Rain swept sideways through the mountain crevice as Rei and the others moved deeper into the ruins. The Vein of Silence wasn't just a name—it was a living, breathing thing. The very air resisted their presence, as though reality itself held its breath in reverence or fear. The walls of the forgotten catacombs pulsed with old energy, older than any faction Rei had faced. The resonance from the system within him ticked louder with every step.
Karasu's voice whispered, low and urgent. "We are not the first to awaken this place."
Mireille's hands glowed faintly as she stabilized the path behind them with runes. "There's something buried here. Not just a fragment. A will."
Eirenne glanced over her shoulder. "And it's watching us."
They entered a chamber unlike any they'd seen—an inverted dome, walls of obsidian lined with flowing sigils, and a pedestal in the center cradling a fragment glowing violet. The resonance struck Rei's chest like a hammer.
> [System Sync Detected: Fragment - Violet Echo. Warning: Unknown spirit profile. Proceed with caution.]
Noira approached but hesitated. "This doesn't feel like the others."
Rei stepped forward, slowly. "Because it's not just a spirit."
He reached out, fingers brushing the air near the fragment—and suddenly, he was elsewhere.
---
Chapter 28: The Echo of the First Flame
A vast plain stretched endlessly before him—dead grass, ash-covered soil, and a sunless sky pulsing with violet hues. He stood alone, and yet not. A figure stepped from the horizon, feminine in silhouette, her body half-made of flame and half-shadow.
"You seek to wield what was never meant to be remembered," she said.
Rei narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
"I am the last echo of the First Flame. I am memory. Pain. Birth."
She raised her hand, and with a motion, the world split. Visions of past bearers of the Flame washed over Rei—some who died screaming, others who became tyrants. Then, one—just one—who walked away, sealing the Flame beneath the mountain they now stood in.
"You must prove yourself. Or be consumed."
A torrent of heat and memory crashed into him. Rei fell to one knee, clutching his chest as voices screamed inside him.
But then—one voice cut through them all. Noira's.
"You don't burn alone."
Rei rose. The system within him flared.
> [Spirit Link Override: Noira — 82%. Shared Core Unification Initiated.]
His body glowed with obsidian and violet fire. He stepped forward through the trial, not rejecting the Flame's past, but embracing it.
"I'm not here to repeat history," Rei said. "I'm here to change it."
The vision broke.
---
Back in the real world, Rei exhaled hard. The fragment settled into his palm, transformed.
> [New Spirit Acquired: Vira — Spirit of Flame's Memory. Classification: Hybrid. Status: Dormant, syncing...]
Mireille was at his side instantly. "You were gone for minutes. What happened?"
Rei looked at his hand. "We found something deeper than just power. We found legacy."
Eirenne frowned. "And now?"
Rei's eyes burned. "Now we find out why the Council wanted this sealed away."