The world dissolved into light.
One heartbeat he was standing before the fractured Celestial Gate—its runes howling with unstable power—and the next, he was falling through a void of shifting stars. The pull of gravity vanished. Space itself stretched, twisted, screamed.
Then, silence.
Hayate's boots struck solid ground.
He gasped, looking around in disbelief. He stood in a place that felt ancient, yet untouched—where the air shimmered with echoes of forgotten divinity. Colossal trees of silver bark reached into a sky that pulsed with colors unseen by mortal eyes. Rivers of starlight wound through the earth, glowing faintly like living veins.
[System Alert: Dimensional Transfer Complete.]
[Location: The Forgotten Realm – Plane of Eternal Reverb.]
[Warning: Unknown Entities Detected.]
Hayate's pulse quickened. "So this is… the Forgotten Realm," he whispered.
A gentle wind brushed past, carrying faint whispers—voices too soft to understand, but unmistakably alive.
Arrival in the Lost World
"Where are we… really?" Lirien asked, materializing beside him in a burst of blue light. Her eyes were wide, her aura unsettled. "This place feels wrong—like time doesn't flow properly."
"It doesn't," Hayate murmured. "I can't even feel the sun or moon. Just… echoes."
Lirien crouched, touching the ground. "The mana here—it's dense, unrefined. Like the world's been asleep for eons."
Before Hayate could reply, a soft sound drew their attention.
Footsteps.
A lone figure approached from the mist—tall, wrapped in white robes, face hidden behind a porcelain mask etched with faint runes. He carried a staff topped with a flickering crystal that hummed faintly in response to Hayate's blade.
"Welcome, travelers," the masked man said. His voice was calm, ageless. "Few have crossed the veil and lived."
Hayate's grip tightened on his sword. "Who are you?"
The man tilted his head. "A Keeper of Echoes. One who remembers what the gods chose to forget."
The Keeper's Warning
They followed him through the glowing forest, every step echoing unnaturally loud. Even Lirien's breathing sounded distant, as if the air warped sound itself.
"Once, this realm was the heart of creation," the Keeper said softly. "The gods forged their weapons, their servants, their destinies here. But when the Devouring Blade rebelled… this world was sealed away."
Hayate's gaze darkened. "So the sword came from here."
"Yes," the Keeper replied, stopping before a massive stone monolith carved with shifting runes. "It was born from the Echo Core—the source of divine resonance itself. The gods feared it would consume them, so they cast this realm into silence."
Lirien frowned. "Then why bring us here?"
The Keeper turned. Though his face was hidden, Hayate could feel his gaze pierce through him.
"Because the seal weakens again. And only the one bound to the Devouring Sword can decide what becomes of this world."
The Whispering Ruins
They reached what looked like an ancient city half-buried under vines of crystal and bone. Broken temples stood silent, statues of winged beings lay shattered, and strange orbs of light drifted through the air like restless souls.
Hayate stepped into a ruined courtyard, his sword humming faintly. "These carvings… they tell a story."
Lirien brushed dust off one of the walls. The mural showed gods descending from the heavens, holding thirteen swords blazing with divine fire. At the center—one black blade surrounded by swirling chaos.
"The Devourer," she murmured. "It consumed the others."
But there was more—another carving below it. A woman's figure, veiled in starlight, standing before the blade with open hands. Her face was worn away, but her posture radiated sadness.
"Selene…" Hayate whispered.
The Keeper's voice drifted behind them. "The Goddess of Forgotten Paths was the last to try and save this world. She believed the Devourer could be tamed… not destroyed."
Hayate clenched his fists. "Then why did she betray me?"
"She didn't," the Keeper said quietly. "She saved you. Every betrayal you've endured has been a thread in a greater tapestry—woven to lead you here."
The Song Beneath the Earth
The wind shifted. A haunting melody rose from deep below the ruins, soft and sorrowful. The ground trembled faintly.
[System Alert: Subterranean Resonance Detected.]
[Source: The Echo Core.]
Hayate looked down. Cracks of blue light ran across the ground, pulsing in rhythm with the song.
The Keeper turned to him. "You hear it, don't you? The voice beneath. It's calling to the blade."
Lirien glanced nervously at Hayate. "This feels like a trap."
"It's not," Hayate said, eyes distant. "It's… familiar."
He knelt, pressing his palm against the earth. A surge of divine energy shot through him—images flooding his mind.
He saw a vast crystal chamber, a throne of shattered wings, and a shadow bound in chains made of light. And in the center of it all, a faint voice whispered:
"Come to me, Devourer… and remember."
Hayate gasped, snapping back to reality. "It's calling me deeper."
The Keeper nodded. "Then the Echo Core has chosen. But beware—the deeper you go, the more of yourself you'll lose."
The Descent
The trio entered the catacombs beneath the ruins. Ancient stairways spiraled down for what felt like miles. The deeper they went, the colder it became—until even their breath froze midair before dissolving into light.
Strange carvings lined the walls: faces twisted in agony, reaching hands, prayers etched in unknown tongues.
"Are these… souls?" Lirien asked.
"Yes," the Keeper murmured. "The echoes of those who once served the gods. When the realm fell, they were trapped between life and death."
A faint laugh echoed ahead. "Then maybe they can tell us something," Hayate said grimly.
The tunnel opened into a massive cavern. A pool of glowing water spread before them, reflecting countless stars—yet the ceiling was solid stone.
Hayate stepped closer. His reflection stared back… but it wasn't him.
Its eyes burned red, and its lips curled into a cruel smile.
The Shadow of the Devourer
The reflection spoke. "Finally found your way home, did you?"
Hayate froze. "Who are you?"
The reflection laughed, the sound sharp as broken glass. "I'm you. The part that remembers what you tried to forget."
[System Alert: Manifestation Detected – Echo Entity: Devourer's Shadow.]
Lirien drew her blade. "It's a manifestation!"
But before she could move, the reflection surged out of the water—dark energy erupting like an explosion. Hayate barely managed to block the first strike.
The clash shook the cavern.
"Every drop of power you devoured—every soul you took—it all flows through me!" the shadow roared, pressing him back.
Hayate gritted his teeth. "You're not real!"
"Not yet," it hissed. "But when you falter, I will be."
Their blades collided again, sending shockwaves through the air. Sparks of divine energy ignited the cavern walls.
Lirien shouted, "Hayate! The runes on the walls—they're reacting!"
The Keeper raised his staff, runes flaring to life. "He must overcome it! The Devourer cannot ascend until it consumes its own echo!"
Hayate roared, summoning everything—the rage, the pain, the betrayal. His aura exploded outward, devouring the darkness inch by inch.
[System Sync: 98% Resonance Achieved.]
[Warning: Emotional Stability Critical!]
The shadow sneered. "You'll never control me. You are me!"
"Then I'll devour myself if I have to," Hayate spat. "Because I refuse to become the monster you are!"
With one final swing, he drove his blade through the shadow's chest.
Light engulfed the cavern.
The Heartbeat of the Forgotten
When the glow faded, the shadow was gone.
Only silence remained… and a faint heartbeat pulsing beneath the floor.
[System Update: Devourer Echo Integrated.]
[New Ability Unlocked – "Echo Step": Traverse between Realms through Resonance Points.]
Hayate stood trembling, breath ragged. "It's… over."
The Keeper lowered his staff. "No. It's only begun. The Echo Core awaits."
Lirien frowned. "You mean this wasn't the core?"
The Keeper's masked face tilted. "That was merely your reflection guarding the gate. The true core sleeps below. But now, it knows you."
A low rumble vibrated through the earth. Fissures of blinding light split the ground, and a faint whisper filled the air once more.
"Come, Devourer… awaken what was forgotten."
Hayate met Lirien's eyes.
"Let's finish this," he said quietly.
They stepped toward the glowing fissure. The Keeper's voice followed them, fading into the echoing dark.
"Be warned, Hayate. Every secret has a price—and every god watches still."
The ground collapsed beneath their feet, plunging them into pure light.
[Quest Updated: "Echoes of the Forgotten Realm" – Descend into the Echo Core and Awaken the True Power.]
[New Realm Discovered: The Hollow Sky Below.]
As they vanished into the unknown, Hayate swore he heard Selene's voice—soft, broken, trembling.
"Forgive me… this is where your destiny truly begins."