Kael stood frozen, the echoes of battle still trembling through his bones. The blade in his hand—the ever-shifting Fangsoul Edge—lowered slightly, its ember glow dimming like a heartbeat settling down after a sprint.
Drayke Arclight's words still hung in the air.
"I'm rebuilding the Ember Brood. And I want you in it."
Lyra took a cautious step closer, her hand lightly brushing Kael's arm. "You don't have to answer him now."
But Kael's eyes never left his brother. "Why now?"
Drayke tilted his head. "Because the Eternals aren't waiting. You saw it yourself in that rift. Revenants, twisted dungeons, broken rankings… Aurenya's hierarchy is crumbling. And the Sunspire Council? They're blind to it. Or worse—they're in on it."
Drayke Norr crossed his arms, eyes narrowed. "You're saying they've been infiltrated?"
"I'm saying," Drayke said darkly, "they're compromised. Every major guild operates under Aura Regulation Protocols issued by the Council. But where did those protocols come from?" He paused. "Ever wonder why no one reaches 'Transcendence' anymore?"
Kael's jaw tightened.
He had wondered. After Awakening, the ranks climbed through Tuning, Resonance, Eminence… but Transcendence had become a myth. Rumors. Unconfirmed sightings. It was like someone cut the ladder short just before the top.
"Someone's capping the system," Drayke confirmed. "And the ones who break it… vanish."
Lyra's voice was quiet. "Then what do we do?"
Drayke's eyes gleamed. "We break it harder."
They made camp that night on the edge of the collapsed Revenant zone. Broken structures hissed with dying aura, casting long shadows as Kael sat on a stone slab, staring at the Fangsoul Edge.
It pulsed faintly in his hands—responding to him, adapting.
This blade… It wasn't just a weapon.
It was alive.
"You look like you're ready to punch the moon," Drayke Arclight said, walking over with a flask. He offered it. Kael didn't take it.
"What happened to you?" Kael asked. "After Emberdeep?"
Drayke stared out toward the horizon. "We lost half the squad the first day. The Eternal we fought—it wasn't like the ones from the records. It was aware. It spoke. It offered us power if we knelt." He looked down. "Some of us almost did."
Kael's voice was quiet. "And you?"
"I stabbed it through the throat," Drayke said. "But I didn't win. Not really. It marked me." He pulled aside part of his armor, revealing a glowing burn mark—like a rune etched into his skin. "This… is a curse. A tracker. A reminder."
Kael stared at it. The markings pulsed in a rhythm.
"I was dying when the old Ember Brood pulled me out. We went underground. Rebuilt. I took up the title of Flamebearer… and waited for you."
Kael finally met his eyes. "Why me?"
Drayke smiled faintly. "Because you're not like me. You have the strength… but not the thirst. You feel things. Even now."
Kael looked away.
"Don't confuse feeling with weakness," Drayke added. "It's what separates us from them."
A pause.
"Will you join me?"
Kael stood. He paced a few steps before answering.
"No."
Drayke blinked. "What?"
"I'm not joining the Ember Brood," Kael said, facing him now with steady eyes. "I'll fight the Eternals. I'll destroy their chain system. But I won't follow your banner."
Drayke's jaw tightened. "You'd rather fight alone?"
"I'm not alone," Kael replied, glancing toward the others. "And I won't rebuild the old world. I'll create something new."
For a moment, Drayke looked furious. But then… he laughed.
"Just like Father," he muttered. "Always the rebel."
Kael raised the Fangsoul Edge. "We walk different paths, brother. But for now… they're parallel."
Drayke nodded. "Then we fight as one. Until the fork comes."
—
System Notification – Aura Resonance Detected
New Trait Unlocked: Ashen Vow – Your resolve manifests as aura. Allies who stand with you gain minor resistance to Eternal corruption.
New Fusion Progression: Sync Fusion Path 1 Activated
Ashen-Celestial Link: Passive healing increase under pressure.
Beastflame Sync: Pending…
—
The next morning, Kael stood at the summit of the broken ridge. A message buzzed in his hunter's guide—new dungeon anomalies reported in Lirael's Divide.
Zera's message blinked beneath it:
"You're heading toward the Divide, aren't you? Careful. Something ancient stirs beneath the obsidian trees."
Kael sheathed the Fangsoul. "Then let's find out what's waiting."
Behind him, Lyra adjusted her cloak. Drayke Norr cracked his knuckles, grinning.
And together, the trio set out—toward the Divide, toward the unknown.
Toward war.