Prototype's Gate

Wyll, Shadowheart, Gale, and Astarion stepped out of the room and into hall of the inn. As they walked towards the exit, Gale glanced back over his shoulder, hesitating.

"Should we ask Alex if he wanted to come with us?" Gale asked, concern lacing his voice.

Wyll shook his head. "He said he was very tired. We should let him rest."

With that, the party exited the inn and approached one of the Harper scouts standing guard outside.

"Did you see a tall tiefling woman?" Wyll asked the Harper, his voice urgent.

The Harper, a wiry elf with sharp eyes, nodded and pointed toward a nearby shed. "I think I saw her walk to the back of that shed," he said. The shed was to the left of the inn, its structure old and worn. Inside was a small forge, long since cold, positioned to the left side. There were two empty stalls for animals, with only an ox lazily sweeping its gaze over the area. A set of stair led up to an attic that looked like it hadn’t been used in decades.

"Thanks," Wyll said, leading the way towards the shed, the rest of the party following close behind.

They checked behind the shed but found nothing. Disappointed, they continued their search, heading towards the bridge opposite the one they had crossed to reach the island when Astarion said that he saw some light under it.

There, slumped against the stone wall beneath the bridge, they found Karlach. Her usually fierce flames burned so hot that the stone beneath her glowed with a dull red heat, and her breathing was labored. Wyll rushed forward but stopped short when he felt the intense heat radiating from her body.

"Karlach!" Wyll shouted, his voice thick with worry.

He reached out to touch her but recoiled instantly, the flames too hot even for him. Her fiery form was so intense that the air around her shimmered with heat.

"Shit. Gale, cast Create Water on her!" Wyll ordered urgently.

Gale quickly obliged, summoning a torrent of water that cascaded over Karlach's body. But the water evaporated almost instantly upon contact, turning to steam before it could provide any real relief.

"My heart... is melting," Karlach whispered, her voice barely audible, her eyes glazed with pain.

Panic surged through Gale as he turned on his heel and sprinted back towards the inn, knowing that there was someone inside who might be able to save her. But as he reached the entrance, he froze in his tracks, eyes widening in disbelief.

The sky above the inn was split by a pillar of light, a brilliant beam that pierced the cursed mist surrounding the island, reaching up to the heavens where both the sun and moon hung together in the sky. The light was so intense that it bathed the entire area in an ethereal glow, dispelling the shadows around it . Some peoples around him felt to their knees and started to pray.

...

On the balcony of the inn , Zevlor, Jaheira, Halsin, and Isobel stood in stunned silence, their eyes locked on the pillar of light that soared into the sky. The cursed mist, which had once seemed impenetrable, was now being torn apart, revealing the celestial bodies above.

Isobel fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face as she began to pray fervently, her voice trembling with awe , overwhelmed by the divine presence that now filled the air.

The others were too captivated by the sight to notice her, their gazes fixed on the miraculous event unfolding before them.

"Lathander and Selûne..." Halsin murmured, his voice filled with reverence as he, too, sensed the presence of the gods.

...

Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the pillar of light vanished, and the dark sky reclaimed its territory, the cursed mist creeping back in as if to smother the brief moment of divine radiance. The oppressive atmosphere returned, leaving the onlookers in stunned silence, their minds struggling to comprehend what they had just witnessed.

"What just happened?" Jaheira asked, her voice tinged with disbelief as she stared at the now darkened sky. No one answered; they, too, were at a loss for words, never having seen anything like it before.

"I can feel a strong divine power beneath the inn," Isobel said, urgency in her voice as she turned and ran inside, followed closely by the others.

...

Alex stepped inside the cell where Marcus's charred body lay. The sight was eerie, not because of the burned corpse, but because of the unusual circumstances surrounding it.

"No burn marks on the floor or ceiling," Alex observed, his voice low as he scanned the cell. "And his body... it doesn't smell like it was burned. If anything, the musty, dank smell of the cellar is gone. It smells like this place was just cleaned."

"Alex, what have you done?" Lump asked, his voice tinged with unease.

"What happened?" Alex replied, genuinely confused.

"Come to the door," Lump urged.

Alex could sense a gathering of minds just beyond the door, their thoughts a jumble of confusion, awe, and suspicion. When he opened it, he was met by a group of concerned faces—Zevlor, Jaheira, Halsin, Isobel, and a few Harpers—all staring at him with varying expressions of disbelief, concern, and wariness.

"Are you responsible for what just happened?" Jaheira asked, her voice firm, though laced with an edge of uncertainty.

"What?" Alex asked, bewildered. "What happened?"

"The massive pillar of light," Jaheira pressed. "The presence of Lathander and Selûne. Are you responsible for it?"

Alex blinked, taken aback. He had no idea what she was talking about. His thoughts raced as he tried to piece together what Jaheira said.

"Halsin, can I access your memories to see what happened?" Alex asked telepathically.

"Yes, but only that," Halsin agreed, his mental voice firm.

Alex delved into Halsin's recent memories, his mind flooding with the vivid images of a pillar of light piercing the sky, pushing back the curse and revealing the sun and moon in a moment of divine clarity. The sheer power and purity of the light were overwhelming, and it left Alex momentarily speechless. But as he checked within himself, he realized something astonishing: the divine energy coursing through his body was immense—not just in quantity but in quality.

"Something must have happened while I was melding with Glut," Alex thought, trying to make sense of the situation. " That would make sense why Marcus died like that . The divine energy burned him ."

He looked back at the group, feeling their eyes on him, waiting for an explanation. "What just happened... it was my fault, but I'm not sure how it happened," Alex admitted, his voice a mix of confusion and honesty.

The silence following Alex's words was thick with disbelief and tension. Jaheira, who had seen much in her long life, couldn't help but express her skepticism.

"You summoned two divine presences, and you don't even know how you did that?" she asked, her tone a mixture of disbelief and concern.

"It seems so." Alex replied, still grappling with the enormity of what had happened.

Jaheira shook her head in frustration and left, the group of Harpers following her closely. Halsin, Zevlor, and Isobel lingered for a moment, exchanging a final glance with Alex before departing as well.

With the others gone, Alex was finally able to focus, sensing a deeply distressed mind within the inn. It was Gale.

The urgency in Gale's mental tone spurred Alex into action. He rushed back into the inn, leaping from the docks to the balcony facing them, and then into the inn's main hall. His sudden appearance startled a few people, causing them to scream, but Alex paid them no mind. He found Gale .

" What's happening?" Alex asked, with Gale, who was in his room.

Gale's voice trembled . "Karlach... she said her heart is melting."

"Guide me to her . "

They sprinted to Karlach's side.

Under the bridge, Karlach was still slumped on her side, dark liquid dripping from her mouth. Wyll, Shadowheart, and even Astarion stood nearby, their faces etched with pain and helplessness.

Alex crouched beside Karlach, his fiery glow intensifying as he absorbed the heat emanating from her. "Show me your heart," Alex said gently.

With trembling hands, Karlach pressed her chest, revealing the intricate mechanism of her mechanical heart. What Alex saw made his heart sink.

"Shit," he murmured. The heart was utterly destroyed—oil-like liquid leaked from every crevice, and several mechanisms were jammed, partially melted from the extreme heat.

Without hesitation, Alex summoned obsidian spikes that rose around them, forming a dome to block everyone from seeing or hearing what was about to happen. Small orbs of light materialized within the dome, providing the necessary illumination for the delicate procedure.

"Karlach, your heart is completely destroyed, and you will die soon," Alex said, linking his mind with hers to show her what he needed to do to save her, and how it would change her forever.

Karlach's grip on his wrist tightened as she looked into his eyes with a stern, unwavering expression. "Do it," she commanded.

Alex nodded, spores erupting from his body to sterilize the area, ensuring no bacteria could interfere. One of his fingers morphed into a needle, which he used to pierce her arm and inject an anesthetic. Karlach's eyes fluttered shut as she fell into a deep sleep.

Tentacles sprouted from Alex's back, each one precise and controlled as they began the intricate work of saving Karlach's life. Some tentacles pierced her body, taking over the function of pumping blood while Alex carefully disconnected the remains of her artificial heart.

The procedure was meticulous, with no room for error. Alex's focus was absolute as he removed every piece of the destroyed mechanism. From one of his tentacles, a new heart began to form, growing like a fruit from a tree. The tentacle carefully guided the heart into Karlach's chest, and Alex used his hands to mend it in place, sealing her chest as the final step. The mechanism that had once allowed it to open was now gone.

As the obsidian dome retracted, revealing Alex and Karlach, everyone held their breath, fearing the worst. Karlach lay peacefully on her back, her chest rising and falling slowly. When they saw her steady breathing, a wave of relief washed over the group.

Alex carefully lifted Karlach into his arms, her unconscious form radiating a much softer warmth now that her new heart had settled. He carried her back into the inn, through the halls, and into the room where the rest of the party had been resting. The room was dimly lit, with a Harper attending to an unconscious man . Lae'zel remained on her bed, the egg cradled protectively in her arms. She glanced up at Alex tiredly before dropping her gaze back to the egg.

His sudden appearance startled the Harper, but Alex ignored her reaction, focusing solely on getting Karlach into one of the empty beds. Once he had her settled, he stepped back, taking a moment to assess her condition.

"Will she be alright?" Wyll asked, concern etched across his face as he looked down at Karlach.

Alex nodded, his voice calm. "She should wake up soon." He paused, glancing around the room. "Did you notice there’s a devil sitting by the window?"

"Devil?" Astarion asked, his curiosity piqued. He quickly moved to the door and peered out. There, sitting casually by the window, was Raphael . He waved at Astarion, gesturing for him to come closer.

Without hesitation, Astarion walked over, followed closely by Wyll, Shadowheart, Gale, and Alex.

"I sense there's something you want to ask me," Raphael said smoothly as Astarion approached.

Astarion nodded, pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts. "I do." He hesitated briefly, then continued, "I have a proposal for you."

"A proposal?" Raphael echoed with a smirk. "If you're hoping to taste my blood, little vampling, think again. It burns hotter than Wyvern Whiskey."

"This is serious business, devil," Astarion shot back, clearly annoyed by Raphael's jest. "A long time ago, someone carved infernal runes into my back. They are a fragment of a contract. I'd like to know what the full contract says."

The party members exchanged glances, their attention now fully focused on Astarion. It was rare for him to reveal anything personal, and this admission left them all curious and concerned.

Raphael smiled, and with a snap of his fingers, Astarion’s upper clothes fell to the floor, exposing the scars on his back—etched into his skin like twisted tattoos, each rune a painful reminder of his past.

"You didn’t tell them about your scars. At least let them see them " Raphael said, his tone dripping with mock sympathy.

Astarion looked down at his clothes and then at the devil, frustration evident in his eyes.

"Hmm," Raphael mused, as if deep in thought. Astarion seemed to squirm under the scrutiny, like a small creature caught in the gaze of a predator. "It's something very important to your master. But is it a love letter, a warning, or a deed of ownership? I could give you all the gory details, but of course, you'll have to do something for me first. Let me think about it and get back to you."

"You'll get back to me? This is important, devil. When?" Astarion pressed, his desperation barely concealed.

"Don't worry—I'm motivated to help you," Raphael replied, his voice smooth and confident. "Scars often tell such wonderful stories—I think yours might be truly exquisite. I'll see you soon." With that, his figure was engulfed in smoke and fire, disappearing from the room.