The hidden exit from the Echoing Gate opened into a narrow alley deep within Alsira's underbelly. Stone buildings leaned inward like conspiring figures, and the air hung heavy with dust and silence. No merchants. No guards. Only shadows.
Asher emerged first, sword drawn, scanning the deserted street.
"No patrols. No refugees. This district should be overflowing."
Liaen brushed his fingers against the wall. "Something cleared this place out. Not by force... by fear."
Elira hovered above them, her glow dimmed by the oppressive stillness. "This isn't ordinary silence. It's suppression. Something's feeding on the city's soul resonance."
Emilia gazed up at the distant spires of the inner sanctum. "Then we need to move fast. Where's the Circle?"
Asher's expression darkened.
"The Broken Circle sits at the city's heart. Once, it was the sanctuary of the Soulbound Orders-a place of healing and command. Now…"
He didn't finish.
Navigating Alsira felt like walking through a mausoleum. Doors stood ajar, untouched meals rotted on tables, and soul-lamps flickered dimly in the gloom.
By dusk, they reached the outer rim of the Broken Circle. A great stone plaza opened before them, cracked and scorched. The central tower, once pristine and white, now bore blackened streaks as if lightning had raked its surface.
"It's worse than I thought," Liaen murmured.
Asher stepped forward. "We're not here to mourn. We came for answers."
Emilia hesitated at the threshold of a shattered archway. "Why is it called the Broken Circle now?"
Elira replied softly, "Because the soul orders fractured. Betrayal. Civil war. They turned on each other when the monsters first began to speak."
Inside the tower, whispers clung to the walls like mold. The group moved in silence, soul-torches casting flickering light as they entered the Great Chamber.
Seven seats once stood in a circle around the room's edge, each representing a soul discipline: Flame, Water, Stone, Wind, Shadow, Light, and Memory.
Only two remained whole.
"They're all dead?" Emilia asked in a hushed voice.
"No," Asher replied, pointing to the deep gouges scored into stone. "Some turned. Fused their souls with monsters. That's how the Cult of Shattered Names was born."
Elira drifted toward one of the fractured thrones. "I remember this place. I trained here, once. Before it all fell apart."
Asher moved to the center of the chamber, kneeling beside a circular sigil etched into the floor. "This was the anchor—the soul map of Alsira. If something's corrupting the city, it begins here."
He laid his hand upon the symbol.
A jolt of blue lightning shot upward.
Visions surged through them: Cities ablaze. Beasts whispering forbidden names. A tower of bones rising from beneath the capital.
Then… a name.
Emilia.
She gasped, falling to her knees. "They know I'm here."
"Who?" Liaen asked quickly.
"The ones who killed my family. Who destroyed my village. They didn't just want destruction-they wanted my soul."
Asher stepped forward, lifting her gently. "You're the key. They're trying to draw you out."
Elira floated nearer, her voice unsteady. "Your soul is evolving, Emilia. That vision proves it. They fear what you might become."
Suddenly, the tower trembled. A low howl echoed from far below.
Liaen drew both blades. "They're here."
A rift tore through the stone, the floor splitting in a jagged spiral. Rising from the chasm came a creature—twisted, serpentine, skeletal. Its face was a patchwork mask of stolen souls.
"A S-rank Wyrmshade," Asher growled. "We're not prepared for this."
"We don't run," Emilia said, stepping forward, eyes glowing faintly. "Not anymore."
She raised her hand.
For the first time—without Elira's aid—she summoned a shield of soul-light.
Elira stared, stunned. "That's my technique…"
"No," Emilia said. "It's ours."
The battle exploded through the chamber. Liaen spun around the beast, slashing at its limbs. Asher met its full force, countering with brutal precision. Emelai held the center, shielding them both-her soul-light pulsing with every impact.
Elira, flickering but focused, anchored the barrier from the spirit realm.
The Wyrmshade shrieked and lunged for Emilia.
Too fast.
Too close.
Asher cried out, but he couldn't reach her in time.
Then -
A burst of radiant blue energy erupted from Emilia's chest. A shockwave flared outward.
The creature froze mid-air, howling as its body cracked, splintered, and dissolved into ash.
Silence crashed down.
Asher dropped to one knee, gasping for breath.
Liaen sheathed his blades.
Emilia stood still, her hands trembling.
"I didn't know I could do that," she whispered.
Asher rose, bloodied and breathless. "Now they know you can."
As they exited the tower, Elira whispered to Asher.
"She's not just strong. She's destined."
Asher watched the girl ahead - soul-scarred but unbroken.
"Then the cult made a mistake," he said. "They should've killed her when they had the chance."