Lyra knelt before the Heartstone, her hands still resting on its pulsating surface. The artifact, now complete, hummed with a powerful, yet still untamed, energy. The vision of her ancestor, Lyra the First, flickered in her mind, clearer now, more defined. The queen stood within a swirling vortex of light and shadow, her eyes filled with a serene determination.
"You have found it, my descendant," the ancestor's voice echoed in Lyra's mind, soft as a whisper, yet resonant with ancient power. "The Heartstone is whole. But its true purpose is not merely to contain, but to purify. To restore the balance that was broken."
Rhydian, clutching his injured side, stumbled towards the dais, his golden eyes fixed on Lyra. "What is it, Princess? What do you see?"
"My ancestor," Lyra breathed, her gaze still fixed on the Heartstone. "Lyra the First. She's showing me... the true ritual."
The vision intensified. Lyra the First extended a hand, and a shimmering, golden thread of light connected her to a figure beside her – a man with eyes like molten gold, faint scales on his skin, a Drakhar ancestor. "The Star-Born and the Dragon," the ancestor's voice explained. "Two halves of a single key. The Ash-Eater feeds on discord, on imbalance. To banish it, you must create perfect harmony. A union of wills, of purpose, of spirit."
The vision showed the ancestor and the Drakhar weaving their powers together, not in a clash, but in a dance. The Heartstone pulsed between them, absorbing their combined essence, channeling it into a pure, cleansing light that pushed back the encroaching darkness of the Ash-Eater.
"The 'sacrifice' is not death, Lyra," the ancestor's voice clarified, a gentle reprimand. "It is a willing surrender of individual will to a shared purpose. A complete trust. A merging of destinies, not just bodies. Your blood, your lineage, holds the prison. His fire, his essence, provides the force to seal it. Without both, the prison will crack, and the Blight will return."
Lyra understood. Thorne's ritual had been a perversion, a forced binding. The true ritual was an act of profound unity. But it required absolute trust, a complete merging of their very beings, something far more intimate than any marriage vow. And it meant unleashing Rhydian's full draconic power, guiding it, rather than fearing it.
"And the missing piece?" Lyra asked, her voice reaching out to the vision. "Isolde's essence?"
"The piece ensures the Heartstone's stability," the ancestor replied. "It prevents the residual corruption. The Blight will fade, not merely be contained. But the choice, Lyra, is yours. The burden is heavy. Are you willing to offer your spirit, not just your life? Are you willing to trust the Dragon with your very soul?"
The vision began to fade, leaving Lyra with the full, terrifying weight of the truth. She looked at Rhydian, who stood before her, pale and injured, but his golden eyes filled with an unwavering resolve. He was the Dragon, her fated partner in this cosmic dance.
"What did she say?" Rhydian asked, his voice rough.
Lyra took a deep breath, the cold from the Ash-Eater's touch still a faint hum in her veins, but now mixed with the warmth of the Heartstone. "She showed me the true ritual. It requires both of us. A complete union. To banish the Ash-Eater, and to purify the Heartstone, to end the Blight forever." She hesitated, then added, "But it means unleashing your full power, Rhydian. And it means... a merging of our essences. A complete trust."
Rhydian's gaze intensified. He understood the implications. The prophecy of the "Dragon's fury unleashed" if the Star-Born fell. This was the balance. His power, channeled through her, could save them. But if she faltered, if their union was incomplete, the destructive force would be unleashed.
He nodded, his jaw set. "Then let us do it, Princess. For Serendahl. For the world." He extended his hand, his palm glowing faintly with a golden light. "Are you ready, Lyra?" The choice was terrifying, but the alternative was annihilation. The fate of their world rested on this single, desperate act of faith.