The Voice Within the Box

The smoke of battle gradually dispersed.

The warped truck, deprived of Echo's power, completely collapsed into a pile of rotten planks.

The objects that had once housed souls lay scattered across the ground, now nothing more than dusty old belongings.

"It's over..." Kade leaned on his warhammer and let out a long breath. His tensed muscles finally relaxed.

"Only for now." Sera curled her lip, though her clenched fingertips loosened slightly as well.

Xia Lin walked over to Kade and patted his plate armor. "Thanks, big guy. If you hadn't held the line, we would've been drowned by that pack of Vengeful Spirits long ago."

"It was my duty." Kade smiled. With a raised hand, holy healing radiance fell upon Xia Lin and Sera in turn, soothing the wounds left by battle.

The three of them turned their eyes toward the center of the battlefield.

Celia stood there with her head lowered, staring at her hands. Her face was still somewhat pale, but her eyes were clearer than they had ever been.

"Celia, how do you feel?" Xia Lin asked with concern.

She looked up, a radiant smile blooming across her face. It carried both Celia's inherent gentleness and Soteria's distinctive allure. "Better than ever."

"I can feel it. We... have truly become one." Her voice was firm. "Our souls are like two streams flowing into the sea, merging together until there is no longer any distinction between you and me."

Kade sighed in relief. "Thank the Goddess for her blessing."

"Then... what about your instinct?" Sera frowned and asked the most crucial question.

"It's still there," Celia answered honestly. "The whispers of the Abyss, that hunger for souls, haven't disappeared. But to sever that connection completely would probably require the intervention of a true god. As things stand now...