The moon over Kyoto dimmed for the first time in centuries.
Not from cloud or eclipse. But from fear.
As Rei's influence spread beyond factions and forgotten names, the balance of Heaven, Hell, and the Mortal Plane began to tilt. The Sovereign Echo Network pulsed stronger than ever—whispers of Cael'Tharion's name surfacing even in demon tomes and angelic hymns.
But with every name remembered, a cost had to be paid.
And deep within the ruins of the Spirit Womb—a forgotten battlefield of the first flamebearers—something stirred.
---
Location: Shrine of the North Wind — Inner Sanctum
Velis stood beside the Codex, brows furrowed.
"The Archive trembles. One of the Old Concords is breaking."
Noira stepped forward. "Which one?"
"The Emberheart Pact."
Rei's expression darkened. "That's the vow Cael'Tharion made before he fell, right?"
Mireille nodded. "It tied his flame to the first sovereign vessel—the one that was never claimed. If the pact breaks, that ember will awaken."
Eirenne drew her blade. "We don't have time to prepare."
Velis turned toward Rei. "Only you can calm it. Or seal it. Or die trying."
---
Location: Spirit Womb Ruins — Emberheart Chamber
The team arrived before a monolithic chamber bathed in eternal twilight. Floating above the central altar was a flame shaped like a heart, pulsing with wrath and sorrow.
It beat like a war drum.
Rei stepped forward, sensing the weight of vows unfulfilled.
> [System Alert: Pact Signature Match Detected — Sovereign Echo Cael'Tharion Overlap 82.7%. Initiating Requiem Sequence.]
A figure emerged from the flame—neither man nor spirit, but something caught in-between. Its face mirrored Rei's, but older, charred, and cracked.
"Why do you disturb your own regret?"
Rei stared without flinching. "Because I refuse to pass it on. I'm here to end it."
The figure extended its arm. "Then take the ember, and become what I couldn't."
Flame collided with soul.
Pain laced with every heartbeat. Visions of battles long erased returned. Cael'Tharion's final war. His betrayal. His mercy.
Rei collapsed to one knee.
But didn't fall.
His allies encircled him, their presence forming a circle of resonance.
Eirenne: "You're not him." Noira: "But you carry his name." Mireille: "Make it yours."
Rei rose.
With a roar, he channeled the ember into the Codex.
> [System Update: Pact Reclaimed. Trait Unlocked — Emberheart Requiem. Flame-based abilities gain emotional imprinting. Spirit compatibility increased by 32%.]
The chamber sighed.
The flame no longer beat like a drum—but like a memory remembered without pain.
---
Aftermath — Return to Shrine
That night, Rei didn't speak.
He sat before the hearth as the team quietly tended to their tasks.
Then, Mireille joined him, offering a flask of spirit tea.
"You saw the end, didn't you?"
Rei sipped.
"Not the end," he said. "Just a version of it."
Karasu landed beside him.
"And it feared you."
Rei smiled faintly.
"Good. Let it."