Kaito woke alone.
Not that he was new to that. Waking up alone that is.
The spot where Lyria had lay beside him was empty now, and the fire had since burned down to ashes. For a moment, he simply lay there, staring at the hovering system interface above him.
[System Status: RECALIBRATING] [Overclock Residue Detected. Emotional Sync Levels: CRITICAL.] [Warning: Lust Fragment... INITIALIZING]
He blinked. "Wait, what? I don't remember meeting anyone new."
The interface glitched. Lines of unreadable code ran through his vision before vanishing.
"That can't be good."
His skin felt too tight. Breath too shallow. Every inch of him remembered the touches, the whispered threats, the warm softness of Lyria's mouth on his and the colder touch of Seren's lips.
This world wasn't bad after all.
A sudden branch snap made him sit upright. Lyria emerged from the treeline, blade at her hips now, clothes slightly damp. Her hair were pulled into a tight knot. Her eyes didn't meet his.
"You're up."
"Clearly." Kaito offered a half-smile. "Sleep well after... all that?"
"Didn't sleep."
He watched her stretch her shoulder, roll out the tension in her neck, move like she was shaking something off.
"We should get moving," she said, turning away. "Sun's up."
Kaito rose, brushing dirt from his shirt. He tugged at his collar, frowning. "You always this talkative after threatening to break people in half?"
Lyria paused. Just for a second.
Then: "Only when I don't regret it."
Before he could answer, a slow clap came from behind them.
Seren. Leaning against a tree, smirking like she'd been watching for hours.
"Charming," she said, pushing off the trunk. "Your lover's spikier than usual."
"She's not...." Kaito began.
"Oh, please. You think I can't feel it? The air is thick with unresolved tension."
She wasn't wrong, Lyria did look tense.
Kaito paused. Seren's smirk widened.
"I see the Lust Fragment's kicking in," she added casually.
He blinked. "Wait… you knew that would happen?"
"I didn't. Suspected. Strong emotional imprinting often triggers dormant fragment resonance. It's rare, though. Usually requires... intense stimulation."
Kaito stared at her. While she leaned in.
"You're welcome, by the way."
"I don't think you did that," he muttered.
"Maybe. But I do enjoy the results."
Lyria shot her a look that could've cracked walls. "Shouldn't you be preparing your spells instead of flaunting your tongue?"
Seren blinked. "What, jealous again? I told you last night, you're free to climb him whenever you want. I won't get in the way. Unless invited."
Kaito raised a hand. "Hey, I'm not a tree. Stop talking like I'm an obstacle course."
Not like he would mind either.
They ignored him.
Lyria stepped forward, her voice low. "Why were you really tracking him before the temple?"
Seren stiffened. "I told you. I sensed system instability."
"You sensed more than that. You know something."
Kaito glanced between them. "...Wait, what are you talking about?"
Neither answered.
But Seren's smile didn't reach her eyes now. "You should focus on Sunderveil. That city is not like the others. The System marked it for a reason."
(For those who may have forgotten, yes the system wanted them to go to sunderveil.)
As they packed and started walking toward the trail, Kaito's thoughts spiraled.
Sunderveil. The name had appeared in his system with no prompt. No map. Just:
[NEW LOCATION UNLOCKED: CITY OF SUNDERVEIL]
The interface pulsed again as he walked:
[Target Alignment: 2 of 7 Fragments Synced.] [Next Phase Approaching. Prepare for Truth.]
Truth.
What truth?
And why did he suddenly feel like none of them were ready for it?
And none of them were definitely ready for it.
The day dragged on, the air growing heavier with each step. The forest gave way to craggy paths and uneven hills. It wasn't long before the group stood before what looked like a half collapsed shrine, built into the edge of a cliff.
"This is it," Seren said, stepping ahead. "This was once a divine station, long before the gods fell into myth."
"It's buzzing," Kaito muttered. His fingers buzzed the moment he stepped onto the broken stonework.
[Divine Node Detected. Accessing Local Records...] [Fragment Architecture Detected: Multi-Class Origin Path]
As they stepped inside, the temperature dropped. Faint glyphs illuminated as they passed. The walls pulsed faintly in rhythm with Kaito's heartbeat.
Lyria kept a hand on her sword. "I don't like this. It's too quiet."
"It's not quiet," Seren said. "It's listening."
Kaito moved. The central platform came to life under his feet, bathing the room in gold.
And then the mural appeared.
A figure — crowned in broken halos, arms shattered, bleeding. Surrounded by seven silhouettes. Women. Each had a different mark: a sword, a scroll, a mask, a forge, a scale...
"The Fragments," Seren whispered. "And the god they once served."
Kaito stared at the god's face.
It looked like him.
His heart pounded. "No. No, that can't....Not again."
The system flared.
[Recall Triggered: Memory Lock #1 Unsealing...]
Pain. Blinding pain behind his eyes. He fell to one knee.
Lyria rushed forward. "Kaito!"
He heard voices. His own. But ancient, rough.
"I broke them. I made them vessels. I was trying to protect what remained."
"You bound them," another voice spoke. "You turned devotion into programming."
Then sudden darkness.
When he looked up, Seren was kneeling beside him, sweat on her brow. Lyria stood with her back turned to him, sword drawn. The mural had faded.
"I don't think he should have seen that," Seren muttered. "Not yet atleast."
"You knew," Lyria said, her voice flat with fury.
"I suspected."
Kaito groaned. "You two always argue louder when my brain feels like scrambled code."
Lyria turned, kneeling to press her forehead to his. "Next time, I kill the shrine before it talks to you."
This felt like a movie.
Seren crossed her arms. "Next time, we decide what fragments are exposed."
And outside, the wind picked up.
And the path to Sunderveil came to life with flickering lights.