[Next Chaos Auction Countdown: 41 Hours][Target: Astral Vault, Tier A — "Silent Crown Maiden"][Pact Type: Incomplete][Warning: Subject's soul is sealed by Order Protocols. Attempting recovery without synchronization may trigger mental backlash or spiritual collapse.]
Ren Zian stood at the edge of the sky.
Quite literally.
The Astral Garden was not on land. It floated above the Chaos Tier, cloaked in shifting aurora clouds and bound by six golden seals that looped around it like orbiting rings.
From below, it looked like a shattered palace hanging in reverse—a world turned upside down. Petals of light drifted like stars, and vines of silver glass wrapped the pillars.
And within it… floated her.
The Silent Crown Maiden.
She was curled like a pearl within a flower of starlight, her silver-white hair drifting in waves around her. Her hands were folded against her chest, and a broken crown hovered just above her brow—cracked, pulsing faintly with memory locks.
Even from afar, Ren could feel it:
[Warning: Soul Rejection Detected — Subject does not want to be rescued.]
He grit his teeth. "Too bad."
Lyra hovered beside him on a disc of phoenix fire, brows drawn.
"She's rejecting all Pact sync?"
Ren nodded. "She was soul-bonded once… and betrayed."
"That's dangerous."
Ren turned to her.
"So are you. And I still claimed you."
Lyra blinked. She didn't reply. But her flames flickered softly.
The chrono girl appeared in a ripple of air beside them.
"She's not just locked," she said. "She's looping."
Ren frowned. "Looping?"
"She's dreaming the moment of her betrayal. Over and over. A soul caught in recursion."
Ren's jaw tightened. "And the gods put her on auction anyway."
Lyra hissed. "Of course they did. Pain sells."
[Mission Objective: Synchronize with Silent Crown Maiden Without Forcing Entry][Method: Enter Astral Garden via Divine Gate (Can only be opened with three bonded pacts)][Danger: Emotional Collapse | Memory Feedback | Possible Hostile Soul Reaction]
Ren stepped forward.
The rings around the Astral Garden shimmered as he raised his hand.
His soul marks glowed—three of them now: storm, flame, and time.
The outermost ring cracked.
A gate unfolded in the air before them—composed entirely of strings of light, like musical notation.
[Gate of Resonance Unlocked]
Inside was silence.
Not the silence of absence—but the silence of deep, unbearable memory.
The Astral Garden was in ruin.
Glass leaves littered the glowing marble paths. Statues wept tears of starlight. Every step Ren took echoed with grief.
Lyra and the others stayed behind. This was his path now.
At the center of the garden, within a throne of floating roots and fractured light, the girl hovered.
She opened her eyes.
And he froze.
Her gaze was empty.
Not dead. Not asleep. Just… gone.
[Soul Lock 1 Triggered: Dream Repetition Active][Visual Memory Construct Forming…]
Suddenly—Ren wasn't in the garden anymore.
He stood in a moonlit hall. Gold banners fluttered above. A coronation platform gleamed at the center, surrounded by white-robed nobles.
At the dais stood the girl—alive, radiant, eyes full of hope.
And beside her… was a man.
Tall. Smiling. His hand gently rested atop her crown.
"I name you my Eternal," the man said.
The girl trembled.
"Do you accept?"
She opened her mouth.
But then—a knife plunged through her back.
Gasps rang out.
Blood dripped across the dais. Her eyes widened—not from pain, but betrayal.
She turned…
And the man who had crowned her whispered, "You were never meant to ascend."
The vision shattered.
Ren fell to his knees, breath ragged.
[Emotional Sync Initiated – Soul Fragment Absorbed][Name Fragment Recovered: "Eira"][Pact Sync: 14%][Danger: Mental Feedback Threshold Rising]
"Eira," Ren gasped. "Your name is Eira."
The girl blinked.
For the first time, her eyes moved. Toward him.
Just a little.
[Second Lock Breaking Possible: Proceed?]
Ren stepped forward.
Another memory tore open—
This time, Eira was chained to a spire.
The same man stood below her, now robed in godlight.
"You were built to shine," he said. "But not to lead."
She screamed, reaching toward a crown that hovered just out of reach.
But it drifted away, and the stars above turned their faces.
Back in the real world, Eira whimpered.
Ren caught her before she collapsed.
Her body was cold—despite the starlight wrapping her.
He cradled her gently, voice soft.
"You weren't made to be sold. You were made to be seen."
Her fingers twitched.
"Even if you don't remember who you are… I'll carry your story."
[Pact Sync Reached: 48%][Critical Threshold Reached: Kiss Required to Finalize Soul Link][Warning: Failure to proceed will result in emotional collapse]
Ren exhaled. His heart beat hard.
But he didn't move in for lust. This wasn't conquest.
He brushed a lock of silver hair from her cheek, leaned forward, and whispered:
"Not as a prince. Not as a buyer. Just as someone who sees you."
Then he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
[Pact Established: Eira – Silent Crown Maiden][Ability Unlocked: Astral Projection (Shared Skill)][Passive: Soul Echo – Can absorb emotional feedback to resist mind control or illusion][Status: Recovery in Progress][You may not summon this pact into battle for 48 hours]
The Astral Garden began to dissolve.
Ren emerged, Eira cradled in his arms, her breath soft, eyes still half-closed.
Lyra reached out. "You did it…"
Ren didn't speak.
He just held the girl tighter.
"Another piece they tried to throw away," he said quietly.
"Another reason I'm going to burn their whole auction house to the ground."
[Total Pacts: 4][System Status: Chaos Evolution Threshold Approaching][Next Event: Forbidden Market Raid — Begins in 72 Hours]
The storm was coming.
And Ren Zian was no longer a thief.
He was a threat.