Chapter 27: Crimson Debt
The fires of the Temple of Withering Chains still crackled in the distance, casting eerie glows across the night sky. Kael and his companions moved in silence, making camp at the edge of the Scarlet Vale—a scarred wasteland once drenched in divine blood during the First Shattering.
Kael sat alone on a broken slab of moonstone, watching embers drift on the breeze. His mind replayed Voruun's words, the revelation of his father's death, and the Crown's long-hidden will.
The system chimed softly in his thoughts.
[System Notification: Crown Sync - Echo Pathway Accessed]
Memories Archived: Subject — Veylor Viren, Former Crown-Bearer
Unlocked Memory Fragment — Origin of the Crimson Tongue
Kael's vision blurred. A sudden pull overtook him. In a flash, he was somewhere else—a void chamber of swirling flame and ash.
A man knelt before a pulsing altar, wearing a half-formed version of the Crown. His features were sharper than Kael's, but the resemblance was undeniable.
"Forgive me... I wasn't strong enough," the man whispered.
Kael's breath caught. "Father...?"
The scene shifted. The same man now lay dying, surrounded by crimson-robed cultists. One leaned forward—Voruun, unscarred, younger.
"He failed," Voruun sneered. "We'll carve his legacy into your bones."
Kael staggered back to reality, sweating.
Selene approached, kneeling beside him. "What did you see?"
"My father's last moments... and the Crimson Tongue's rise."
"Then we'll make them fall."
Vaeloria stood at the perimeter of their camp, eyes glowing faintly. "We're being watched."
Before Kael could rise, Nysera dropped from a tree branch nearby, silent as a shadow.
"Three scouts. All wearing Hollow sigils. One's injured. I left him to bleed and bring a message back."
Thalaria tightened her grip on her glaive. "Let's end this silence. What's the next step?"
Kael stood, his voice like tempered steel.
"We take the fight to the Hollow Bastion. But first—we visit the Crimson Vault. It's time to reclaim what the Crown once lost."
[Quest Initiated: Echo of the Crown]
Objectives:
Reach the Crimson Vault buried beneath the Vale
Survive the Trial of Inheritance
Retrieve the Crown's True Core
Bonus: Learn the full truth of Veylor Viren's legacy
As they prepared to move, Kael turned to Nysera, who had already drawn closer.
"You've done more than I could've asked."
She raised a brow. "And yet you haven't asked for the one thing I haven't offered."
Kael leaned in, grinning. "Not yet. I'm saving that for the Vault."
She smirked. "Cheeky bastard."
A few steps away, Selene and Thalaria were whispering.
"Did you see the way she looked at him?" Selene said with a giggle. "Nysera nearly melted when he grinned at her."
Thalaria snorted. "Please. Vaeloria almost vaporized the tree they were standing under."
Selene leaned closer, voice a sultry whisper. "And did you hear them last night?"
Thalaria grinned. "Let's just say... Kael's not shy. She was moaning like thunder through a cave."
Vaeloria, standing nearby with her arms crossed, cleared her throat. "I can hear both of you."
Selene winked. "Then you know we're right."
Vaeloria didn't answer, but the faintest blush crept up her cheeks.
Thalaria wiggled her hips as she walked past Kael, brushing her backside subtly against him. "Careful, flame boy. I might get jealous."
Kael raised a brow, letting his eyes linger. "You? Jealous? That'd be a sin worth savoring."
Nysera, seated by the fire, glanced up, the flames flickering in her eyes. "He's bold tonight."
Selene moved behind Kael and wrapped her arms around him, her chest pressed tightly against his back. "That boldness is why we follow him."
Kael chuckled low. "Or maybe it's my charm?"
Vaeloria murmured from the side, "It's definitely not your modesty."
The wind howled through the Vale as the group set out, the air thick with omens. Somewhere in the dark below, ancient sins waited to rise again—and Kael was ready to meet them.
End of Chapter 27