In the cracked horizon of the Underworld's fringe, where all timelines bled together, Vereth stood before the awakened Loom. Each thread that curled around him glowed with unfinished memories and severed lives—wraiths of what could have been.
He no longer wore a Sovereign's mantle. What clung to him now was defiance in its purest form.
"I will not allow fate to dictate worth," Vereth murmured. "Not when I can forge my own Sovereignty."
He raised the shard again. This time, it splintered midair, fracturing into seven pieces—each embedding itself into a different thread in the Loom. Those threads turned crimson and began to warp, reaching into pasts that no longer existed.
Above Earth — Dimensional Transit Vein
Rei and his team traveled along a spiritway—a ribbon of solidified will, visible only to those attuned to spirit energy. The air here shimmered with pressure and possibility.
Mireille hovered beside him, scanning anomalies. "He's activated sovereign-class red threads. If we don't intercept soon, he'll rewrite enough of the past to lock the present."
Noira scoffed. "Translation: we need to punch a ghost before he changes history."
Rei nodded. "We won't be fast enough. But we can still anchor the pieces he tries to steal."
He extended a hand. A pulse of energy rippled out. A new system prompt shimmered before them.
[Spirit Fragment Detected — Designation: Helvaris, Bound Memory of Lost Kings. Status: Unclaimed. Destabilizing.]
"Helvaris," Rei said aloud. "One of the war-born echoes."
Eirenne narrowed her eyes. "And if we don't claim it?"
"It bonds with Vereth and fuels his rewritten empire."
They dove through the portal toward the coordinates.
The Fractured Spire — Memory Field: Helvaris
They landed in a place caught in endless dusk. The ruins of a forgotten kingdom spiraled upward in an impossible tower, hovering between falling and rising.
The echo was there.
Helvaris.
A spectral king clad in ruined armor, half of his body made of memory, the other half of regret. He stood amidst ash statues of his people.
"I failed them," he said, without turning. "And in that failure, I lost the right to be remembered."
Rei stepped forward. "You still remember them. That's enough."
Helvaris turned, eyes burning with guilt and clarity. "And what would you offer, stranger of fire?"
Rei didn't summon flame. He simply opened his palm.
"A place in the present. Not as a king. As yourself."
[Spirit Integration Requested: Fragment Helvaris — Awaiting Consent.]
Helvaris raised his sword—not in defiance, but ritual. "Then take this blade. Let my sorrow guard you, and my memory become strength."
As the sword met Rei's palm, flame and memory merged.
[Spirit Integration: Successful. Helvaris Bound to Slot 5 — Class: Guardian Echo.]
Elsewhere — Vereth's Loom Chamber
The red thread pulsed once… then went dark.
Vereth hissed. "Stolen? No… anchored."
He reached for the next shard.
"Very well, Kazenari Rei. Let's see how many memories you can carry before you fracture like the rest."
He shattered another fragment.
[New Fragment Deployed: Kuralis, Flame of Forsaken Mothers.]
And the race continued.
Spirit Transit Path
Noira exhaled. "That was intense. King-guy had a vibe."
Eirenne nodded. "He'll be useful. That blade—he wasn't bluffing. It hums with regret."
Mireille projected a new star map. "Three more fragments detected. Vereth's already deployed two. We're behind."
Rei sheathed Helvaris's sword into his spiritual ring. "Then we don't sleep. Not until we outpace fate."
Karasu cawed once, circling above.
"And not until we teach a rusted god what it means to mourn."