The moment Haruto's older reflection smiled, the room pulsed with a sudden shift of energy. The air thickened, as though the Vault itself had become aware of him—not as a visitor, but as a former master returned.
Lucien drew his blade, eyes scanning the chamber. "Did anyone else see that?"
Kaela nodded slowly, her hand trembling near her dagger. "That wasn't just a reflection. That was… someone else."
"No," Haruto murmured. "It was me."
The smile in the crystal faded, replaced by a hollow void—black and deep, pulling at Haruto's memory like a hook.
He stumbled back from the pedestal.
"I don't understand," he muttered. "The Queen took my most painful memory. I shouldn't remember this—but it's like… the Vault does."
Kaela walked to one of the crystal pillars, placing her palm against it. It pulsed faintly under her touch, then suddenly projected an image into the air—a vision of Haruto, standing atop a battlefield, cloaked in black, the Nullblade glowing with blood-red light.
He wasn't saving the world.
He was burning it.
"This… this is a future," Kaela whispered. "Or a past. Or something that was prevented."
Lucien hissed through his teeth. "Or it's a warning."
From the pedestal, the glowing inscription began to shift, the letters reshaping, transforming into a new message:
"He who forgets shall become he who was feared."
Haruto's voice was tight. "It's not just a key. It's a prison."
Suddenly, the chamber rumbled. The crystal pillars flared. The door above slammed shut with a metallic roar, locking them inside.
A shape began to rise from the far wall—fluid, shadowy, unformed. It had Haruto's stance. His blade. His eyes.
But twisted.
Lucien backed away. "What is that?"
Kaela's voice cracked with dread. "The Vault didn't just respond to your presence… it's rebuilding your forgotten self."
The shadow spoke in a voice warped by echoes.
"You gave her the memory. But I kept the pain."
Haruto stared, his breath stolen from his lungs.
"Welcome back… Hero."