There was no sound at first—only a shift.
Light receded. Space twisted. And then the Axis Gate expelled them into a sky that wasn't a sky at all.
Above, the stars bent backward into bleeding spirals. Below, blackened ruins shimmered beneath heat mirages. What remained of Oron Karth jutted from the ground like grave markers—shards of obsidian towers, their edges seared and fused by a forgotten war.
And yet the air pulsed—not just with memory, but with warmth.
Ethan staggered to steady footing, boots crunching on bone-dust. Aelira landed beside him, eyes wide. "We're between realms," she murmured. "This... isn't just Oron Karth. It's infused. Something else bled into it."
The System flickered in Ethan's vision:
[SYSTEM ALERT: Realm Fusion Detected – Oron Karth (Deep Echo) / Vael'tharis (Slumbering Flame)]Warning: Spatiotemporal anchors unstable. Identity feedback possible. Proceed with extreme caution.
The city ahead was fractured not just in form, but in time. Shadows repeated old battles in the periphery of vision. Flames flickered with no source. And at the center, a forge sat buried inside a throne-shaped crater, still glowing.
Ethan felt a pull—not just forward, but inward. His System bond buzzed erratically.
Aelira clutched her chest. For a moment, a halo of solar flame wreathed her head. It vanished before she could speak.
Then came the voice. Low, regal. Familiar.
"Back again. Or perhaps… finally arrived."
From the ruins emerged a figure in mirrored armor—Kaelen Varros. Or a version of him, shaped by memory, flame, and the burden of a crown.
Ethan stepped forward.
"I'm not here to wear your throne," he said. "I'm here to end what you started."
Kaelen smiled. "Then enter the forge. And see which of us breaks first."
Inside the Forge
The throne-shaped crater loomed ahead, its walls ribbed with molten veins. As Ethan and Aelira descended, the air thickened—not just heat, but weight, pressing down on their lungs and minds.
The System glitched again:
[SYSTEM UPDATE: Forge Nexus Entered]New Conditions:• Reality Phase: Fluxfire State• Memory Bleed: Active• Core Resonance: Intensifying
Effects:– Vitality regeneration halved.– Core Abilities gain +20% potency.– Memory Echoes may manifest autonomously.
Warning: Thronebound Link at risk of instability.
Ethan clenched his fists. "Stay close," he told Aelira.
She nodded, eyes fixed on the heart of the forge—a towering anvil suspended in midair, flames spiraling around it like a cyclone. On its surface, a shattered crown and a broken sword shimmered, half-formed, as if waiting to be remade.
Then Kaelen was there—closer, impossibly fast. His mirrored armor caught the forge's glow, warping his shape. He moved with a grace that defied the heaviness of the realm, each step sending ripples through the molten floor.
"Do you feel it?" Kaelen's voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere. "The grave remembers. The flame judges."
Without warning, a spear of fire lashed out—Aelira dodged, her eyes flaring gold. She raised her hand, instinctively channeling:
[Flame Crown – Partial Awakening]• Ability Unlocked: Solar Lash
A whip of pure flame crackled out, meeting Kaelen's strike midair. The collision detonated in a burst of searing light, throwing all three back.
Ethan skidded, vision swimming. His System pulsed:
[Ability Unlocked: Echo Recall – Forge Aspect]– Phase Shift: Manifest Kaelen Varros (Memory Echo) as a temporary ally or opponent, unstable form.
He staggered upright, eyes narrowing. "Two can play at that."
Raising his hand, he willed the Echo into existence. For a heartbeat, another Kaelen shimmered into view—this one younger, eyes uncertain, armor cracked but human.
Kaelen's real form snarled, voice raw. "You dare twist my past against me?"
The Echo surged forward, colliding with its source. The two Kaelens locked weapons, sparks hissing off the mirrored steel.
Aelira, breathing hard, stepped to Ethan's side. "The forge's core—it's binding us. We have to finish this before it consumes everything."
Ethan nodded grimly. The System flared again:
[Forge Nexus – Final Trial Initiated]Objective: Reforge or Destroy the Crown.Timer: 08:00.
Countdown: 08:00
Kaelen roared, breaking free of the Echo's grip. He thrust his hand toward the crown and sword, flames lashing out to wrap them in a protective cocoon.
07:24
The forge responded—a shockwave pulsed outward, fracturing the ground beneath Ethan and Aelira. Cracks spiraled like veins of molten gold.
System alert:
[Environmental Hazard: Forgequake – Active]Penalty: Movement impaired (-30% speed)Bonus: Flamebind effect amplified
Aelira gritted her teeth. "Cover me—I can reach the crown!"
She sprinted, Solar Lash whipping outward to clear debris and deflect bursts of wild flame. Ethan hurled fire-laced strikes at Kaelen, every collision shaking the realm.
05:52
Shadow figures emerged—fractured warriors of Oron Karth. Their silent screams tore at the air as they charged.
[Memory Bleed Surge]– New Threats: Spectral Guardians– Status: Semi-corporeal (vulnerable to Astral/Flame attacks)
Ethan shouted, "Aelira, behind you—"
She spun, Solar Lash burning through two specters. "We're running out of time!"
04:19
The forge's glow intensified—the crown and sword began to fuse, molten seams knitting together.
Kaelen advanced. "You'll only forge your own end!"
Ethan's System blinked:
[System Override Option: Thronebound Rift]Activate?Warning: Unstable—risk of permanent damage to System Core.
He cursed under his breath. "Aelira!" he yelled. "Distract him. I'm triggering something big."
She nodded, hurling herself at Kaelen—her flame crown now flickering near full awakening.
02:57
Ethan slammed his hand to the molten floor.
System Override: Thronebound Rift – ENGAGE
Reality fractured.
The forge twisted into fractal shards. Kaelen's form was torn into mirrored fragments. The crown and sword vibrated between being reforged and shattered.
System warning blared:
[!!! SYSTEM CORE BREACH !!!]Stabilization Required—Choose One:• REFORGE the Crown (Assimilate Power)• DESTROY the Crown (Sever Thronebound Link)
00:59
Ethan looked up—Aelira, silhouetted in flame, eyes locked on his.
"What's it going to be?" she called.