The Rootworld slowly faded behind them, its glowing flora dimming as Ren and the others emerged through the arterial bridge that linked it to the upper levels of the Citadel. The transition wasn't harsh, but it was sober. The pulse of life, memory, and mystery gave way to the cold stillness of metal corridors and faint echoes of a place long abandoned.
Ren found his steps slower now. Not out of fatigue, but weight—the knowledge he carried wasn't just his anymore. The system had made him a Bearer, yes, but also something more dangerous: a reminder of what had been lost.
As they walked, Ren opened the system interface again, his mind half-drifting between present and projection.
SYSTEM INTERFACE — WORLD STATUS OVERVIEW
Rootworld Integration: 27%
Branch Realms Linked: 1 (Ashborn Bastion)
Seedline Clarity: Tier I
Seeder Abilities Unlocked: 2/5
Unclaimed Energy Nodes: 3
Restoration Thread: Dormant (Stimulus Required)
Note: Presence of non-systemic corruption detected in Citadel Upper Tier
"Non-systemic corruption," Ren muttered.
Meka heard him. "That's a fancy way of saying something's wrong, right?"
"More like something that shouldn't exist within the rules of the system is still here," Ilis said, calmly. "Which means either a break-in… or something broke out."
Kael glanced toward a panel where the floor met the wall. Dust, cracked stone, and a dark smear that hadn't been there before.
"Ren, your system picking up movement?"
Ren checked again. His vision adjusted slightly—the HUD overlay shifting with golden-tinted markers. There. Faint traces. Movement. Heat. But not like before. Not monsters, not constructs.
Scars.
"Not movement. Residue," Ren said. "Someone's been here recently. But they didn't leave through this hall."
Ilis' eyes narrowed. "Then they're still inside."
Before they could move farther, a low vibration hummed through the floor. Not thunder. Not impact. It was… mechanical. Like something activating after being dormant too long.
Then—click.
ALERT: Forgotten System Protocol Detected
Location: Archive Vault 03
Access: Worldbearer Key Compatible
Status: Failsafe Guardian Active
Ren didn't even ask.
They ran.
The Citadel's winding upper halls curved inward toward a massive gate—rusted, sealed by thick roots that had once blocked entry. Now, those same roots peeled away as if sensing Ren's approach. The gate responded to his presence, humming once before splitting open with a hiss of pressure and old air.
Inside, Archive Vault 03 was a half-collapsed dome filled with broken crystal screens, shattered data-pylons, and thin strands of glowing thread. At the center stood a massive console, pulsing irregularly.
But it wasn't the machine that caught their attention.
It was the Guardian standing beside it.
Humanoid. Twelve feet tall. Bone-white exoshell with golden sigils running across its limbs. And in place of a face—an expressionless, black-glass mask.
Ren froze.
The Guardian turned slowly toward them, movement fluid but ancient.
SYSTEM: Failsafe Guardian Activated
Protocol Class: Judgment-Theta
Threat Level: Unassessed
Interaction: Aggression not detected. Awaiting Input.
Note: Entity retains fragments of Pre-Fall Seeder Memory
"Wait," Ren whispered. "It's… it's not hostile."
Kael kept his hand near his weapon anyway.
The Guardian raised its hand.
A beam of golden light flowed from its palm, striking the air in front of Ren. A shape formed. A Seed—but unlike any they had seen. It wasn't dormant. It glowed with purpose.
Then, for the first time, the Guardian spoke—its voice layered, distorted, but unmistakably laced with recognition.
"You are the Seed-Bearer. You walk on graves and carry the breath of rebirth. Do you remember the Oath?"
Ren shook his head slowly. "I don't. But I'm ready to learn."
The Guardian's head tilted slightly. Then, it stepped back and pointed to the console.
A new system window appeared in front of Ren.
UNLOCKED: Seeder Oath Fragment
Initiate Memory Download?
Warning: Overwrite Risk to Non-Seeder Memory Threads
Proceed?
Ilis placed a hand on his shoulder. "You'll survive it. You're not like the last Bearers."
Ren met her eyes briefly, then touched the confirm glyph.
The world shifted.
Not physically—but within. The Seed in his chest pulsed, and with it came a surge of visions, voices, even smells.
He stood in a garden, surrounded by others who bore similar marks. One of them—a woman with eyes like starlight—spoke words in a language that bypassed logic and touched only memory.
"You will sow what others abandoned. You will remember what others forgot. You will build, not for dominion, but for renewal."
And then, he was back.
The vault still hummed. The Guardian still watched. But Ren… had changed.
OATH OF THE SEEDER: Initiated
Effect: Permanent integration of Restoration Intent
Bonus: Realm Tethers can now form without physical anchoring
Meka broke the silence. "So… what, you're some kind of system priest now?"
Ren smiled. "No. But maybe I finally understand what I'm supposed to be."
Kael knelt near the console, fingers brushing a fractured memory shard. "This place… it's full of broken knowledge. If we rebuild this, we could learn what really happened here. Why the Citadel fell."
Ilis turned slowly toward the back wall, where a faint pulse echoed—a hidden door opening. "Then you'll want to see this."
They followed her.
Beyond the hidden passage was a chamber, circular, and lined with preserved stasis-cradles. Dozens. Each one empty. Except one.
A single figure remained inside—still breathing. Still bound to a system panel.
And on his chest: the same Seed mark as Ren.
But older. Dimmer.
SYSTEM ALERT: Parallel Seeder Detected
Identity: UNKNOWN
Status: Cryo-Locked
Awakening Protocol: Available
Ren stared.
Another Seeder.
Sleeping in the dust of the past.