Chapter 2593: Story 2594:The Heart’s Choice

The Heart of Harmony split apart.

Golden light and crimson energy collided above Asterion, creating a storm that shook the entire city.

Victoria Kane stood beneath it, Dawnblade raised.

"The Heart is breaking!"

Lyra shook her head.

"No."

She stared at the enormous crystal.

"It’s choosing."

The Empress of the Dominion smiled.

"Exactly."

She raised her hand.

"Order will end suffering."

Across the city, crimson energy spread through the streets.

People stopped fighting.

Weapons lowered.

Fear disappeared.

For a moment, Asterion became completely peaceful.

Cole looked around.

"They’ve stopped."

Evelyn watched the citizens carefully.

"No."

"They’ve been stopped."

Victoria looked toward the Heart.

"Everyone, don’t force it."

The ancient Seraphine stepped forward.

"Victoria, if the Heart chooses Dominion..."

"It won’t."

Victoria looked at her.

"Why?"

Seraphine lifted her crystal bowl.

"Because the Heart was created from every choice made by Asterion."

The bowl began glowing.

"It cannot be controlled."

The Empress laughed.

"Everything can be controlled."

She extended her hand toward the Heart.

Crimson energy struck the crystal.

The Heart screamed.

Lyra fell to her knees.

"I can feel them!"

Victoria rushed toward her.

"Who?"

"Everyone."

Lyra pressed a hand against her chest.

"The Heart is hearing every person in Asterion."

Victoria looked around.

Thousands of citizens stood between the golden and crimson lights.

Some wanted safety.

Some wanted freedom.

Some wanted both.

A frightened child stepped forward.

"I want my family to be safe."

An old man raised his voice.

"I want to choose my own life."

A young soldier shouted,

"I don’t want another war!"

Then a woman answered,

"I don’t want someone deciding for me!"

The voices multiplied.

The Heart absorbed every word.

The Empress’s smile faded.

"This is impossible."

Victoria looked at her.

"No."

She pointed toward the citizens.

"This is choice."

The Heart suddenly released a tremendous pulse.

Golden light pushed back the crimson energy.

But the Empress refused to retreat.

She raised both hands.

"Order!"

The Dominion army responded.

"ORDER!"

Crimson energy surged toward the Heart.

The Asterion citizens answered.

"FREEDOM!"

Golden light erupted.

The two forces collided.

A shockwave threw Victoria backward.

Dawn caught her.

"You okay?"

Victoria stood.

"Yes."

She looked at the Heart.

"But this isn’t going to end with one side defeating the other."

Dawn nodded.

"Then what will?"

Victoria smiled.

"Understanding."

She walked toward the center of the battlefield.

The Empress stared at her.

"What are you doing?"

Victoria lowered the Dawnblade.

"I’m offering you another choice."

The Empress laughed.

"You think I will surrender?"

"No."

Victoria looked into her crimson eyes.

"I think you should choose for yourself."

The Empress froze.

Her expression changed.

For the first time, uncertainty appeared in her eyes.

Seraphine stepped toward her daughter.

"You don’t have to obey the Dominion."

The Empress looked at her.

"I don’t remember being your daughter."

Seraphine’s eyes filled with tears.

"Then let me tell you."

The ancient guardian lowered her weapon.

"You were born afraid of losing people."

"I taught you that protection meant controlling everything."

The Empress trembled.

"I became what you feared."

Seraphine smiled sadly.

"No."

"You became what I failed to understand."

The crimson energy around the Empress began fading.

Suddenly, the fortress above Asterion opened.

A deep mechanical voice thundered across the sky.

"EMOTIONAL INTERFERENCE DETECTED."

The Empress looked upward.

"What?"

The fortress fired a massive crimson beam.

It struck her.

She screamed.

Seraphine rushed forward.

"NO!"

Victoria raised the Dawnblade.

The golden blade intercepted the beam.

The impact shook the heavens.

Victoria’s feet slid across the ground.

"This isn’t your choice anymore."

The Empress looked toward the fortress.

Her eyes widened.

"They’re controlling me."

Victoria nodded.

"Now you know."

The Empress clenched her fists.

Then she turned toward the fortress.

"I choose."

Crimson light exploded from her body.

But this time, it wasn’t the Dominion’s power.

It was her own.

She raised her hand toward the fortress.

"I choose myself."

The fortress cracked.

Across Asterion, every Dominion soldier froze.

Their crimson symbols began disappearing.

One by one, golden sparks returned to their bodies.

The Heart of Harmony blazed brighter than ever.

Then a voice echoed through the city.

"Choice accepted."

The Heart released a final pulse.

Golden and crimson energy merged into a new light.

Not order.

Not chaos.

Balance.

Victoria smiled.

But above the city, the enormous fortress began opening its central eye.

Inside it, something far older than the Dominion awakened.

The Empress stared upward.

"That isn’t our command system."

Nox’Rath spread his silver wings.

"No."

His expression darkened.

"It’s the one controlling the Dominion."

The crimson eye opened completely.

And a voice echoed across Asterion:

"You have broken my empire."

"Now I will break your world."