"Some paths are not forgotten—they are erased so others cannot follow."
—Last known message from Irontide Scout Sigil 12-B
+16 Days After the Ashen Vault Defense
Location: South of Mawline Crater – The Blistered Expanse
The land past Irontide was dead in the eyes of most maps. A place marked only by gray smears and legends of creatures born from melted history. It was called the Blistered Expanse—a stretch of unstable terrain writhing with mana scars, scorched echoes, and corrupted beasts.
Jag's group walked in silence. Not for stealth. But because the air itself buzzed with memory interference. Every spoken word felt louder than it should've been, and even a whisper caused mirage-like distortions along the stone floor.
Rain broke the silence only once.
"She's here. Somewhere close."
Ashra narrowed her gaze. "You're sure?"
Rain nodded. "I feel it—something deep, not just memory. Something familiar."
[Quest Active: Trace the Ghostwalker]
Target: Unknown Name – Last known title "Ghostwalker"
Trail Source: Memory Fracture Residue – Detectable only by Veilkeeper or Order-bound
Terrain Effects: Mana Drift, Echo Stagger, Sudden Combat Zones
Passive Buff: Rain – Veilkeeper Resonance (+15% detection range for echo anomalies)
Zone: Crater's Edge – Bonefield Traverse
The team descended a rust-red slope littered with charred bones—some beast, others human, all weathered by unnatural heat. Insects skittered between ribcages. Even the wind hissed unnaturally.
Ashra moved first, checking for traps.
Jag followed, shield raised.
Rain paused—then turned abruptly toward a black stone pillar jutting from the crater floor. A name was carved faintly into its base, hidden by dust.
"V-E-R-A-N-A"
He placed his hand to it.
The stone vibrated.
[Veil Memory Triggered – Playback Beginning…]
A woman, cloaked in green glass armor, sprinting through firelight. Her eyes burned blue. A name burned from her lips: "RAEN! THEY'VE TAKEN THE WEST NODE!"
Then—silence. Fade to black.
Jag stood beside him. "Who is she?"
Rain's voice was tight. "My teacher."
Midday – Sudden Ambush
The team barely had time to react.
From the fissures came a blur of light and shadow—knives spinning midair, arrows dipped in paralytic shimmer.
[Combat Initiated – Unknown Assailant Class: Shadowborne Tracker]
Traits: Ghostline Movement, Stun Weapons, Echo Blend
Weakness: Revealed Only Upon Name Identification
Rain rolled backward. "Don't strike yet!"
Ashra snarled. "She's not giving us the same mercy!"
Jag blocked a blade with his vambrace—runes flared, then shorted.
[System Note: Anti-Rune Munitions Detected – Disable Recovery Functions Temporarily]
Rain stepped forward, holding his hands up.
"I know your name."
The shadow paused.
"You are Verana, Ghostwalker of the 23rd Archive. Last of the Ember Node Protectors. You taught us how to pass unseen. You taught me."
The blades stilled midair.
Then they dropped.
From the shadow: a woman.
She was tall, scarred, cloaked in broken armor strung with wire memory chips. Her eyes glowed faintly blue-green—a sign of prolonged echo exposure.
She spoke one word.
"Raen."
Campfire – Later that Night
Verana sat across from the team, carving runes into bone-dice absentmindedly. She hadn't aged much—but her expression carried centuries.
"I saw the Order fall," she said quietly. "I watched friends erased from stone. Memory theft... It's the most perfect kind of death. Not killing who you are—but who you were."
Jag listened in silence.
Ashra leaned forward. "Why stay hidden?"
Verana looked up. "Because surviving was my rebellion. I kept one node alive. One secret line. But now?"
She looked at Rain.
"You're the signal I waited for."
[System Trigger: Sub-Faction Resurgence]
Survivor Found: Verana, Ghostwalker
Access Gained: Forgotten Ember Node
Special Event Unlocked: "The Archive That Refused to Burn"
Optional Companion Offer: Verana (Combat-Stealth Hybrid / Memory Technician)
Rain POV – A Quiet Moment
Later, Rain walked alone beneath the shattered arch of an old ruin. He held a stone chip etched with a single letter—"V."
He didn't cry. But something inside shifted.
A memory returned—Verana shielding him as others fell, whispering the same word over and over: "Survive."
And now… he had.
But survival wasn't enough anymore.
Return to Camp
Jag approached him, arms crossed.
"We move tomorrow?"
Rain nodded.
"She's coming with us."
Jag didn't question it.
"She knows a route the Vultures don't," Rain added. "A safe channel between fractured strongholds. We can send truths—messages—stories they haven't yet burned."
Jag's eyes narrowed. "Then we send a thousand of them."
Companion Joined: Verana, Ghostwalker (Support / Echo-Tactician Class)
Special Route Unlocked: Ember Line Channel – Secure Communication Relay
World Impact: +5% Resistance Spread Among Ruin-Settlements
Memory Fragment #3 – Location Updated: Archived Beneath the Black Mirror Vale
New Objective: Journey to the Vale