The wind howled across the cracked stone plains of Vorthen's Scar, a cursed stretch of earth where nothing grew, and nothing stayed buried. The sky above was a blanket of gray, churned with clouds that never rained.
Liam stood on a cliff edge, the Cursed Tome cradled in one arm like a slumbering serpent. Every page he turned whispered—temptations, riddles, secrets. Each whisper tugged at his sanity like fraying thread.
But he resisted.
Barely.
Seraphina kept her distance. Rune hovered beside him, silent. His divine senses pulsed like sonar, ever alert for any trace of the cult. But today, it wasn't enemies that found him.
It was her.
They first noticed her when Kael halted at the scout perimeter.
"Someone's approaching. Alone."
"Cultist?" Mira asked, drawing her blade.
"No," Kael said with a furrowed brow. "She's... radiant."
Liam stepped forward, narrowing his gaze.
The girl who walked across the broken plain wore a tattered white dress and a veil that glimmered faintly with divine light. Her footsteps left flowers in her wake—small, golden blossoms that bloomed and withered in seconds.
And yet, the air around her wasn't warm. It was lonely. As if she carried the weight of centuries in her chest.
She stopped before them and bowed.
"I am Alaria. I bring a warning... and a gift."
System Alert
High-Divinity Entity Detected
Alignment: Unknown
Power Tier: VII (Celestial-Class)
Danger Level: Moderate
Gift of Light Pending Acceptance.
Liam didn't lower his staff. "What kind of gift?"
Alaria lifted her veil, revealing a face carved from starlight. Not beautiful in a mortal way—her features were too flawless, too sorrowful. Her eyes glowed like twin moons dimmed by grief.
"You seek vengeance," she said softly. "And yet, your heart still remembers love. That is rare."
Rune hissed. "She's playing a divine angle, Liam."
But Alaria looked directly at Rune. "I am no enemy. I was once like him… a spirit tethered to a fading god. Until I was forgotten."
"Then why help me?" Liam asked.
"Because," she stepped closer, her aura brushing his like silk fire, "I have seen what your path becomes without grace. I offer you the choice to temper your wrath… or let it consume you."
Divine Choice: Accept the Blessing of Grace?
Accepting will grant:
– Divine Skill: Embrace of Serenity
– Enhanced resistance to corruption effects
– Unlock romantic affinity pathway with celestial Alaria
Declining will grant:
– +2,000 Faith Points
– Enhanced destructive power for next 3 chapters
Choose wisely. Only one path may be walked.
Liam stood still.
He could feel the Cursed Tome pulsing angrily, rejecting the light.
Seraphina watched, silent.
And in that silence, he saw her flame flicker with something close to... fear?
Liam made his choice.
He accepted the blessing.
Blessing Accepted: Embrace of Serenity
New Skill Unlocked: Embrace of Serenity – Surrounds user with a calming divine field, negating fear, rage, and madness effects. Strengthens allies' morale and shields them from spiritual attacks.
Romantic Affinity Pathway: Alaria the Forgotten Celestial – Initiated
Light bloomed from his chest. The shadows of the tome hissed and withdrew slightly, no longer suffocating.
For the first time since the massacre of his family... Liam felt peace.
Not comfort.
But clarity.
Alaria stepped closer, placing a hand gently on his cheek. "Thank you for remembering mercy."
And then she stepped back into the mist.
Gone.
Later that night, Seraphina stood beside the ember-forge within their mobile camp, eyes narrowed. Her flame was low.
"She's not what she seems," Seraphina said. "And you shouldn't let her touch your soul."
Liam didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stared into the fire, watching the golden blossoms she left behind wither in the heat.
"She offered me calm," he finally said. "And I needed it."
"I could have done that," Seraphina muttered under her breath.
He looked at her. "Would you?"
She didn't answer.
[STATS – After the Blessing]
Level: 60
Faith Points: 25,760
Followers: 82,100
Title: Flame of Judgment
Divine Structures: Forge of Ignaros
Skills:
Emberforge Command (Active)
Heaven's Wrath (AoE)
Sanctify Soul (Convert Follower)
Creation: Divine Armament
Ashes to Echoes (Passive)
Foresight Glimpses (Passive)
Embrace of Serenity (Active)
Core Stats:
Strength: 252
Speed: 223
Endurance: 264
Intelligence: 238
Charisma: 196
Divine Energy: 5,020 / 5,020
The next day, scouts brought word of a new cult outpost—hidden deep in the forest ruins of Veylmar, an ancient kingdom buried after the last divine war.
There was something different about this place, though.
"It's not just a fortress," Kael said. "It's a cathedral. There's worship happening there—hundreds of voices, day and night."
Rune floated lower. "That means Faith. Which means power. You take that, Liam… and you'll deal a wound to the cult's core."
Liam nodded.
"Prepare the Legion," he said. "We move before nightfall."
Seraphina hesitated before following.
When Liam looked at her, she wouldn't meet his eyes.
And somewhere in the sky above them, a single golden blossom floated down from nowhere... and burned quietly on the wind.
End of Chapter 48