The aftermath of the first clash with Nullborn left the Aftermargin scarred—ribbons of unformed matter hung midair like weeping threads. The sky no longer held stars, only remnants of truths that refused to vanish.
Rei stood alone at the center of a slowly fading circle, its edges scorched with the last fire of the Flame of Recognition. His memories were fragmented, but his resolve was crystallized.
The world remembered.
That was enough—for now.
But the Nullborn had retreated only to reconfigure. Its shape lingered behind a veil of distortion, swirling with entropy and imitation.
Temporary Refuge — Sanctuary of Farsong
Inside Farsong Bastion, the team regrouped.
Eirenne held Rei's hand tightly. "You burned too much."
He nodded. "Some memories... I'll never get back."
Noira leaned against the wall, cleaning her blade. "You made them matter. That's more than most can claim."
Mireille hovered over a new Codex construct—called The Testament, forged from the remnants of Nullborn's severed concepts during the clash.
[System Entry: Ashen Testament — A spiritual contract that binds one forgotten truth into lasting reality. Limited to one use per bearer. Risk Level: Irreversible.]
Mireille looked up. "We can use this to anchor a soul. A lost piece. Maybe even one of yours."
Rei shook his head. "Not yet. We may need it for something... bigger."
Elsewhere — The Memoryless Court
Within a space that did not yet exist, Nullborn took shape again.
But now, cracks ran across its form.
The Truthweaver had altered its being.
The emissary, Nulllight, lay shattered across the court floor, reduced to dust.
"He burns names... not to dominate, but to defend," Nullborn whispered.
It reached toward its center.
A heart began to beat—a heart of silence.
"Then I must become story myself. I must become a flame."
A new entity began to form.
Neither contradiction nor concept.
But something worse: a stolen narrative.
Spirit System Sync — Sovereign Interlink
At Mireille's suggestion, the Spirit System fused into a singular stream, linking Eirenne, Noira, and Mireille's contracts more directly with Rei's. Their emotions, thoughts, and battle intent synced in real-time.
[Spiritual Codex Evolution: Sovereign Interlink Activated. Team-based resonance unlocked. Combat efficiency increased by 312%. Side effect: Emotional vulnerability shared.]
As they trained in simulated voids, Rei stumbled.
A memory of warmth—his mother's voice—surfaced and vanished again.
Noira gasped, feeling it. "Was that...?"
Rei steadied himself. "I don't know anymore."
Eirenne gritted her teeth. "Then we'll hold those pieces for you. Until it's over."
The Pact of Ember
That night, under a broken veil of light, the four stood around an ancestral brazier, lit with Sovereign threads. Each made a vow—not to win, but to remember.
Rei spoke last.
"I may forget myself. I may burn every thread I own. But not one of you will be left behind."
He cast his blood into the flame. It turned violet.
[New Flame Aspect: Memoryfire Unlocked. Trait: Sacrificial Persistence — Rei can fuel spiritual techniques by exchanging long-term memories. Warning: Overuse may result in identity fracture.]
Karasu landed on his shoulder. "You walk toward the end of yourself. I just hope the story survives."
Rei smiled. "It will. Because it's no longer mine alone."
Nullborn's Preemptive Move
In the outer ring of the Aftermargin, a pillar of reversal erupted.
It wasn't an attack. It was a challenge.
A declaration.
Nullborn had formed its own "scribe"—a mirror to Rei.
A version of Rei if he had chosen to forget everything. A perfect hollow.
[Codex Alert: Echo-Rei Initiated. Purpose: Narrative Collapse Catalyst. Target: Sovereignbound Flamebearer Rei.]
As Rei stared across the void at the figure now forming from anti-light, a chill passed through him.
His enemy was no longer faceless.
It was him.