The fire crackled low, casting pale orange light across the ruins.
Ashen Lyel sat opposite Kieran Vale, legs crossed, hands resting on her knees. Her cloak was draped around her shoulders like woven shadow. The wind passed through the broken walls of the cratered mining site without disturbing her hair or her expression.
Riven Amari had returned to camp moments ago, her eyes narrowing when she saw Ashen. But she said nothing. Not yet.
Kieran stirred the fire absently. His blade rested on the ground beside him, inert for once. Not out of trust—but weariness.
He finally asked, "What do you mean your Codex path was sealed at birth?"
Ashen didn't blink.
"I mean exactly that," she said. "I was born into a bloodline that wasn't normal. Long before the Codex revealed itself to the world, before the Fall even began, my family carried... something ancient."
Kieran frowned. "The Codex didn't exist before the Bloodmoon."
Ashen's lips curled in the barest hint of a smile. "It didn't awaken before the Bloodmoon. But pieces of it existed long before."
[Codex Alert: Lore Fragment – Acquired]
[Blood Codex Origin Data – Tier I Access]– Entry: 'Proto-Nodes'– Summary: Prior to global Codex activation, dormant nodes were sealed in ancient bloodlines. These latent carriers were known as Precursors.– Precursor traits: Enhanced Codex resonance, early evolution potential, Codex inheritance behavior.
[Warning: This data is considered suppressed knowledge.]
Kieran exhaled slowly.
"So you're one of these… Precursors?"
Ashen nodded. "My mother was a Resonant. Her Codex manifested in secret during her childhood—before the system took shape. It nearly killed her. But it also passed into me."
Riven stepped forward now, arms crossed. "If you're so powerful, why aren't you leading?"
Ashen didn't flinch. "Because I walked away."
"From what?"
"From becoming what Kael is becoming."
A long pause. Even the fire seemed to dim for a moment.
Ashen continued, her voice calm.
"He's not just advancing the Crimson Path. He's warping it. Imprinting on it. When a Codex user becomes strong enough, their will starts to bleed into the system's logic. And Kael's will is... hollow. Hungry."
[Codex Insight: Codex Logic can be shaped under extreme synchronization]
[Unchained Affinity Level: 22%]– Influence threshold: 50% (Minor System Adaptation)– Warning: Rival Kael Draven synchronization estimated at 37% and rising.
Kieran clenched a fist.
"He's trying to turn the Crimson Path into something it wasn't meant to be."
Ashen gave a faint nod. "Or maybe it was always meant to be that way. That's the question the Codex never answers."
Riven moved closer to Kieran, voice low. "Can we trust her?"
Kieran glanced at Ashen, who simply looked back without flinching. Then he said:
"She didn't try to stop me from activating the gate."
Ashen looked to the obsidian seal beside them—the entrance to the Crimson Depths, which now pulsed faintly beneath the runes.
"You're ready," she said softly. "Or you will be, by morning."
"Why help me?" Kieran asked.
"Because you're still asking questions," she replied. "That's how I know you're not lost yet."
Later that night, Riven found Kieran standing alone at the edge of the ruins.
Moonlight bled across the landscape in silver streaks. In the distance, mana storms flickered at the edge of the horizon. The air here tasted faintly of iron—residual Codex influence.
Riven said nothing at first. Then:
"You believe her."
"Don't you?"
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "But I know what it feels like to watch someone you care about turn into something monstrous."
Kieran looked at her. "You think that's where I'm headed?"
"I think that's what the Codex wants."
He turned fully to her. "And you're still here?"
"I didn't stay because I thought this path was safe," she said. "I stayed because I believe you can walk it without becoming like him."
The wind stirred.
[Codex Anchor: Riven Amari – Trust Level 2 Achieved]
[Shared Skill Evolved: Perception Sync → Tactical Merge (Lv. 1)]– Allows brief overlap of combat senses, boosting reaction speed by 20%.– Duration: 15 sec. Cooldown: 5 minutes. Usable only when trust is active.
He blinked at the update, then smiled faintly.
"You really shouldn't trust me so much," he said.
Riven smirked. "Too late."
At dawn, the seal cracked.
Not with a boom—but with a breath.
The obsidian plate split down the center, revealing a stairwell that spiraled downward into crimson light. The Codex pulsed in Kieran's chest like a heartbeat—eager, alert.
[Gate Trial: Crimson Depths – Tier II Ascension Path]
[Entry Requirement: Emotional Anchor (✓)][Warning: Only bonded companions may enter.]
[Active Trial Members: – Kieran Vale (Unchained – Ascendant Path) – Riven Amari (Anchor Sync – Level 2) – Ashen Lyel (Precursor – Tier I+ Masked Path)]
Kieran looked at Ashen.
"You're coming too?"
She nodded. "Someone has to ensure the Codex doesn't break you."
He turned to Riven.
"I'm not letting you face this alone," she said before he could even speak.
He took a breath.
And stepped into the light.