While the Dawnbreakers battled below,
Iselyra remained aboard the Radiant —
calm, quiet, always watchful.
The ship drifted under emergency cloaking —
almost invisible against the Rift storms swirling across the ruined skies.
Iselyra leaned against the cargo bay entrance —
arms crossed, silver-blue eyes sharp.
That's when she felt it.
A disturbance in the cold.
A flicker of power — achingly familiar.
She turned —
and there, standing at the edge of the landing platform,
was her sister.
Appearance of the Sister
Same sharp features as Iselyra —
but where Iselyra's presence was cold, proud, noble —
her sister's was cold in a predatory way.
Dark Rift runes crawled like living tattoos across her arms and neck.
Her once-brilliant armor was now draped in shattered black and deep crimson — the mark of the Cult.
Her sister's eyes — once clear and wise —
were now tinted with faint Rift glow.
Still recognizable.
Still horrifying.
The Conversation
The sister spoke first —
her voice soft, almost gentle.
"Little Isa."
"You always stood so straight, even when the world fell apart."
"Why cling to these dying stars? Why bleed for a universe that has forgotten you?"
"Come with me. Come where we can be whole again."
Iselyra said nothing for a long moment.
When she did,
her voice was a blade of ice:
"You are not my sister."
"Not anymore."
The other woman only smiled — sad, pitying.
"Oh, but I am."
"I simply stopped lying to myself."
"The Cult offers what the universe never could: certainty. Eternity."
"Come, Iselyra. Come home."
Iselyra's Silent Grief
Iselyra's fists clenched at her sides.
The emotions — rage, sorrow, confusion —
they warred inside her, burning colder than the void.
This wasn't supposed to be possible.
Her sister was dead.
Or so she had believed.
And if she lived…
What had she become?
The Conclusion
The Rift-tainted sister extended a hand — fingers clawed by dark energy.
Iselyra did not move.
She met her sister's gaze —
unflinching.
"I will mourn you."
"But I will not follow you."
"Not now. Not ever."
The sister's smile faltered —
for just a fraction of a second —
then hardened into something cruel.
"Then I will mourn you too, dear Isa… when I tear the stars from your sky."
Without another word,
the Rift-warped sister stepped backward —
fading into the twisting winds, swallowed by the storms.
Iselyra stood alone —
body still, heart breaking silently.
The Radiant pulsed behind her — steady, strong.
She turned back inside.
The crew would return soon.
She had a promise to keep.
And next time, if her sister stood in her way…
She would not hesitate.
Opening: Departure from the Hollow
The Red Radiant lifted off from the Sorrow Wells.
Below, the ruined world still trembled —
but now, a few faint blooms of life struggled toward the broken skies.
Aerin stood at the viewport, hands pressed to the glass,
watching tiny bursts of green stubbornly reclaim blackened earth.
Beside her, Auren watched too —
silent, massive, the chains on his arms hanging still.
In his eyes, something new flickered:
Not forgiveness.
Not peace.
But hope.
Crew Atmosphere: Quiet Victories
Back inside the Radiant:
Zaraya leaned back in the captain's chair, watching her new crew with a proud, quiet smile.
Kaelen sharpened his shadow-forged blades silently — a ritual of preparation.
Lyren tuned her staff, ancient spells dancing across its surface.
Jaxen lay half-asleep against a wall, Drex curled lazily at his feet.
Plo frantically scribbled notes about Rift energy fluctuations and "possible agricultural restoration projects" in increasingly messy handwriting.
The Dawnbreakers were growing.
Not just in strength.
In heart.
In unity.
Auren's First Small Step
In the training hall, later:
Zaraya approached Auren, who was kneeling in the center —
eyes closed, breathing slow and heavy.
The chains on his arms rattled as he rose.
Zaraya extended a hand again — this time not to invite, but to spar.
Auren hesitated.
Then, with the ghost of a smile,
he gripped her forearm — solid and real.
"Let's see if your crew can break an unbroken shield," he rumbled.
Zaraya laughed.
The training bout that followed shook the ship's stabilizers.
And when it ended, both standing, both smiling fiercely —
the bond was sealed.
Iselyra's Silence
Meanwhile, in the observation deck:
Iselyra watched the drifting Rift storms finally dispersing beyond the atmosphere.
Her hands clenched the railing.
The encounter with her sister weighed heavily on her heart.
She hadn't told the others yet.
Not because she didn't trust them.
But because…
because once she said it aloud,
it would become real.
For now, she chose silence.
For now, she chose to stand.
Final Scene: New Threats Stirring
Far across the stars, unseen:
Rift cult leaders convened — plotting their next moves, sharpening knives in the dark.
Black Circuit bounty fleets realigned — new captains thirsting for Dawnbreaker blood.
Empires debated — whispers of new wars brewing.
Ancient ruins shifted across shattered worlds — gateways quivering at the edges of reality.
And somewhere,
in the black heart of it all,
the thirteenth Rift gate trembled —
waiting for someone foolish enough, or brave enough, to open it.
The Dawnbreakers' legend was no longer rumor.
It was becoming prophecy