The Covenant Seal

The echoes of Luke's near-fatal moment on the bridge still clung to the air, an unspoken weight between him and Lila. They both knew the Shardrealm wasn't done with them.

They continued forward side by side toward a towering gateway carved from the same glowing blue stone that made up the bridge they'd just left behind. Runes shimmered across its surface, shifting like living things. The closer they got, the heavier the air became, thick with mana and something else—expectation.

The deep, resonant voice returned, reverberating through the realm:

"The Trial is not yet complete. The Chosen must be tested in full. A Knight must stand. A Celestial must rise. Only together shall they transcend."

Luke exhaled, shaking out his limbs as he stepped forward. "Alright, bring it on." He tried to focus on pulling in the mana that he could feel all around him, and felt it begin to flow into him, rejuvenating him and preparing him for the next step in his Trial. 

Lila floated beside him, her golden glow flickering as she frowned. "Luke, I—"

She didn't get to finish.

The moment they crossed the threshold, everything changed.

—

Luke was alone.

Lila was gone. The bridge, the glowing gateway, the vast cosmos beneath them—all of it had vanished.

He stood in complete darkness. No light, no mana, no sound—only the hollow weight of emptiness pressing down on him.

Then came the whispers.

Low, insidious voices curling around his mind, seeping into his thoughts like ink spilling through water.

"You're not ready."

"You think you can protect them?"

"You'll fail, just like before."

Luke clenched his fists, heart pounding. He knew this wasn't real. It was a test. It had to be.

The darkness shifted.

Figures emerged—his family.

Sophia, standing in the ruins of their home, blood on her hands, eyes hollow.

Ava, trembling in a corner, clutching her knees, sobbing.

Aiden, broken, face twisted in fury and blame.

His parents, barely breathing, trapped beneath rubble, reaching for him.

Luke staggered back. "No. No, this isn't real."

The voices laughed.

"It could be."

"It will be."

"You weren't strong enough then. You won't be strong enough now."

The figures turned, their eyes burning with something unnatural, stepping toward him slowly.

Luke gritted his teeth. The whispers clawed at his thoughts, but he shoved them back. He had to move.

Summoning his mana, he pushed forward, lunging toward the nightmare, toward the illusions of his family.

But they didn't attack.

They just… stood there.

"You think strength is enough?"

The world lurched.

A massive, looming shadow erupted from the darkness. It was him. Or rather, a twisted reflection of him—an Echo, clad in warped, blackened armor, holding an enormous, corrupted version of the mana great sword he'd only just learned to summon.

Luke froze. His own nightmare was standing before him.

The dark Echo raised its weapon and charged.

Luke hurriedly summoned a mana cloak around his body and his great sword into his hands. Before he could raise the blade, though, the Echo's blade struck, slicing across Luke's torso and tearing through his mana cloak. The impact nearly completely shattered Luke's defenses. The sheer force of the blow sent him hurtling backward, pain exploding through his body.

Luke barely landed before the Echo was on him again.

Swing. Parry. Dodge. Counter.

Every strike from the Echo felt like being crushed beneath the weight of his own doubts. His mana wavered, flickering. His Covenant Seal burned, but the Bet symbol on his forehead dimmed.

The voices mocked.

"You will never be strong enough."

"Everyone will die because of you."

Luke roared, forcing himself up, pushing forward, striking back. His blade clashed against the Echo's, but it felt like swinging against stone.

Then—CRACK.

His mana blade shattered.

Luke gasped as the Echo's next strike hit home, carving through his shoulder. He staggered, blood dripping from the wound. His knees buckled.

The Echo loomed over him.

"A true Knight stands alone."

Luke clenched his fists and set his jaw.

No. That wasn't true.

He wasn't alone.

He had Lila. His family. His friends. The people counting on him.

He wasn't fighting for himself.

He was fighting for them.

Something inside him clicked.

A surge of mana exploded outward from his body, golden light flaring in his eyes.

The Echo staggered back, flickering.

Luke stood tall, a new mana blade forming in his grasp—clearer, purer, stronger.

His Covenant Seal blazed to life, the symbol of Gimel replacing Bet on his forehead.

The Echo hesitated.

Luke took a step forward. He was sure, now. He'd overcome his doubt.

He swung his great sword with all his might, slicing through the Echo before him. A wave of golden light erupted from the Echo as it burst outward and disappeared into nothingness.

With it, the figures that looked like his family dissolved too.

—

Lila fell.

She wasn't floating. She wasn't weightless. She was falling, tumbling through a void of stars and golden chains that coiled and constricted around her.

"You were not meant to fail."

A voice like her own, but colder, harsher, rippled through the nothingness.

Lila gasped, trying to fly—nothing happened. Her golden light flickered weakly, fading.

"You let him almost die."

"You let your last Knight die."

The words pierced her, a blade to her very core.

No. No, she had tried. She had—

"It was not enough."

Images flashed—past failures.

Her last Knight, broken on a battlefield, reaching for her.

More than a thousand years had passed since that war. She hadn't been strong enough, or careful enough, or capable enough.

She had hesitated, unable to move. The fear in her chest had overwhelmed her.

She'd lost him so, so long ago.

And she still blamed herself for it.

Then she waited, watched, and didn't choose another Knight.

Couldn't choose another Knight.

"You were afraid."

The golden chains tightened.

"You are still afraid."

Lila gasped, struggling. Her light was dimming.

She had failed before. She'd frozen.

What if she failed Luke, too? Froze when he needed her most?

What if she couldn't stop it? What if she let him die?

The chains tightened further, crushing her. She wanted to give in; to let Luke go on without her. He'd be better off that way: without her.

His face appeared in her mind. His bright smile, the glowing Covenant Seal on his forehead, binding him to her.

Suddenly, anger began to course through her body.

No.

No.

No.

Lila clenched her fists. She wasn't just Luke's Celestial—she was his partner.

She was a different person now. She was stronger now, and the King trusted her to work with and guide Luke. The King didn't make mistakes.

She wouldn't let her past dictate her present.

She had been chosen to fight, and she had accepted.

And she wasn't failing this time.

Her golden glow flared, brighter than before.

The chains shattered.

The void around her collapsed, and Lila was soaring, golden energy erupting from her body.

The mark of Gimel burned itself into her right hand, replacing Bet.

Suddenly, chains reformed in the air around her. She looked at them fearlessly, ignoring the degrading whispers echoing around her. 

She put a hand up and the chains dissolved as if they'd never been there at all. 

She landed beside Luke, panting, her golden eyes blazing.

Their trials were over.

—

They stood together, mana still crackling in the air.

Luke met Lila's gaze.

"You okay?"

Lila exhaled, flexing her fingers, looking at the new mark on her hand. "Yeah," she said, softer this time. "I am."

"Luke, there's something I need to say," she whispered.

Luke's brow furrowed. "Okay, go ahead." He had no idea what could be causing her to be so subdued.

"I haven't been honest with you," she began. "That's a problem in more ways than one, and it's been eating away at me. I have been afraid to be completely open with you."

Luke's heart beat faster, apprehension building in his chest. He trusted Lila, though. "It's okay, I haven't always been honest in my life either."

"No, you don't understand," she said. Tears began streaming from her eyes as her voice grew shaky. "I have been through a Trial before. Just one."

"Wait, you have? How?" Luke asked.

"I may have made it seem like you are the first Knight I've worked with, but you're not," she said through her sobs. 

Luke stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her once more. "It's okay, Lila. I'm sure you had a good reason for doing what you did."

"I don't deserve your understanding," she said.

"Hey, you may not be human, but you're a person just like me. As far as I know there's only ever been One person Who never did anything wrong," Luke said, chuckling softly despite the somber atmosphere. "I've been forgiven much, and I don't see any reason why you can't be as well." 

Lila nodded, drifting backward and wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks. "Thanks, Luke. Do you want to know what I've kept from you?"

Luke thought about that for a moment, then shook his head. "Lila, we're bonded, and I trust you. If you're ready to share, then I'm happy to listen. If not, that's okay too. I can wait until you're ready."

Lila darted forward, hugging Luke tightly. He was shocked at her sudden show of affection, but not opposed to it. She drifted back once more after a few seconds and said, "You're a good person, Luke. Thank you."

"Of course, what are friends for?" he smiled broadly at her. "What do you say we get out of here?"

"Sounds good to me," she said, her breathing becoming steadier. 

They both knew this wouldn't be the last Trial they faced, but for now they felt accomplished and at least somewhat satisfied with their growth.

As they turned, a portal that hadn't been visible before opened up a few dozen feet away. The pair made their way toward it. Without hesitating, they stepped through the portal and back onto the platform at Everhearth University.