The Void Sea churned, a kaleidoscope of fractured stars and swirling darkness, as Forgeheart's molten glow faded behind them.
Kaien stood at the platform's edge, the obsidian slab now their vessel, gliding toward a new islet cloaked in shadow. Its aura was cold, a whisper of despair that prickled his skin and stirred his soul.
The Stellar Constellation Network flickered in his mind, Lirae's silver node and Thess's red ember pulsing steadily, while a third node flickered faintly, dark, elusive, like a star veiled by storm clouds.
[Objective: Seek the Third Star.]
[Void Islet Designation—Umbral Veil.]
[Warning: Psychic Corruption Detected.]
The Soulbound System's voice was as cold as the islet's aura, its warning sharpening Kaien's focus. He glanced at his companions.
Lirae, her silver hair catching the Void's faint light, scanned the horizon with a seer's calm.
Thess, hammer slung over her shoulder, radiated restless energy, her auburn hair still streaked with Forgeheart's ash.
"Umbral Veil," Kaien said, testing the name. "Sounds like a trap. What's the system mean by 'psychic corruption'?"
Lirae's moonlit eyes narrowed. "The Void spawns not just beasts, but shadows of the mind. This islet may twist your thoughts, prey on your fears. The soul calling you… she's part of it, yet apart. Her essence is fractured."
Thess snorted, gripping her hammer. "Great. Another broken soul. You sure know how to pick 'em, system-boy."
Kaien shot her a wry grin. "Says the one who tried to forge me into ash an hour ago."
Her lips twitched, but her eyes stayed sharp, scanning the approaching islet. "Just don't expect me to hold your hand through this one."
The platform shuddered, docking against the Umbral Veil's edge.
The islet was a labyrinth of black spires, their surfaces slick and reflective, like mirrors forged from midnight.
Shadows writhed in the air, formless yet alive, whispering in voices too faint to decipher.
The cold sank into Kaien's bones, his gamer hoodie no match for the islet's chill.
[Environmental Hazard: Psychic Resonance.]
[Emotional Sync Recommended to Resist Corruption.]
"Emotional Sync again," Kaien muttered, glancing at Lirae. Their bond, now at 25%, hummed with a quiet warmth, but Thess's was only 5%—a fragile spark. "Lirae, can we sync as a group?"
She nodded, though her expression was cautious. "Possible, but difficult. Thess must open her soul, as we have. It requires trust."
Thess stiffened, her hammer tightening in her grip. "Trust? I'm here, aren't I? Don't push it, Oracle."
Kaien stepped between them, sensing the tension. "Let's focus on surviving first. That soul's calling me, and I'm not ignoring it."
He felt it stronger now—a faint, desperate pulse, buried deep in the islet's heart.
They ventured forward, the spires closing around them like a cage.
The whispers grew louder, slithering into Kaien's mind. You're nothing. A glitch in the Void. They'll abandon you. He shook his head, but the words lingered, heavy as doubt.
Lirae's hand brushed his, her Lunar Veil flaring to shield them. "Focus on our bond," she said softly. "The shadows lie."
Thess growled, her hammer sparking with Emberforge Strike. "Lies or not, I'll burn them." But her voice wavered, her eyes darting to the spires' reflections, her own face, twisted with grief.
The path opened into a sunken arena, its floor a pool of liquid shadow.
At its center floated a figure, curled in on herself, her body half-human, half-Void.
Black tendrils wove through her pale skin, her dark hair drifting like ink in water. Her eyes, when they opened, were voids—empty, yet pleading.
[Third Star Detected: WHISPER OF THE DEEP VOID.]
[Synchronization Advised.]
[Warning: Void Corruption at Critical Levels.]
"Nyara," Lirae whispered, reading the system's prompt. "Once human, now bound to the Void. Her soul is breaking."
Kaien's heart clenched. Nyara's aura wasn't hostile like Thess's had been, but broken, like a song cut off mid-note. "We have to help her," he said, stepping forward.
The shadows surged, forming into a humanoid Voidspawn—tall, faceless, its body a mirror of Kaien's own fears. Its voice echoed in his mind: You'll fail her, as you've failed everyone.
[Voidspawn Elite: Shadow of Doubt.]
[Combat and Synchronization Required to Secure Third Star.]
The Shadow lunged, its claws slicing through the air. Kaien dodged, weaving a Lunar Veil, but the creature's strikes passed through, grazing his mind.
Pain flared—not physical, but a flood of memories: his lonely apartment, his mother's disappointed sigh, his life wasted on screens.
"Lirae!" he shouted, staggering. "It's in my head!"
She moved beside him, her Moonlit Snare binding the Shadow's limbs. "Sync with me, Kaien. Let my soul anchor you."
He grabbed her hand, their souls merging. Her calm washed over him, dulling the Shadow's whispers. The system chimed.
[Emotional Sync with MOONVEIL ORACLE: 30%.]
[New Skill: Lunar Echo (Level 1).]
Kaien channeled Lunar Echo, a pulse of silver light that disrupted the Shadow's form, forcing it back. But Nyara cried out, her tendrils writhing, as if the Shadow's pain was hers.
Thess charged, her Emberforge Strike blazing, but the Shadow reformed, its claws targeting her. She froze, her reflection in a spire showing a burning village, her kin's screams echoing. "No," she whispered, hammer falling.
"Thess, snap out of it!" Kaien shouted, diving to shield her. The Shadow's claw grazed his arm, cold pain searing his mind. He gritted his teeth, pulling Thess behind a veil. "We need you. Nyara needs you."
Thess's eyes cleared, her jaw tightening. "Damn it, system-boy, don't make me owe you." She stood, hammer flaring. "Let's sync. But don't get soft on me."
Kaien took her hand, their souls brushing—her rage and loss clashing with his defiance. The connection was rough, like striking flint, but it sparked.
[Emotional Sync with FLAME OF THE FORGOTTEN FORGE: 10%.]
[Skill Upgraded: Emberforge Strike (Level 2).]
Thess roared, her hammer unleashing a fiery wave that scorched the Shadow. Kaien followed with Lunar Echo, the combined assault weakening the creature. But Nyara's cries grew louder, her tendrils lashing out, not at them, but at herself.
"She's fighting the corruption," Lirae said, her voice urgent. "Kaien, reach her soul. Only you can initiate the bond."
Kaien nodded, dodging the Shadow's claws to approach Nyara. The pool's shadows clung to his legs, whispering failure, but Lirae's and Thess's bonds anchored him. He knelt before Nyara, her void-eyes meeting his.
"Nyara," he said, voice steady despite the chaos. "I don't know what the Void took from you, but I'm here. You're not alone."
Her tendrils hesitated, then brushed his cheek, cold yet searching. A fragment of her soul touched his—pain, loss, a life erased by the Void.
Kaien answered with his own: his isolation, his fear of letting others in. "I'm scared too," he admitted. "But we can fight this together."
The system chimed.
[Soulbond Initiated with WHISPER OF THE DEEP VOID.]
[Emotional Sync: 3%. Skill Acquired: Void Whisper (Level 1).]
A faint shadow coiled around Kaien's hand, intangible but sharp. He channeled Void Whisper, a wave of darkness that merged with the Shadow of Doubt, unraveling its form.
Nyara gasped, her tendrils retracting, her eyes gaining a flicker of humanity.
Thess and Lirae struck together, Emberforge Strike and Moonlit Snare finishing the Shadow. It dissolved into a pile of dark crystals, the arena's shadows receding.
[Voidspawn Elite Defeated.]
[Void Essence Absorbed.]
[Soulbond Stability Increased.]
Nyara collapsed, Kaien catching her. Her body was light, her skin still laced with faint tendrils. "You… saw me," she whispered, voice barely audible.
"Yeah," Kaien said, smiling softly. "And I'm not going anywhere."
Lirae and Thess joined him, their expressions a mix of relief and wariness. The SCN flared, Nyara's node a faint black star, joining Lirae's and Thess's.
[Objective Updated: Stabilize Third Star.]
[Warning: Umbral Veil Collapsing. Prepare for Transit.]
The islet trembled, spires cracking.
Lirae's eyes widened, her voice urgent. "Kaien, Nyara's Inner Realm is unstable. We must enter it to save her soul."
Kaien's pulse quickened. Inner Realms—Lirae had mentioned them, spiritual dungeons within each Soulmaiden. "How do we get in?"
Lirae placed a hand on Nyara's chest, silver light pulsing. "Through our bond. Sync with me, fully. Thess, you too."
Thess hesitated, then nodded, her hand joining theirs. Kaien felt their souls align—Lirae's calm, Thess's fire, his own defiance.
The system hummed.
[Group Sync Initiated.]
[Access Granted: Inner Realm of WHISPER OF THE DEEP VOID.]
Light enveloped them, the islet fading. Kaien's last thought was of Nyara's eyes, a spark of hope in their depths, and the weight of three souls trusting him to lead.