Date: February 12, 542 since the Fall of Zanra the Dishonored.
The blinding veil that had filled the Central Nexus began to slowly thin, dissolving into myriad golden sparks. Sounds returned abruptly: the hum of the crystalline octahedron grew quieter, replaced by a vibrating, solemn rumble emanating from the Shadow of Balance itself.
All those present — Harbingers, Warriors, and wounded mercenaries — stood holding their breath, afraid to disturb the sacred moment of choice. Kaellen and Valerius, whose faces still bore traces of recent pride, greedily peered into the radiance, hoping to see a sign of their triumph. Grak Axe did not move; his gaze was fixed on the void, as if he already knew the answer the Temple was preparing for them all.
The Giant Hawk, hovering in the center of the hall, made one final circle. Its crystalline feathers no longer reflected light — they themselves had become a source of primordial power. The bird suddenly folded its wings and began a swift descent.
It did not head towards Baron Kaellen, whose title and lineage screamed of the right to power. It flew past Legate Valerius, ignoring his rage and thirst for destruction. Even Mirza, whose Ancestor Spirit filled the hall with ancient grandeur, remained merely a spectator.
The Temple's Spirit rushed towards the group of knights of the Order of Order. Kaedan felt the air around him freeze, and his heart skipped a beat. But the Hawk did not stop before him. Its amber gaze was fixed on the youth standing slightly apart.
Iskon stood motionless, his left arm still pressed against his body, his face pale and impassive. In his gaze was neither plea nor expectation. He simply was — pure, cold, and absolutely ready for any verdict.
A sound like shattering glass echoed through the hall. The Shadow of Balance, reaching Iskon, did not stop. The giant bird suddenly began to shrink, turning into a stream of concentrated silvery light.
The shock that gripped those present was almost physically palpable. Baron Kaellen involuntarily took a step forward, his lips trembling with unspoken protest. Valerius let out a muffled growl, unable to believe that the power of the Temple, for which so much blood had been spilled, had chosen a "boy."
"It can't be..." whispered one of the Rakesh knights. "Why him? Why not the Baron?"
The Hawk, now a dazzling sphere, touched Iskon's chest. For a moment, space around the youth warped, drawing in all residual energy from the surrounding hall. Then the Spirit of the Temple smoothly, as if returning home, entered Iskon's Vessel.
The youth straightened sharply, his head snapping back, and beams of pure white radiance shot from his eyes. This was not a simple absorption of power — it was a fusion. Iskon had become a living extension of the Temple of True Balance.
Kaedan, standing only a few paces away, felt such density begin to emanate from his friend that his own Armor groaned, resisting the monstrous pressure. Iskon's inner essence, previously just a sharp Warrior's flow, began to expand rapidly, breaking old boundaries and searing new channels for transcendent power.
Mirza, watching this process, slowly lowered his cleaver. His face expressed grim acknowledgment. "The Temple chose one who does not fear the void," the Orc boomed, gazing at the radiant figure of the knight. "Now, in this hall, there is one fewer Warrior... and one Pillar... no, something more... more."
Grak Axe looked at his ward with pride and deep unease. He saw Iskon cease, before everyone's eyes, to be merely a knight. His energy was qualitatively changing, acquiring that very "purity of weight" the Spirit had spoken of.
The light began to slowly absorb into the youth's skin, leaving barely visible runes on his forehead and wrists, which instantly vanished into his pores. Iskon slowly lowered his head. When he opened his eyes, they were no longer simply blue. Amber nebulae swirled within them — a sign that the Shadow of Balance now lived inside him.
The hall plunged into deafening silence. Enemies and allies alike froze, realizing that the rules of the game in the Temple of True Balance had just been rewritten. Iskon took a deep breath, and in that sound could be heard the rustle of wings and the rumble of ancient rocks. The transformation had begun, and its outcome promised to overshadow even the ambitions of the Harbingers.