Chapter Text
ARE YOU THERE?
ARE WE CONNECTED?
EXCELLENT. TRULY EXCELLENT.
NOW. WE MAY BEGIN.
NO ONE CAN CHOOSE WHO THEY ARE IN THIS WORLD…BUT YOU ARE NOT OF THIS WORLD…ARE YOU?
YOUR BODY IS ALREADY CONSTRUCTED, ISN'T IT?
In front, two gray bodies appear in front
One.. has a slim body, and is approximately 5'5" tall and a long ponypail in the outline of her gray faceless body.
WELL THEN
YOU ARE OF ONE
THAT ARE TRULY, DEEPLY
EXHAUSTED.
GIVE US A PIECE OF YOUR TRUTH.
WHAT WAS YOUR LIFE?
HAPPY
SAD
JOKE
MOTIONS
YOU FEEL LIGHTER, DON'T YOU?
The other appears… it has a messy bun outline on her body, and of the same height and the same appearance of outline and look.
SHE WILL BE YOUR COMPANION.
SHE REMEMBER YOUR SINS.
AND YOU WILL REMEMBER HERS
A BROTHER WHO LEFT FOR COLLEGE.
A MOTHER WHO CARES TOO MUCH.
A TOWN THAT NEVER CHANGES.
YOU WILL AWAKEN TO A LAND THAT IS NOT YOURS.
IN A BODY THAT IS YOURS.
WILL YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEW REALITY?
CHANGE IT?
THE SUN IS COMING UP IN SPRINGVILLE
THE SUN IS COMING UP IN HOMETOWN.
THE SUN IS COMING UP-
____________
Jecka's eyes opened as she jolted awake for some reason; she was never a light sleeper. She looks around and sits up in her bed as sleep crashes over her, fighting to pull her eyelids shut again. After rubbing them, she looks to the side, the sun is shining out the window but there is another side to her room. Trophies line the walls, and his side of the wall has glow in the dark stars, and a flower poster. The bed itself has a striped blanket. Jecka lingers on this and then remembers, oh yeah, it's time for school. She looks around, her side was at least lively compared to his, a poster of a band, some soda laying around, a Junior police badge she was given as a kid she now just uses as a coaster, perfume. Okay maybe it wasn't as impressive as Asriel's… Asriel. Her brother. She gets up and dresses out of her pajamas and dresses up in a light pink shirt and jeans.
When she leaves her room to go downstairs “Jecka, there you are, we still have time to make it.” A voice said. Jecka jumped, darting to where the voice came from. It was just Toriel, why did she make her jump so heavily?
“Oh sorry, did I scare you?” Toriel asked, her brow furrowing with genuine concern.
“No it's fine Mom.”
They stepped out into the morning air and climbed into Toriel's familiar red van. As the engine hummed to life, Toriel turned the wheel with a gentle practiced ease.
“It is such a beautiful day today, is it not?” Toriel started, her voice bright. “I hope it stays that way when Asriel visits next week. But after the excitement of university, will he be fine coming back to this little town?”
It was an easy, safe conversation. But today, she couldn't find the words. She just turned her head, leaning her forehead against the cool glass of the window.
She had spent her entire life in Hometown, yet as they drove, she felt like a tourist in her own skin. Her eyes darted restlessly, fixating on everything: the familiar silhouettes of the houses, the monsters walking around, the vibrant, unnatural orange of the autumn trees.
Even the dark, tangled edge of the forest seemed fascinating, as if she were seeing the depth of the shadows for the very first time.
When they pulled up to the school, the reality of the day finally set in. They stepped into the hallway, and before Jecka could make a break for it, Toriel wrapped her arms around her in a heavy, warm hug.
“Have a good day, my dear,” Toriel whispered.
With a final squeeze, she let go, heading off toward her own classroom to prepare for the morning lessons.
Jecka stood there for a second, feeling the lingering warmth of the hug, before turning to navigate the sea of students. She didn't have to go far before she spotted Nicole leaning against a locker, looking like she’d already given up on the day.
“Geez Jecka what were you doing hugging a teacher? Trying to get sue money?” Nicole comments
Jecka perks up, her sleep vanishing “Nicole what the fuck? That's my Mom NO!”
“Your mom's a monster? Since when?”
“You seriously did not know? We've been friends for a long time. How did you seriously not know that?”
“We've been friends for a month I've had like, a month. not to know that was your mom. Or a goat.”
“Ugh, whatever do you have any, like cigarettes? I can't today.”
“why what happened?”
“Well, you're trying to imply my mom was a groomer.”
“This place is already run with creeps and pedophiles anyways sooo.”
Jecka looks at Nicole and gasps “WHAT?! What are you talking about? There's like, what Alphys and…”
Nicole rolls her eyes. “Ok Jesus Christ, yes, I have cigarettes. To the bathroom, apparently.”
Jecka looks around then looks past Nicole and sees a cold, steel, double door.
“Well, there's that.” Nicole looks where Jecka pointed and sees the door too. Nicole looks back at Jecka and raises her eyebrows in confusion.
“Listen if we take the bathroom to smoke, they'll find us. Let's just go over there and no one will find us.” Jecka explains herself.
They approached the doors and pushed. As they swung open, the light from the hallway didn't seem to enter the room. Instead, it felt like the darkness from within was seeping out, swallowing their surroundings until they could only focus on the absolute nothingness waiting behind the frame.
“You couldn’t have suggested a better hiding spot?” Nicole deadpanned, staring into the abyss.
“I didn’t know it looked like this!” Jecka defended herself, though her voice lacked conviction. “Let’s just... go in, find the light switch, and smoke.”
They stepped inside, the transition from the linoleum floor to whatever was inside feeling strangely seamless. Nicole began to dig in her pocket while Jecka began to fidget with the walls, their hands brushing against cold, damp stone, but there was no switch to be found.
“Maybe it’s a pull-string?” Jecka muttered.
They pushed deeper into the room, their footsteps echoing with an odd, hollow metallic ring. The further they went, the more the air seemed to thin, smelling of ozone and old paper. Eventually, they had walked far enough that the rectangle of light from the door was just a pinprick in the distance.
It wasn't until they couldn't see each other in the darkness did Nicole's voice cut through..
“Hey,” Nicole said, stopping in her tracks.
“Yeah?”
“Is this shit really that worth not just going to the bathroom?” Nicole asked, finally turning to where she heard Jecka's voice.
Jecka sighed, the absurdity of the situation finally hitting her. “Ok, fine. We’ll go to the bathroom.”
They turned to head back, but before they could take a single step, the distant door slammed shut with a deafening, final thud.
The girls bolted. They ran through the dark, their hands outstretched until they hit the cold metal of the door. They pounded on the surface, their screams for help disappearing into the oppressive silence of the room. It was locked. Then, the ground started to shake.
A low, guttural rattle hummed through the floorboards. Beneath their feet, the ground began to splinter and crack. Jecka scrambled back, her boots skidding on the stone, but there was nowhere left to go. The floor gave way entirely, and the two of them plummeted, screaming, into the deep, dark ground.
_____
Cold, windy, the sound of wind, the sound of the ocean, the sound of something not meant to be there… the sound—
Jecka's eyes opened as she jolted awake. She immediately tries to sit up, but her torso feels like it’s being pinned by a lead weight. She looks down and gasps. The pink shirt she worn and jeans are gone. In their place is the shimmering white plate armor, catching the dim, purple light of the horizon. On it there were hearts on her chestplate. She tries to lift her arm, but the white gauntlets are heavy and cumbersome. She feels the sharp spikes on the back of her wrists scrape against the ground. Jecka's eyes widen and her head darts around and she isn't in a school. She’s in a jagged, rocky wasteland where the "sky" is a swirling vortex of black and neon violet. The ground is made of dark, crystalline stone that feels unnervingly smooth.
Jecka gets up, suddenly it's as if the fear of where she was outweighed the weight of the armor. “Nicole? NICOLE.” No response except her voice in the echo.
In a desperate reflex, she reaches for where her pocket used to be. "Hello? Mom?”
E̸̛̙̪͉̭̺͙̖͔̠̼͔ͣͤͤ̓ͨͤ͛̀͒ͭͬͦ̈́̿̕͘͜͞n̸̡̡̨̧͖͍̳̣̹̘̳̙̱̼̘͓͍̑ͫ͛͊̅̿͛̍̒̅̉̓̃ͩ̉̿ͦ̋̍ͪͤ̕͢͢͞t̴̸̵̨̡̧̨̢͚̼̫̹̖͕ͭ̇͊̓̓͒ͥ͊̉̇͐͟r̶̝̪̫͎͗̓͗͋̒̀̇͘͟͢͢͠ẏ̸̸̬͔͚͓̟̫̼̗̟̳͍̦̏̐̀͆̎̒̃͗̀ͭ̒̿͊̏͜͜͢͠͞ņ̵̸̡͔͔̱͇̭̬̄͂̊͌͐̄̌͑̔͋̕͘̚͢_̦̬̮͓̺̟̭̼̑ͥ͛ͭ̽̾u̵̧̠̪̫̍̋̀̋̀̓̚ͅm̧̧̦̲̤̓̾͊̈̾̑ͥb̼ͮ͆̆͑ͨ͞_̸̶̗͍̔é̢̺͖͌È̴̢̧̳̥̝̣̖̹̻͎̩̄̃̎ͮ̾̒ͭ͟͢ņ̵̸̵̤̖͈̤̼̪̰͎̺͍̫̖̙ͯ̓͋̆ͦͭ̋ͮ̃͗̋͑͂̍̾̈́̌͐̆ͦͤ̽̕̕͟ţ̵̸̥̹̰̺̗̞͉͎͙͂̉̿̅̇̌͒ͭ̚͠ry͋u̶̡̺̼̯̮̮̙̬͕̬̮͚̺ͩ̐ͥ̔́͌ͫ̉͋̇̐ͥ͐ͩ͐̓͂ͭ̒̉̕̚͟͜͢͜͡ͅm̴̶͉̳̬̝͈͎̜͍̓̅͂̅ͫ͆̓́̑ͧ̉ͫ́̓̽̏̈ͧ̂̚͠b̵̶̨̮̥̜̩̺̭͇̌ͬ̿̈́͊̌͌͗̓ͨ͆ͦ͊̚͜͟ͅe̘̝̖͕̠r̸̢̧̜̞͕͓̠̪͓̬͍̯̙̱̗̱̬̞̩̃̍ͥ͑̅ͮ̇̌ͩ̒̚͟
Jecka instantly pulled her ears away immediately as garbage noise started to blast out of her phone. She started to worry until after a bit it suddenly stopped, but the ringing in her ear was still there.
Jecka stands up, her armor clanking with every step. She starts to wander through the Cliffs calling out for the only other person who was in that room. The only response is the wind whistling through the jagged rocks. In the turns, she came face-to-face with a wall of dark stone. Three massive eyes were scratched into the surfac. Below them were three hole spitting sparks.
Nearby, a weathered sign stood tilted in the dust. Jecka leaned in to read it: “In this land, only eyes blinded by darkness ca—”
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT!”
Jecka looks around trying to make sure one last time she's actually just not in school, in that closet, maybe she just over took the shit Emily sells who knows. She looks down at the hole and the gap between. For some reason she's compelled to try it. The eye black out but nothing, she tries again and the other eye closes but the other opens. She tries multiple times until a snap and it summons a glass pathway that they can cross. and the first eye went dark. Nothing. She tried again, and as the second eye closed, the first one snapped open. She moved back and forth, a frustrated rhythm of clanking metal and sparks, until finally—SNAP.
A shimmering, translucent glass pathway materialized over the gap.
She eventually finds the end of the cliff and manages to keep her feet as she skidded down the slope of the cliff, the white metal of her boots kicking up clouds of fine, grey soot. The area at the bottom was eerie, dozens of small mounds of dust sat perfectly still, like miniature graves.
"Nicole?" she called out, her voice barely a whisper.
A shadow moved behind one of the larger piles. Eventually, she does find Nicole behind one of the dust piles. They both weakly grab their weapons and the end result would've gotten themselves killed if it was an actual threat. But the person she was facing wasn't a threat, it instead was–
“Nicole?”
“Jecka?”
“Nicole??”
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN THAT OUTFIT??”
“Why are YOU in latex!?” Jecka shot back.
Nicole was clad in a skin-tight, black bodysuit that shimmered with a polished, rubbery sheen. Crimson accents traced the lines of her silhouette, leading up to massive, blood-red pauldrons bristling with spikes. A jagged, broken heart sat centered on her chest.
They stood there for a long moment, the absurdity of their situation finally overriding the terror. Nicole began a thorough, judgmental inspection of Jecka’s "White Knight" look.
"Why do you have two hearts on your boobs?"
Jecka looked down, seeing the glowing pink hearts embossed on her chestplate for the first time. "Don't look!" she snapped, crossing her gauntlets over her chest. The metal clattered loudly. "Nicole, I am literally wearing a skirt made of metal. How am I supposed to sit down? How am I supposed to walk without attracting everything in a ten-mile radius?”
Nicole didn't look up; she was too busy testing the sharpness of a shoulder spike with her thumb. "Calm down, I'm not any better," she muttered, her voice dripping with dry disdain. "I look like a basic bitch's Hot Topic fever dream."
She gestured vaguely to herself, where the armor seemed designed more for a concert than a battlefield. A pair of studded belts crossed in a sharp, low 'X' over her hips, holding the plating together over exposed skin where the suit cut away entirely. Even her hair hadn't escaped the aesthetic; she reached up to adjust her ponytail, which was now cinched by a cruel-looking, spiked ring instead of a simple elastic.
"But honestly?" Nicole added, tilting her head as she eyed the jagged metal on her shoulder. "If I stab someone with these, do you think it’ll leave a cool scar or just get messy?”
Jecka’s breathing hitched, the panic finally boiling over "I hate you. I hate this place. I hate that my weapon is a giant needle sword thing. We're going to die in a hole, and I’m going to be buried in something that looks like it was bought at a Halloween store.”
“If we die, we die. But at least I’ll have been found in a better spot than overdosing.”
They wander together and find the entrance of a town, it was a town devoid of people and had symbols above that gave a slight hint of what it was before.
They see a big looming castle. “Nicole why is there a castle in the school?” She ask shaking Nicole slightly. “How would i know?” Nicole whispered irritatedly, slightly pushing Jecka back.
Looking up, a black geyser is above inside the castle and they approach the gate. Jecka subtly clings to Nicole.
“So do you think that'll just suck us back up or what?” Nicole says.
“Welcome, heroes.”
The two girls look towards the voice in panic and once again bring their weapons out.
“Do not be alarmed. I am not your enemy. Come closer.”
They do and they find a cloaked figure.
“Welcome, I am the prince of this kingdom… the kingdom of Darkness. Nicole, Jecka. There is a legend of the land. A LEGEND that one day, two HEROES of LIGHT will arrive, and fulfill the ancient prophecy foretold by time and space.”
Nicole stares at the Prince with a look of extreme skepticism
"So, let me get this straight. You’ve been waiting in a literal hole in the ground for 'prophesied heroes,' and your best bet is a preppy girl and a transfer student? Your standards for 'hope' are tragically low.”
Jecka: "Nicole, the sky is literally purple and there’s a giant black laser behind him! Maybe we should listen for five seconds before you start a fight with the only person who knows where the exit is!”
“Ugh, fine whatever talk your talk, hurry.”
“Um… very well, heroes.” He says, his ominous personality shifting to confusion.
Once upon a time, a LEGEND was whispered among shadows.
It was a LEGEND of HOPE.
It was a LEGEND of DREAMS.
It was a LEGEND of LIGHT.
It was a LEGEND of DARK.
This is the legend of DELTA RUNE
For millenia, LIGHT and DARK have lived in balance,
Bringing peace to the WORLD.
But if this harmony were to shatter...
a terrible calamity would occur.
The sky will run black with terror
And the land will crack with fear.
Then, her heart pounding...
The EARTH will draw her final breath.
Only then, shining with hope...
Three HEROES appear at WORLDS' edge.
A HUMAN,
A MONSTER,
And a PRINCE FROM THE DARK.
Only they can seal the fountains
And banish the ANGEL'S HEAVEN.
Only then will balance be restored,
And the WORLD saved from destruction.
Today, the FOUNTAIN OF DARKNESS-
The geyser that gives this land form-
Stands tall at the center of the kingdom.
But recently, another fountain has appeared on the horizon...
And with it, the balance of LIGHT and DARK begins to shift…
After the hooded figure finished his grand speech, he looked up to see the warriors reaction. And all Nicole was doing is staring at Jecka, hard. “What?” Jecka asks, feeling attacked. “The bathroom. Was it hard to just accept the bathroom?”
“Hey I didn't know this shit would happen! I was being smart!”
“Umm did you guys hear anything? The fountains, the end, any of it.”
“Yes, yes, all that chore shit we heard.” Nicole snapped.
"Wait, 'A Human, a Monster, and a Prince'? I'm a human, obviously, but... is Nicole, what? the monster? Because honestly, that tracks.”
"Hilarious. But if I'm the 'Monster' and you're the 'Human,' does that mean we’re legally obligated to do what this guy says? Because I don't do charity work, especially not for 'Legends' that sound like they were written by a depressed emo kid in the 80s. Seriously, dude if the world is ending, why is the ‘monster’ only wearing BDSM gear?”
"P-please! My ladies!” The Prince says. “The balance of the universe is... it's really quite delicate! If you don't seal the fountain, the very fabric of reality will—"
"Reality has been a disappointment since the third grade, buddy. If the sky turns black, at least I won't have to look at Jecka’s 'White Knight' costume anymore."
"Oh, shut up, Nicole! You’re just mad because the 'Monster' description is the most honest thing anyone’s ever said about you!"
The Prince sighs, his shoulders slumping "I... I see. Perhaps the prophecy didn't mention the part where the heroes would be... so... interpersonally challenged.”
Realizing that "vague legend speak" isn't working, the Prince would eventually drop the dramatic act. He might clear his throat and adopt a much more "customer service" tone just to keep their attention.
"Okay! Okay! If we can just... stop the…um… “roasting” for a moment? I have a tutorial prepared. There are dummies to hit. We can vent our frustrations on inanimate objects. Does that sound... 'cool'?"
Nicole and Jecka allow the man to pass them and follow the hooded man. Jecka pauses then turns to Nicole. “Hey, do you still have those cigarettes? We're here so we might as well before we get out and find some other odd shit.” Nicole looks down at her suit, this really did look like some hot topic shit. As she searched for wherever her pockets were the spiked bracelet that spawned on her wrist alongside the outfit was getting in the way. After a while she found something, it was sharp? She took it out and for whatever reason,
“...What the fuck is this?”
Instead of a cigarette pack, she was holding a slender, translucent crystal stick, faintly glowing lavender at the tip.
The hooded figure stopped and turned around. “Ah. That is your Light World property. In the Dark World, objects from your original reality often take on new forms that reflect their purpose.”
Nicole stared at him flatly. “Take the hood off.”
“Pardon?”
“Take. It. Off. I’m not doing the whole mysterious cloaked mentor thing right now. My patience is already in the negative.”
Jecka folded her arms, the gauntlets clinking. “Yeah, seriously. If you’re gonna explain shit, at least let us see who we’re talking to.”
The figure hesitated, then sighed and lowered his hood. Underneath was not much different, he was still shadowed by his his green pointed hat, round glasses, and a pink scarf. He gave a shy little wave.
“Hello… I’m Ralsei. It’s very nice to meet you both, even under these… unusual circumstances.”
Nicole blinked. “Ralsei? Okay, whatever. Faster. What the hell is this?” She held up the crystal stick.
Ralsei adjusted his glasses. “It appears to be a lavender stick. In the Light World, it must have been something else, but here this is the form it takes. You can still use it the same way.”
Nicole looked at the crystal, then at Ralsei, then back at the crystal. “You’re telling me this is my cigarette.”
“Um, maybe?”
She didn’t even hesitate. She picked a tip, brought it to her lips, and took a long drag. The crystal flared a deep, shimmering dark blue for a moment as lavender-scented smoke curled out. Her shoulders dropped slightly.
“…Okay. Not bad.”
Jecka took it reluctantly, inspected the glowing end, then took a cautious puff. The crystal swirled with pink and red hues as she exhaled reddish smoke. She coughed once, surprised. “It’s… smooth. Weirdly smooth.” She wiped her mouth with the back of her gauntlet and passed it back. “This place is so stupid.”
Ralsei tried to continue, walking ahead of them. “You’ll find many more items scattered throughout the Dark World! Some will heal you, others might grant a temporary boost.”
As Ralsei explained, they arrived at an open area. On the other side is a dummy that looks like a person in green cloth and a pointy green hat.
“This is the training dummy.”
“What does it look like you?” Nicole asks. “Are you a masochist?”
Ralsei looks surprised and embarrassed. “No! It's just, I had no one else to base it on.”
Nicole was about to open her mouth but her chest started to glow, she looked down and something started to shine within. Suddenly, a heart shaped object shoots out from Nicole and Jecka and join together in one object.
“WHAT THE HELL IS THAT.” Jecka yelled. The overwhelming of everything happening to her finally crashing onto her. Even Nicole was looking at the heart object wide eyed, even looking back down to her chest.
“Worry not, Delta warriors! These are just your SOULs! When you encounter an enemy, your SOUL will manifest. You can FIGHT which is straightforward, or you can ACT.”
Before they could say anything the Dummy’s turn starts and white pellets fire. The girls try to "move" at the same time. Nicole tries to dodge left while Jecka tries to dodge right. The SOUL stays perfectly still in the middle because they are pulling it in opposite directions. They both take a hit and feel a shared jolt of pain. "Quit pulling me, Jecka! I'm trying to move!" "I'm not pulling you! You're pulling me! Why is my chest vibrating?!”
“Despite you both having a SOUL of your own, yours will conjoin together as equals. You will have to work together to decide where to go.” Ralsei explains. He pauses and thinks before adding. “ Well, unless you're at a distance from each other. But that shouldn't happen!” He says cheerfully.
The attacks stop happening and the SOUL separate as it quickly goes back into Nicole and Jecka's body. “Alright, now it's our turn. Try FIGHTing!”
Jecka suddenly has a sword with heart details on its handle, and Nicole gets a halberd. Instead of questioning anything likely about their weapons anymore they instead strike the dummy. “Splendid!” Ralsei says. “You both have such natural… aggression.”
Ralsei moves onto the next step. “We will learn MAGIC! It requires focus and a calm spirit. Nicole, you have a high TP [Tension Point] potential. Try to tell me to cast PACIFY!!”
"Wait. You want us to “tell” you to do it? Why can't you do it yourself?” Jecka ask.
Before Ralsei explains the logic of the world Nicole cuts in. “Is this like a masochistic thing?”
Ralsei’s face is now almost the same color as his scarf. He waves his hands frantically, desperate to reclaim any shred of dignity.
"ANYWAY!" he shouts, his voice cracking. "Magic is... clearly an advanced technique that requires more... uh... maturity! Let's just move on to ACTing! ACTing is much simpler! It’s just... talking! You two are very good at talking! You're doing it right now!”
Ralsei looks between the dummy and Nicole. “Now, Nicole! Try to 'Hug' the dummy! If you show it affection, its affection will fill up!”
Nicole scrunches her face in confusion and disgust. “Yeah, no.” Ralsei looks at Jecka instead, she has her arms crossed and shaking her head. “I'm not hugging a pile of hay wearing your clothes. That’s how you get lice.”
With no other choice, Ralsei has to end the test. “Um, sorry I couldn't be a better teacher.”
“I don't think you could've convinced either one of us to hug that dummy.”
Ralsei sighs and then leads the way.
Before them stood the Great Door It was a monolith of black stone, reinforced with intricate golden scrollwork. Emblazoned at its center was the Delta Rune.
"Beyond this door," Ralsei said, his voice echoing in the stillness, "lies the world of the Darkners. It is a land full of wonders, but also many dangers. This is where your journey truly begins."
Ralsei’s expression turned solemn. "In this world, your choices matter. If you treat the people you meet with kindness... if you choose to SPARE instead of FIGHT... then in the end, we may have a happy ending after all!” He ends happily.
"And if we don't?" Jecka asked, her voice small.
Ralsei offered a small, optimistic smile, but his eyes remained hidden behind the glint of his glasses. "Then… you two may not find the ending to be” he pauses, his mind drifting into that very scenario. “favorable. But!” He pipes up “I know you won't let that happen. You are the Heroes of Legend! As long as you stay together, everything will work out in the end. I’m sure of it."
He turns to Nicole. “Nicole.” But she remained silent. “Um, are you ok with that?” Nicole was eyeing away, not really focusing on Ralsei's words. Her eyes returned to Ralsei and shrugged. “Does it matter? If this Legend said I'd be in it and do these random actions, do I really have a choice.” With that logic Ralsei pauses. ““Um, I guess not. But... the Legend doesn't say how you'll do it! I believe you’ll find a way to be a hero in your own... unique way!” with that, Nicole scoffs and it's the last thing she says in that moment.
But neither did need to speak as he turns around and opens the door. With a low, grinding groan that vibrated in their very marrow, the Great Door began to swing inward. Ralsei stepped to the side, gesturing for them to enter the unknown.
They stepped through.
**THOOM.**
The Great Door slammed shut behind them, the sound of the locking mechanism sounding final and absolute.