Location: Ruins of Aerith – Forgotten Zone
Rain lashed the cracked stones as Aethan trudged through the overgrown path. Vines coiled like snakes around ancient pillars, whispering long-dead secrets. The temple loomed ahead—half-swallowed by the forest, glowing faintly with forgotten runes. The Temple of Echoes.
His System pinged softly in his mind.
> [New Location Discovered: Temple of Echoes – Reality Tier I]
A place lost in time. Warning: Presence of Sentient Consciousness detected.
System Analysis: Energy Spike – Dimensional Interference: 17%
Status Effect: Mental Disruption (Passive – Zone Bound)
Proceed with caution.
Aethan exhaled, his breath turning into mist despite the warm air. "Every damn place is cursed in this world."
Behind him, Lysandra walked silently, her black cloak trailing on wet stone. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes—violet and dimly glowing—were focused. Too focused.
"You've been here before," Aethan said.
She hesitated. "Only in my nightmares."
---
The temple's entrance yawned open, a cracked obsidian door smeared with blood—not fresh, not old. The torches inside burned without fire, casting shadows that moved against the light.
They stepped in.
Instantly, the world shifted.
---
> [Zone Sync Initiated]
Loading Host Memories...
Accessing Fragment: The Shattering of Aerith...
The air shimmered, and around them, illusions flared to life. The temple was whole. Golden walls, divine hymns echoing, gods walking the halls. At the altar, a hooded figure screamed as chains of light pierced their body.
Then silence.
Everything shattered again, and the temple returned to ruin.
Aethan clutched his head, wincing. "What the hell was that?"
> [Memory Sync Complete – New Skill Unlocked: Astral Recall (Lv. 1)]
You can now access fragmented memory echoes bound to cursed locations.
---
They reached the central sanctum. There stood a pedestal, and on it—something strange. A mirror, but its surface was liquid, rippling slowly.
The Mirror of Echoes.
Lysandra stepped closer, voice low. "This mirror... It reflects your truest self. Not who you think you are—but what the world wants you to become."
> System Alert: Unknown Relic Detected – Warning: May cause forced evolution.
Do you wish to proceed? Y/N
Without hesitation, Aethan said, "Yes."
The moment he touched the mirror, it shattered—not into shards, but into light. Every piece entered his body. The System screamed in his mind.
> [WARNING: SYSTEM INTEGRITY COMPROMISED – REBOOTING MODULES]
[Initiating Evolution Sequence – Host Mutation: Adaptive Stage 1]
New Trait Acquired: Cognitive Acceleration
You can now process combat data in real-time at enhanced neural speed.
Aethan fell to one knee, eyes glowing electric blue for a moment. "That... felt like my brain just got rewritten."
Lysandra didn't respond.
Because she was gone.
---
The walls shifted again. A figure stepped out from the shadows—a tall man, cloaked in silver and bones. His eyes were mismatched: one golden, one empty.
"You shouldn't have come here, Echo Child."
Aethan stood, fists clenched. "Who the hell are you?"
The man smiled. "I'm the reason you exist. And the reason she brought you here."
A second figure walked into the sanctum.
Lysandra.
But her eyes weren't violet anymore.
They were red.
---
> System Update: BOND STATUS – LYSANDRA: [NULLIFIED]
Relationship Tag Changed: FROM 'Trust Pending' TO 'Traitor – Tier I']
"I'm sorry," she whispered, emotionless. "They promised to bring back what I lost. You were just the key."
Aethan's body trembled—not from rage, but hurt.
Real, raw, soul-carving betrayal.
He laughed bitterly. "Of course. Should've known. Nothing real in this world but the System."
> [System Override Authorized – Battle Mode: ENABLED]
Combat Initiation: 2v1 – Difficulty: Te
rminal
And then the floor cracked. Air warped. The temple began to collapse.
And the fight began.
---
TO BE CONTINUED...