward, lifting a single hand toward her chest.
"Then kneel… and embrace what you were born to be."
---
The Seal Breaks
As Seren knelt, Karen whispered an ancient Shadow Incantation, drawing silver-black runes across the air. They spiraled inward, glowing brighter with each word, until they struck Seren's heart like a silent bolt of power.
A burst of spectral flame erupted around her.
She screamed—not in pain, but in remembrance.
Memories crashed into her like waves:
A divine throne made of bones.
Armies of the undead kneeling before her.
A war between gods.
Her death—and rebirth.
Her eyes snapped open, now glowing violet with a golden ring.
Seren no longer stood there.
Sarah, The Goddess of Death had returned.
Her body shimmered, evolving into its true divine form—flowing black robes stitched with soulthread, white-silver hair reaching her lower back, and a golden crown of ethereal flame hovering above her head.
Karen stepped back in awe.
"Welcome back," he said. "Sarah."
---
The Forgotten Magic Returns
Sarah raised her hands, and dark mist encircled her palms. Her divine presence surged through the citadel like a crashing tide.
"I remember now," she said, her voice carrying ancient power. "You've done more than just unlock my memories, King Karen… You've released my forgotten magic as well."
Karen narrowed his eyes. "How many?"
Sarah smiled faintly. "Four locked Magic types: Soul Magic, Abyss Magic, Requiem Magic, and Judgement Magic."
Karen's breath hitched.
Each of those types had not been seen since before the fall of the gods.
Sarah continued, "I was the balance between life and death. My power was sealed to protect the cycle. Now… the balance teeters again."
---
The Flame's New Vessel
She turned toward the throne and walked slowly to the base.
"There's a message I must give you," she said. "From the Origin Core itself."
Karen stood still, listening.
Sarah closed her eyes. "The Flame… the one you once held within your soul… it has chosen a new vessel."
Karen clenched his jaw. "Who?"
"A human girl," Sarah replied. "The princess of the Human Kingdom. Her name is Marsha Richardson. And she has a daughter."
Karen's eyes widened. "A child…?"
"She will become the next vessel if the Flame corrupts her," Sarah said grimly. "You must act now."
---
A Prophecy of Unity
Sarah raised her hand, and golden-black symbols floated above her palm.
"The only way to stop the Flame permanently is with a spell known as Divine Seal of Forgotten."
Karen looked at the spellform, speechless. Even in all his divine training, he had never seen such complexity.
"You cannot cast it alone," Sarah continued. "You must gather the first generation of Demigods—the ones who first received your divine blood… those who helped end Doomsday."
Karen closed his eyes, memories rushing back—Zerith, Iris, Kael, Alira, and Rynna.
Sarah added, "The spell will require each of your unique Magic Types, synchronized into one harmonic channel. Your Shadow Magic is the anchor… without it, the Seal will break."
---
The Gathering Begins
Within hours, Karen opened portals to the distant realms where the First Demigods had scattered. They had grown older—wiser—but each one felt the call in their soul.
By nightfall, all five stood in the Hall of Legacy.
Zerith, the Blade of Wind.
Iris, the Star Healer.
Kael, the Flame Tamer.
Alira, the Spirit Binder.
Rynna, the Ocean's Wrath.
Karen stood at their center, his black cloak swirling.
"Once more," he said, "we fight… not to survive, but to seal the past forever."
They each nodded, placing a hand on his shoulders, their auras glowing as one.
Sarah raised her hands.
"Let the Seal be formed."
---
The Divine Seal of Forgotten
In the darkened chamber, seven soul-crystals floated into the air—each one representing a unique divine lineage.
Karen's Shadow Magic exploded from within him, encasing the group in a dome of pure black mist.
One by one, the others released their magic:
Wind. Flame. Spirit. Water. Light.
Sarah, standing at the edge, merged her own Judgement Magic into the mix.
Then, in a voice both divine and final, she spoke:
"Let this seal bind the Flame forever. Let the mark of destruction be forgotten."
The spell activated, glowing like a newborn star.
---
A New Light
Far away, in the royal chambers of the Human Kingdom, Marsha Richardson collapsed in her sleep. The mark on her back, shaped like a flame, pulsed once—then faded to nothing.
The Flame had been denied.
But not defeated.
Sarah opened her eyes as the spell ended. "We have sealed its path."
Karen looked at her solemnly.
"And when it finds a new one?"
Sarah turned her gaze to the stars.
"Then we will be ready."