The ruins lay half-buried in the mountain's shadow—forgotten by history, but not untouched by power. Vines clawed up shattered pillars, and broken statues loomed like silent judges over the shattered stone floor. Kieran stood at the edge of the temple's entrance, the air thick with an ancient, pressing weight.
Each step deeper into the ruins made his heart beat slower—not from fear, but resonance.
This place… knew him.
The ground beneath him thrummed with energy, reacting faintly to his presence. His Eye flickered—its crimson hue reflecting faint glyphs that awakened along the walls. Memories not his own whispered through the stone: echoes of battles long past, oaths broken, and truths sealed beneath rock and time.
But Kieran wasn't alone.
A figure emerged from the far end of the chamber, walking with the silence of a shadow given form. Cloaked in gray and wearing a bone-white mask, they bore no weapon—but the pressure they emitted told Kieran all he needed to know.
"Voidborne," the masked figure said, voice smooth like wind through a blade. "You've awakened two fragments. And you've shaken the world. The Scales of Balance have decided. You're not allowed to awaken the third."
Kieran's gaze sharpened. "And you think you can stop me?"
"No. I know I must stop you." The figure raised a hand. "And for your sake, I hope you haven't grown too comfortable with your new strength."
In an instant, chains of pure white light erupted from the stone, lashing toward Kieran. He dodged, flipping through the air, summoning his Shadow's Murderer Intent. The temperature dropped as black mist flooded the chamber—Kieran's red eyes narrowing with focus.
But the masked man was fast—faster than anyone Kieran had faced since the constellation. He weaved through shadows, countering them with radiant glyphs, breaking through Kieran's offensive with precision.
It wasn't until Kieran's Eye glowed brighter—deepening in hue—that he saw the opportunity. A flicker of hesitation. A pause.
Kieran drove forward—Silence Slash.
But the figure vanished—leaving behind a silver seal burning into the temple floor.
"You've passed," the voice echoed faintly. "But know this—each step forward comes with a cost. The next guardian will not test you. It will end you."
As the glow faded, a pedestal rose from the center of the room.
The third fragment floated atop it—a jagged piece of obsidian edged with scarlet light. As Kieran reached for it, a distant quake echoed through the mountain… as if something vast had stirred in its sleep.