The seal pulsed violently.
Cracks of pale light spread across the stone floor, racing outward like veins. Dust fell from the ceiling as the ruined library groaned, protesting the awakening of something it was never meant to contain.
The hooded woman took a step back, her confidence finally cracking.
"What did you do?" she demanded.
"I didn't," I replied sharply. "You did—by getting too close."
The pressure in the air was suffocating now. Mana twisted unnaturally, refusing to flow in stable patterns. Even breathing felt heavier, as if the room itself was resisting our presence.
[Seal integrity: 38%]
[Containment failure imminent.]
I clicked my tongue.
Too fast.
I extended my hand toward the seal—not touching it, but asserting myself over it. The Authority Fragment in my chest responded immediately, sending a sharp pain through my skull.
[Passive Authority engaged.]
[Memory erosion: Minor.]
My vision blurred for half a second.
I grit my teeth and pushed through it.
The fractured rune inside me flared, and the pressure in the room shifted. The seal hesitated—like a beast recognizing a superior presence.
The woman stared at me, eyes wide. "You're… manipulating it?"
"Backing it down," I said through clenched teeth. "If it breaks, this whole building collapses. Possibly more."
Her grip tightened on her blade. "Then finish it. Take whatever's inside."
"No."
She scoffed. "You'd risk your life to not take power?"
I didn't answer.
Because I didn't have the words to explain that some power wasn't meant to be claimed.
The seal's glow dimmed slightly.
[Seal response: Guardian authority recognized.]
I exhaled slowly, sweat dripping down my temple.
It's working.
Then the woman moved.
She lunged—not at me, but at the seal.
"Wait—!"
Too late.
Her blade crossed the boundary.
The seal screamed.
Light exploded outward, throwing both of us back. I hit the ground hard, pain lancing through my side. The woman crashed into a broken shelf, coughing violently.
The seal shattered.
Silence followed.
Not relief.
Expectation.
From the shattered remains of the seal, something rose.
A translucent figure, humanoid in shape but hollow—like a person carved from fog and broken runes. Its eyes were empty voids, and its presence drained the warmth from the air.
[Forgotten Construct manifested.]
[Threat Level: High.]
"…That's not a spell," the woman whispered in horror. "That's a monster."
I forced myself upright, wincing.
"It's a consequence," I corrected. "A spell that was erased incorrectly."
The construct turned its head toward us.
Toward me.
Its gaze locked onto my chest.
The Authority Fragment pulsed violently.
[Guardian recognized.]
The construct let out a soundless scream and surged forward.
I reacted on instinct.
Mana flowed perfectly, obediently, shaping itself into a barrier in front of me. The construct slammed into it, distortion rippling across the surface.
The impact nearly drove me to my knees.
I can't fight this head-on.
I glanced at the woman. She was struggling to stand, blood trickling from her forehead, shock etched into her face.
"Run," I shouted.
She hesitated.
"Now!"
The construct recoiled, gathering itself for another charge.
My mind raced.
I can't use Ember of Oblivion.
I don't have enough authority.
And if I lose control—
A memory surfaced. Not mine.
A technique used by ancient Guardians.
Not destruction.
Redirection.
I slammed my palm against the floor.
The runes beneath my skin flared brightly for the first time.
[Guardian Technique — Seal Override: Temporary]
The floor beneath the construct lit up, forming a broken magic circle. The construct shrieked as the unstable energies began to pull it inward.
The pressure spiked, tearing at my thoughts.
[Memory erosion: Moderate.]
Names. Faces. Something important—
I lost it.
I screamed as I forced more mana into the technique, blood trickling from my nose.
"Move!" I roared.
The woman finally ran, stumbling toward the exit.
The construct resisted, thrashing violently, cracks forming across its form.
The library began to collapse.
With a final surge, I clenched my fist.
"Back… into nothing."
The circle imploded.
The construct was dragged inward, compressed into a single point of light—then sealed.
The shockwave threw me backward.
Darkness swallowed my vision.
I woke to pain.
Every muscle in my body screamed in protest as I lay amid rubble and dust. Moonlight streamed through a newly collapsed section of the ceiling.
The library was silent.
Too silent.
I forced myself to sit up, my head pounding.
[Guardian condition: Critical.]
[Memory erosion: Detected.]
[Erosion level: Unknown.]
My heart skipped.
"What… did I lose?" I whispered.
I searched my mind.
My name—still there.
Earth—still there.
Why I was here—still there.
Relief washed over me, weak but real.
Footsteps approached.
I tensed, then relaxed slightly when I saw the hooded woman emerge from the shadows. She looked shaken, her blade lowered.
"You saved me," she said quietly.
I met her gaze, exhaustion heavy in my eyes.
"I cleaned up your mistake," I replied.
She winced—but didn't argue.
After a moment, she spoke again.
"What are you?"
I looked away, staring at the sealed circle embedded in the ruined floor.
"…Someone who fixes what the world tries to forget."
The weight of that answer settled heavily between us.
And deep within my chest, the Authority Fragment pulsed—
reminding me that every interference came at a cost.
One I might not always remember paying.