In the heart of the shattered ruins of _Seraphiel_, the wind howled in a mournful tone, dragging behind it the ash of the past battle.
The blood on the wreckage had yet to dry, and the silence that hung over the place echoed with all that remained unspoken.
Xiao stood at the edge of the broken city, his eyes fixed on the distance where the ancient shadow had vanished.
But the battle's aftermath was not just external… it stirred within him as well.
> "Who am I… if I am nothing but a shadow of the gods' will?"
A question with no answer.
---
*The Mirror Gate*
Amid the rubble of a forgotten temple at the city's center, a stone arch emerged — its frame etched with symbols from the First Tongue, the language before the gods.
Aster slowly approached:
> "That mirror isn't ordinary… it's the Mirror of Truth."
> "They say it reveals what you fear most… and what you've hidden from yourself."
Despite his exhaustion, Xiao stepped forward. His reflection was not himself — but a small child, covered in blood, crying in darkness.
Suddenly, the image shattered — and from it emerged a dark version of Xiao.
The same face… the same eyes… but something within was lifeless.
> "I am you… without remorse, without weakness… without mercy."
---
*Inner Struggle – Who Will Survive?*
The battle wasn't only of blades — it was of minds.
Every strike Xiao delivered was answered by whispers from his dark self:
> "What good is killing if you hesitate?"
> "Why save those who don't deserve it?"
> "Everything you've done… was never enough!"
Xiao began to lose his grip… until another figure appeared.
_Hym_ — absent since the battle of the Vanaheim seal — stood behind the mirror, watching.
> "Xiao… you don't need to be perfect. You just need to be real."
---
*Victory Over the Self*
Xiao recalled those who had sacrificed for him, those who believed in him, those who walked with him even when fate was uncertain.
He raised his sword and shouted:
> "I am no one's shadow… I am the echo of divine blood — but _I_ choose my path!"
With a single strike, he shattered the mirror — and with it, the dark version vanished.
He collapsed to his knees, gasping… but lighter.
Aster approached, placing a hand on his shoulder:
> "You descended into the deepest part of yourself… and emerged as _you_."
Xiao gave a faint smile:
> "But this isn't the end… it's the beginning."
---
*After the Catastrophe – Before the Truth*
In the sky, a small rift appeared… a light that resembled no dawn.
Hym spoke gravely:
> "You've released two seals… the gate is beginning to open."
Xiao asked:
> "Gate to what?"
Hym answered slowly:
> "The Gate of the End… where the final truth is born."