The temple did not open.
It unfolded—like a book read aloud by silence. As Rei and his companions crossed the obsidian bridge, the world twisted around them. The stars dimmed, not from darkness, but from reverence.
This was not a place of conflict. This was where stories were judged.
> [Codex Entry: The All-Watcher — Function: Meta-Observer. Role: Guardian of Narrative Stability. Classification: Pre-Sovereign.]
---
Temple Interior — The Chamber of Scrutiny
The temple's inside was an amphitheater of paradoxes: floating arches of language, walls inscribed with moments from every timeline, and stairways that led into mirrors.
At the center hovered a figure made of manuscript and flame.
The All-Watcher.
Its voice was not heard, but understood:
> "You are Kazenari Rei. You are flame-bearer, oath-breaker, world-stirrer. You are the unstable sentence. The question in a tale that demands an answer."
Rei stepped forward. "And you are the judge?"
"No. I am the page. I am the reader. I am what remains when flame dies and meaning survives."
> [System Alert: Narrative Confrontation Initiated. Mode: Non-Combat. Condition: Existential Clarity.]
The All-Watcher raised its hands. From the Codex burst a spiral of light, forming three specters:
Rei the Tyrant, who drowned the world in spirit fire.
Rei the Martyr, who died to protect an ungrateful Earth.
Rei the Hollow, who abandoned purpose and wandered eternally.
Each spoke a truth. Each demanded a reckoning.
Mireille whispered, "This is the core. If he chooses wrong—he may erase us."
---
Rei's Choice — The Mirror of Paths
Rei approached the three.
To the Tyrant, he said, "You forgot love." To the Martyr, "You forgot to live." To the Hollow, "You forgot why."
He stood at the center. Then lit his hand with all the threads he had gathered.
Lysandrel. Yurei. Vaelstrom. Altharea.
And held them high.
"I am not the tyrant. I am not the martyr. I am not hollow. I am the author of the consequence."
> [System Message: Narrative Anchor Stabilized. Temporal Integrity Secured. Codex Core Flame — Ascended.]
The specters vanished.
And the All-Watcher bowed.
"You are not the flame that ruins. You are the flame that rewrites."
---
Aftermath — New Codex Function Unlocked
> [Function: Retcon Chamber — Allows selective rewrite of one past event per arc. Warning: Limited to one use per Sovereign Domain.]
Mireille gasped. "This could change everything. Even bring back what was lost."
Eirenne placed a hand on Rei's shoulder. "But it must be used wisely."
Noira folded her arms. "So… what now?"
Karasu turned his beak toward the temple roof.
"Now we descend. Into the real war."
Rei nodded.
And the heavens trembled.