The platform hurtled through the Void Sea, a stone raft adrift in a cosmos of shattered stars.
Kaien gripped Lirae's hand, her cool touch grounding him as the crimson islet loomed closer. Its surface pulsed with heat, molten veins snaking across obsidian cliffs. A fiery aura radiated from its core, tugging at Kaien's soul like a heartbeat not his own.
[Objective: Seek the Second Star.]
[Warning: Void Islet Designation—Forgeheart. Hostile Environment Detected.]
The Soulbound System's voice cut through his thoughts, its tone as unyielding as ever.
The star-shaped interface flickered, Lirae's silver node glowing steadily while a second node sparked faintly, red as molten iron.
"Forgeheart," Kaien muttered, squinting against the islet's glow. "Sounds like a raid zone. Any intel, Oracle?"
Lirae's moonlit eyes scanned the horizon, her expression taut. "The Void Sea shifts, but this islet… it's alive. Forged by a star's death, it burns with creation and destruction. The soul calling you is strong, but wounded. Be wary."
"Wounded?" Kaien's chest tightened. He barely understood his bond with Lirae, let alone another soul. "Is it another Soulmaiden?"
She nodded, silver hair catching the islet's red light. "Yes. But each bond is unique. She may not welcome you as I did."
Kaien snorted, masking his unease. "You weren't exactly rolling out the welcome mat either." But her faint smile told him she caught his deflection.
Their Emotional Sync now at 20% hummed between them, a subtle warmth that made him feel less alone.
The platform shuddered, grinding against Forgeheart's edge.
Heat blasted Kaien's face, like standing too close to a furnace. The air shimmered, thick with ash and the tang of molten metal. Obsidian spires jutted skyward, wreathed in flames that danced without fuel.
[Environmental Hazard: Extreme Heat.]
[Physical Sync Recommended to Enhance Resilience.]
"Physical Sync?" Kaien glanced at Lirae, who averted her gaze, a faint flush on her pale cheeks. "What's that involve?"
"It's… closer than Emotional Sync," she said, voice measured. "Shared breath, touch, or battle. It binds our bodies as our souls begin to align."
Kaien's face heated, and not from the islet. "Right. Let's stick to battle for now." He wasn't ready for whatever "shared breath" implied, no matter how his gamer brain tried to frame it as a mechanic.
The platform cracked, forcing them to leap onto the islet's surface. The ground burned through Kaien's makeshift boots, his gamer hoodie and jeans, inexplicably intact from his death, weren't built for this.
Lirae moved gracefully, her silver robes untouched by the heat, a reminder of her otherworldly nature.
A low rumble shook the islet, and the fiery aura pulsed stronger. Kaien's soul stirred, drawn to a cavern mouth glowing like a forge's heart. "She's in there," he said, certainty rising unbidden.
Lirae's hand brushed his arm. "Stay sharp. Forgeheart tests resolve. If she's wounded, something wounded her."
They advanced.
Kaien weaving a Lunar Veil to shield them from the heat. The mist shimmered, cooling the air, but it strained his focus, his Qi reserves were still novice-level.
Lirae's presence steadied him, her own veil reinforcing his.
The cavern opened into a vast chamber, its walls lined with molten rivers. At its center stood a woman, her back to them, hammering a glowing blade on an anvil of black stone.
Her auburn hair blazed like a corona, tied back with a leather cord. Muscles flexed beneath her soot-streaked armor, each strike sending sparks flying. The fiery aura emanated from her, fierce yet fraying, like a flame starved of air.
[Second Star Detected: FLAME OF THE FORGOTTEN FORGE.]
[Synchronization Advised.]
[Warning: Hostile Intent Detected.]
"Thess," Lirae whispered, reading the system's prompt. "She's a creator, a warrior. But her soul is scarred."
Before Kaien could respond, Thess spun, her hammer raised. Her eyes, molten gold, burned with suspicion.
"Who dares enter my forge?" Her voice was rough, commanding, laced with pain. The blade in her other hand flared, its edge radiating heat that warped the air.
Kaien raised his hands, veil flickering. "Easy! I'm Kaien, this is Lirae. The system led us here."
Thess's gaze flicked to Lirae, then back to him. "System? Another puppet of the Void's whims." She stepped forward, blade pointed. "Leave, or I'll turn your bones to ash."
[Emotional Sync with FLAME OF THE FORGOTTEN FORGE: 0%.]
[Combat or Dialogue Required to Initiate Bond.]
Kaien's gamer instincts screamed boss fight, but Lirae's warning echoed—wounded souls didn't lash out without reason. "We're not here to fight," he said, lowering his hands. "You're hurt. We can help."
Thess laughed, bitter and sharp. "Help? You don't even know what you've stumbled into, boy." Her blade swung, a crescent of flame slicing toward him.
Kaien dove, Lirae's Moonlit Snare snapping out to bind the flame.
The threads held, but Thess's strength tore them apart, her hammer crashing down. Kaien rolled, the ground scorching his back. "Lirae, ideas?"
"Reach her heart," Lirae called, weaving a veil to block another strike. "Her pain fuels her rage. Sync with me to calm her."
Kaien gritted his teeth. Syncing under pressure was new, but he trusted Lirae.
He grabbed her hand, their souls brushing—her calm resolve bolstering his defiance. The warmth flared, and the system pinged.
[Emotional Sync with MOONVEIL ORACLE: 25%.]
[Physical Sync: 10%.]
[Skill Upgraded: Lunar Veil (Level 3).]
[New Skill: Moonshadow Pulse.]
Kaien channeled the new skill, a wave of silver light rippling outward.
It didn't harm Thess but dimmed her flames, her movements slowing as if caught in a dream.
"Thess, listen!" he shouted. "I don't know your story, but I know you're fighting something bigger than us. Let me help."
Her hammer paused, trembling. "You know nothing of my forge, my betrayal." Her voice cracked, raw with loss. "They took everything—my craft, my kin. Now the Void wants my soul."
Kaien stepped closer, veil shielding him from the heat. "Then fight the Void with us. The system chose me, chose Lirae, and it's calling you. You're not alone."
Thess's eyes flickered, doubt softening her rage. But before she could respond, the cavern shook.
Cracks split the walls, and a massive Voidspawn erupted—a molten behemoth, its body a fusion of lava and shadow, eyes glowing like dying stars.
[Voidspawn Elite: Forgeborn Devourer.]
[Combat Required to Secure Second Star.]
"Damn it," Kaien muttered. "Thess, truce?"
She hesitated, then nodded, gripping her hammer. "For now. Don't die, system-boy."
The Devourer roared, molten claws sweeping toward them. Kaien and Lirae wove Lunar Veils, deflecting the strike, while Thess charged, her blade carving a blazing arc. Sparks flew, but the creature's hide barely scorched.
"It's too strong!" Lirae warned, her veil straining. "We need Thess's power."
Kaien's mind raced. Syncing with Thess meant breaking through her distrust, mid-battle. He dodged a claw, sprinting to her side. "Thess, I need your fire. Sync with me."
She scoffed, hammering the Devourer's leg. "You think I'll bare my soul to a stranger?"
"You're not baring it," Kaien said, blocking a flame burst with his veil. "You're fighting with it. Like you've always done."
Her eyes met his, searching.
Something shifted, a spark of recognition. She grabbed his wrist, her touch searing but not painful.
Their souls brushed, jagged and raw. Kaien saw flashes: a burning village, Thess forging a blade as her kin fell, her vow to never trust again. His own loneliness answered, years spent hiding behind screens, afraid to connect.
The system chimed.
[Soulbond Initiated with FLAME OF THE FORGOTTEN FORGE.]
[Emotional Sync: 5%.]
[Skill Acquired: Emberforge Strike (Level 1).]
Kaien's hands blazed, fire coiling around them. He swung, a fiery arc slashing the Devourer's flank, drawing molten blood.
Thess mirrored him, her hammer amplifying the strike. Together, they drove the creature back, Lirae's snares binding its limbs.
The Devourer collapsed, dissolving into a pile of glowing crystals. Kaien panted, the SCN flaring—Lirae's node brighter, Thess's now a faint red star.
[Voidspawn Elite Defeated.]
[Void Essence Absorbed.]
[Soulbond Stability Increased.]
Thess lowered her hammer, studying Kaien. "You're not what I expected," she said gruffly. "But don't think this makes us friends."
Kaien grinned, wiping ash from his face. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Lirae approached, her gaze warm but cautious. "The islet's stable, but the Void Sea moves. We must follow the next call."
The SCN pulsed, a third node flickering faintly, distant and cold. The cavern rumbled, Forgeheart shifting toward a new islet, its aura shadowy and deep.
Kaien looked at Thess, then Lirae. Two stars, two souls, bound to him. The weight of their trust settled in, both heavy and exhilarating. "Ready for round three?" he asked.
Thess smirked, hefting her hammer. "Try to keep up, system-boy."
As the islet sailed into the Void's embrace, Kaien felt the next soul's call, a whisper of shadow, beckoning from the dark.