The night after Lysandrel's Thread awakened was not quiet.
It was too quiet.
Every cricket in the northern forest ceased its song. Wind dared not rustle the leaves. Even the Shrine's flame hesitated.
And then came the voice.
Not spoken. But heard.
"The world has remembered too much. Let it forget."
---
Location: Shrine of the North Wind — Outer Garden
Rei jolted awake, eyes darting to the treetops. The stars had realigned—one of the celestial markers was now dim.
Mireille, already standing beside the Codex, confirmed it.
"Thread of Silence is stirring. Its domain was sealed for a reason."
Eirenne tightened her gauntlets. "What does it control?"
Karasu landed on Rei's shoulder.
"Not control. It erases. Memory, vow, flame. Sovereign-born or not."
Noira growled. "Then we strike before it spreads."
Rei nodded slowly. "We'll need more than fire this time. We'll need to remember why we burn."
---
Location: Vale of Whispers — Threshold to the Thread of Silence
The team ventured into a canyon where no echoes returned.
It wasn't darkness that loomed, but emptiness. The soil had no name. The air had no weight.
At the center stood a throne of hollow roots—atop it, a pale figure cloaked in silence.
Its face was void. Its voice was absent. Its presence, overwhelming.
"The Unnamed Sovereign," Mireille whispered. "Cael'Tharion never spoke of him. None did. Because he unmade stories."
Eirenne stepped forward and was instantly frozen—her name vanishing from the Codex.
Rei roared. "Eirenne!"
> [System Warning: Active Nullification Field Detected. All Traits Susceptible to Erasure. Flame Resonance Compromised.]
Noira moved, flickering behind the throne. But even her shadow refused to follow.
Rei closed his eyes. Remembered Lysandrel. Remembered the Warden. Remembered every step.
And then, he spoke.
> "Let silence crown no king."
The Codex pulsed. The Thread of Vows ignited. Words formed around Rei's wrists like golden chains.
He pointed at the figure.
> "Your reign ends with remembrance."
Flame burst from his heart—not to destroy, but to name. To rewrite.
> [System Override: Anti-Silence Protocol Engaged. Thread Conflict Initiated. Sovereign Thread: Lysandrel VS Thread of Silence.]
The two flames collided. One to remember. One to erase.
For moments that stretched like eternities, the world watched.
And then—the flame of remembrance held.
Silence screamed.
And shattered.
---
Aftermath — Shrine Courtyard
Eirenne reappeared, dazed but unharmed.
The sky cleared.
Noira clutched her dagger. "That… wasn't a fight. That was a trial."
Mireille nodded. "We passed. Barely."
Velis arrived, face pale. "Whatever you awakened is echoing across realms. The Thread of Silence was tied to Sovereign roots. Others will feel it."
Rei stared into the flame still flickering in his palm.
"Then let them feel. Let them know we still remember. Let them try to forget."
> [System Update: Thread of Silence Neutralized. Trait Gained — Namebound Flame. All allies protected from memory nullification and silencing effects. Thread Map Updated. Next Thread: Yurei — Sovereign of Regret.]