The city of New Elaron slumbered beneath a sky veined with lightning. A storm churned like a beast in the clouds, yet within Kael Virell's soul, a greater tempest raged.
For the past three days, he hadn't slept.
Not because he was incapable.
But because the system wouldn't let him.
---
The Cryptic Mission
[Main Quest Update: Legacy Convergence – Stage II]
Objective: Retrieve the Fragment of Origin hidden in the Labyrinth of Forgotten Blood beneath the University ruins.
Warning: Unauthorized entry may trigger a Memory Lockdown Event.
Kael studied the map encoded in the quest screen. The labyrinth stretched like a neural web below the university—a catacomb of ancient secrets predating the city itself. Lysara stood beside him, cloaked in emberlight.
"You are not ready," she said, folding her arms. "Only a few of Sovereign blood have dared walk that path."
Kael looked up at her, eyes like polished obsidian. "Then I'll be the first to return."
---
Entry Into the Unknown
He accessed the ruins beneath Sector 9—once sealed off after a mysterious quake. With the help of Rin Yurei and Velveta Ryn, he bypassed the spectral warding glyphs and slipped into the ancient dark.
The air tasted like rust and static.
Velveta activated a spatial tether around the party. "The labyrinth isn't just physical. It warps memory. Identity. We may forget ourselves."
Kael glanced back. "Then remember one thing."
"What?"
"I came from nothing. And I refuse to return to it."
---
Traps, Echoes, and a Familiar Face
The group navigated past rotating blade corridors, illusions that mimicked dead family members, and whispers from alternate futures. Rin's illusions faltered once when a projection of her own mother appeared.
But the worst was yet to come.
In the deepest chamber, they encountered a mirrorlike wall—no reflection, just shadows moving behind it.
Then it stepped forward.
A boy. Kael's age. Identical face.
But his eyes were soulless.
[Shadow Clone: Kael Null – Born of Rejected Timelines]
"Hello, me," the clone hissed. "I'm every version of you that failed. That died. That killed for the wrong reasons."
Kael lunged first.
Blades of flame met void energy. They clashed through three dimensions—Velveta barely keeping the spatial field stable. The fight wasn't just physical; Null tried to override Kael's mind, flooding it with memories of defeats he'd never lived.
"You don't deserve the throne," Null said.
Kael snarled, activating Sovereign Ember Phase II. "Then come take it."
With a final burst of ember-fire and system-augmented cognition, Kael impaled Null with a blade formed from learned abilities—a technique copied from Darnic and reshaped with his own fire.
Null cracked. Screamed.
And exploded into dust.
---
The Fragment
In the silence that followed, Kael stepped forward and picked up the Fragment of Origin—a small obsidian crystal pulsing with ancient code.
[Fragment Acquired: Genetic Seal 1/7 Lifted]
[New Passive Unlocked: Temporal Adaptation – Learn faster from time-looped events.]
But as they left the chamber, the walls around them shifted.
And from the shadows… someone clapped.
A figure in a dark royal coat stepped forward, face hidden beneath a porcelain mask marked with golden flames.
"You survived. Impressive."
"Who are you?" Kael demanded.
The figure tilted their head. "An Heir. Like you. But chosen for the true throne, not the scraps."
[Quest Update: Rival Heir Detected – Identity: ??? – Status: Hostile Watcher]
And then, they vanished in a ripple of dimension.
---
Aftermath
Back on the surface, Kael stood alone on the rooftop of his tower.
The Fragment pulsed in his pocket.
Below him, New Elaron breathed, unaware.
But in the dark?
Bloodlines stirred. Watchers moved. Old kings whispered in ruins.
Kael Virell had taken his first step toward the throne.
But the throne was not empty.
And others now knew he was coming.