As Mary stepped through the golden doorway, a wave of warmth washed over her. It wasn't heat, nor was it light—it was something deeper, something that touched her very soul. It felt like recognition.
Lela and Loosie followed close behind, their footsteps barely making a sound as they crossed into the unknown.
The world on the other side was breathtaking.
A vast, open sky stretched infinitely, painted in hues of violet and silver. They stood on what seemed to be a bridge of crystallized stardust, floating amidst an expanse of drifting islands—each one glowing faintly with their own unique energy. The space around them pulsed, not with chaos, but with pure potential.
The Realm of Creation.
A deep voice echoed through the sky, ancient and knowing.
"Welcome, Chosen of Heaven and Hell."
Mary turned sharply. Before them stood a being unlike anything they had ever seen.
A figure draped in flowing cosmic robes, its face obscured by a swirling mask of galaxies. Eyes like burning suns peered down at them, carrying both wisdom and power.
The Arbiter.
"Who are you?" Lela asked, gripping Gáe Bolg tightly.
The Arbiter lifted a hand, and instantly, Gáe Bolg and Saber of Mist hummed in response—as if resonating with something greater.
"I am the Keeper of Balance. The Gatekeeper of what comes next."
Loosie narrowed her eyes. "And what exactly is next?"
The Arbiter turned slightly, raising an arm toward the islands beyond.
"A choice."
The air shimmered, and suddenly, visions flashed before their eyes.
Mary saw herself standing at the heart of a battlefield, wielding a sword bathed in divine mist. She was leading an army—not of humans, nor vampires, but something new. Something forged from both light and darkness. A new beginning.
Lela saw herself standing before a throne of crimson stone, surrounded by kneeling warriors. A ruler. A conqueror. The weight of an empire rested on her shoulders.
Loosie saw herself walking a path alone, shrouded in twilight. A wanderer. A seeker of truths. A legend untold.
The visions faded, leaving behind only silence.
Mary clenched her fists. "Are these… fates?"
The Arbiter nodded. "They are possibilities. You have walked the path of the forgotten, the blessed, and the cursed. Now, you must choose—will you carve your own fate, or follow the destiny laid before you?"
Lela scoffed. "Tch. I don't need some cosmic being telling me my future." She glanced at Mary. "But what do you think, Sis?"
Mary looked at the islands beyond, the paths stretching out in infinite directions.
This was it.
The moment where they would decide who they truly were.
She took a deep breath—
And stepped forward.