The Past Ignites Once More
The sky above Valendria was torn open like a wound—streaks of crimson and shadow swirling within the yawning dimensional rift. The army of the Dark Dimension had retreated, yet the silence they left behind… was far more piercing than war itself.
I stood among the ruins of the southern gate.
My black armor had changed—no longer just a shield, but a living symbol of legacy. Faint red veins pulsed across its surface, like the heartbeat of a sleeping dragon.
> [Notification: Awakened Origin Armor – Phase 1 Unlocked]
[Effect: Dimensional Magic Resistance +100%, Dominance Aura +50% vs Dark-type enemies]
Aurelia approached, her red hair dusted with ash from the battle.
"You've changed," she said softly.
I nodded. "I don't know if this is the best part of me… or something that should've stayed sealed."
Elena arrived, holding an ancient scroll wrapped in dragonhide. "We found this in the old relic vault. There's something you need to see, Ace."
The scroll was written in a language so old, even the system couldn't translate it instantly. But when my fingers touched it—
> [Memory Fragment Triggered]
[Locked Memory – Unsealed: 34%]
My eyes glazed over.
A vision surged forward.
A girl—her hair blazing red, her eyes burning with passion—stood on a battlefield.
She embraced me… just before everything was consumed in a blinding sea of light.
> "We'll meet again, Ace. In the next life… when you remember everything."
I gasped, stumbling back.
"I know her," I muttered. "She's not Aurelia… but she looks just like her."
Aurelia looked down, her expression unreadable. "There's a legend… of the Eternal Flame Keeper. A girl cursed to be reborn again and again, waiting for the Flame Bearer to return. Maybe…"
Elena cut in, voice grim. "If that's true, then their goal… is to awaken her. But by using you… as the sacrifice."
---
Scene Cut – Within the Flame Dimension
The girl stood within a colossal magic circle. Her eyes were hollow. Her body bound by glowing seals.
Two cloaked figures watched from the shadows.
"The time draws near," one whispered. "The Flame Bearer has awakened… and he will come for her."
---
Back in Valendria
I clenched my fists. "I have to go to her… whoever she truly is."
Aurelia looked at me—her gaze filled with doubt, and a jealousy she couldn't quite hide.
"And if she is your lover from a past life… will you choose her?"
I met her eyes. "I don't know. But one thing's for sure—I won't let anyone use her."