The last few days had been a battle in themselves, a grueling process of pain and slow recovery. Jason had felt every moment, each one a mix of sharp agony and brief, fleeting relief. The damage to his soul had been deep, wounds that Maggy’s usual healing couldn’t touch. But inside the Spirit Sanctum, where the rules of the physical world didn’t apply, something was different. Here, Maggy's abilities had the power to heal more than just his body; she could mend the damage that ran deeper, into his very soul.

  Maggy had explained it to him early on: in the Spirit Sanctum, she could tap into the spiritual plane, where the essence of the soul existed more directly. Her healing magic, combined with the sanctum’s energy, could reach into those places normally beyond her grasp, knitting together the tears that his bloodline had caused. Without the sanctum, healing his soul would have taken far longer, if it was even possible.

  At first, the process had been excruciating. Every time Maggy used her Spirit Stitch, it felt like his soul was being sewn back together with burning thread. But as the days passed, the intense pain dulled. Piece by piece, the tears in his soul began to mend. The Spirit Sanctum worked slowly, its radiant light nourishing his broken spirit, while Maggy’s touch stitched him back together.

  The agony gradually gave way to moments of peace. The sharp, tearing sensation faded into a dull ache, and then, eventually, even that began to fade. Jason could feel the difference, the raw, jagged edges of his soul smoothing out, the strain in his chest easing as his spirit healed.

  Now, standing near the edge of the sanctum’s golden light, Jason looked down at himself. His skin bore no sign of the shimmering, ethereal tears that had once crisscrossed his body. It was as if the damage had never been there, but Jason could still feel the scars deep within, scars that would remain even though the wounds were closed.

  "Well," Jason said with a slow exhale, running a hand over his arms, "I think I’m finally ready to get back to the fight."

  He stretched his limbs, testing them, feeling more alive than he had in days. The stiffness and fatigue were gone, replaced by a sense of renewal. His body felt strong, but it was his soul that had truly healed.

  Maggy, standing beside him, watched him carefully. She had seen the wounds close, had felt the progress day by day as she worked her magic within the Spirit Sanctum. She smiled, though there was a hint of relief behind her eyes. "You’re looking much better," she said, her voice soft.

  Jason chuckled lightly, but the memory of the pain still clung to him. "Better, yeah. Those first few days... it felt like my soul was being torn apart all over again. But whatever you did, whatever this place is, it worked."

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  Maggy nodded, glancing around the glowing expanse of the sanctum. “The Spirit Sanctum makes it possible. Outside, I can’t touch your soul the same way, my healing can only go so far. But here, where we’re connected to the spiritual plane, I can reach deeper. Without this place, your soul would’ve taken months to heal. Maybe longer.”

  Jason’s expression hardened, thinking of how close he’d come to breaking entirely.

  Maggy reached out, her fingers brushing against his arm. “Your bloodline gives you incredible power, Jason i doubt we live through what Umbraxis threw at us without ir. But it also puts a huge strain on your soul. You can’t let it tear you apart again. Not like this.”

  Jason looked at her, the weight of her words sinking in. She was right. The Blood of the Unchained had saved them, had given him the strength to fight when he needed it most, but it had nearly destroyed him in the process. He couldn’t afford to let that happen again.

  “I’ll be careful,” Jason said.

  Jason turned his gaze toward the shimmering edge of the Spirit Sanctum, where the Games waited beyond the golden light. His body was whole again, his spirit mended, it was time to get back to work.

  Together, they stepped through the fading boundary of the Spirit Sanctum, The golden light of the Spirit Sanctum flickered out behind them as they stepped into the throne room. The air was heavier here, thick with the remnants of their battle. Then, as if answering their arrival, the portals came to life, their energies crackling like a silent challenge. One portal glowed with flickering shades of orange and red, casting long shadows across the stone floor. Inside, a fiery expanse stretched out—a volcanic landscape, where molten lava cascaded down jagged cliffs. Rivers of fire snaked their way through the land, leading toward a towering, dark castle nestled in the heart of the inferno, positioned between two massive streams of lava. The heat radiating from the portal was almost palpable, as if the air around it simmered from the sheer intensity of the flames.

  The other portal shimmered with an icy blue light, the air around it chilled to the bone. Inside, a frigid, wind-swept mountain peak loomed, its sharp edges coated in frost. Snow swirled violently as a relentless blizzard howled through the frozen expanse. At the top of the icy ridge stood a looming castle, its spires cutting through the storm like spears of ice. The portal exuded an almost unnatural cold, the frost clinging to the edges as the bitter wind echoed faintly from within.

  Jason stood before the portals, his gaze flicking between the two. Each was a gateway to another deadly challenge, both inviting and foreboding in their own way. The path ahead was clear, Pyraxis, the Flame Sovereign, awaited in the fiery realm, while Frostmaw, the Eternal Warden, ruled over the icy peak.

  "Looks like we get to choose our next vacation destination," he said, smiling. “Volcanic views or icy heights?”

  Maggy let out a small laugh, though there was an edge of tension behind it. "I’m not sure either is exactly a vacation, but at least the views will be interesting."

  Jason’s grin widened, his eyes flicking between the fiery and frozen landscapes. “Let’s just hope the amenities are a little better than last time.”