The sun stained the tall stained-glass windows of Ezys Cathedral amber, where faith in Yanúr, goddess of light and truth, had been honored for centuries. It was the spiritual heart of Huwofin—austere, imposing, and silent. There, Mateo and Nai, dressed in gray tunics, awaited before the sacred altar, surrounded by the weight of silence and the expectation of something far greater than themselves.

Both had been accepted as apprentices of the Church. But acceptance was not the end—it was the beginning. And the true beginning required passing through the Judgment of Light, a trial only the chosen could endure. It was no common test. It was a descent into the soul.

Three hooded figures emerged from the sides of the altar. The one in the center spoke with a hoarse but steady voice:
— I am Mother Alis, priestess consecrated by the light of Yanúr. Today, you will walk between reflection and truth. What you find within will be what has always dwelled inside you… and what you must carry if you wish to serve as paladins of the goddess.

She led them down to a round chamber beneath the temple. At the center of the stone floor lay an ancient seal traced with Ki. Upon it, two crystals rested: one gleaming white, the other completely black.

— This is the Rite of Twin Hearts. Only duos with true bonds may attempt it. You will enter the Inner Path together. If one falls, the other falls as well. If you both endure… you will receive the mark of the Order.

Nai swallowed hard. Mateo only watched in silence, his scarlet eyes fixed on the crystals.
— Ready? — asked Alis.
— Always, — Nai replied, trying to mask her nervousness.
Mateo answered only with a nod, but something different lingered in his expression. Serenity.

They touched the crystals at the same time.
A flash.
A soundless wind.
Total darkness.

Mateo awoke alone, in a field of ashes stretching beyond sight. There was no wind. No life. Only him… and a silhouette ahead. A distorted reflection of himself.

Pale skin. Eyes like burning embers. A cruel smile upon its lips.
— So this is what you want to protect? — the shadow asked. — The girl? The teacher? This “family”? You're pretending. You want blood, Mateo. You want to fight. To dominate. Admit it… you love what you have become.

Mateo tried to speak, but his throat was dry. The shadow moved forward with a dagger in hand—identical to his own.
— Do not fight me. I am you. The part with the most power. The part that was never afraid.

A scream.

—

Nai was in a misty forest. Withered flowers covered the ground. Voices whispered among the trees—some familiar, others unknown. Among them, she heard her mother’s, soft and sad:
— You cannot save him, Nai… He is already being lost.

She ran. She called for Mateo. No answer. The trees around her began to rot. Her feet sank into dark mud. With every step, her Ki seemed to scatter.

— You try to heal, but you do not know how to fight. You try to protect, but you cannot protect yourself.
— What can you truly do for him?

Nai fell to her knees, trembling. Then… a faint light appeared in her hand. A thread of her Ki—small, but still alive.
She clutched it tightly.
— I will not give up, — she whispered.

—

Back in the field of ashes, Mateo was struck by sudden warmth. A gentle presence touched him—the presence of Nai, her Ki connecting to his even across the distance. It broke the shadow’s hold.

He roared, rising from the ground.
— You may be part of me… but I decide who prevails.

With a single movement, he lunged at the copy. Not with hatred, but with clarity. His blade cut through the darkness.

Both of them awoke at the same time in the center of the ritual circle, sweat dripping and hearts racing. Their tunics now bore a golden symbol of the Ancient Gods, emerging on the fabric as though woven by living blessing.

Mother Alis watched them with shining eyes.
— You did not break… and you rose with light. Welcome to the Order of the Paladins of Ezys.

Nai nearly burst into tears. Mateo said nothing—but for the first time, he looked to the cathedral’s sky with true reverence.

Now, they could protect. Now, they were ready to face the darkness.