They walked for two days.
The land east of Sanctuary was uncharted. No patrols. No maps. No guarantee of stability. The Codex marked it simply as "Unrefined Territory" on the system interface—a vague term, but accurate.
Forests here grew twisted. Trees bled sap as dark as ink. Rivers shimmered with faint mana light, dangerous to drink from without filtration. The world felt alive, but in the wrong way.
Wrong in the same way Kieran was beginning to feel.
[Codex Sync – Stable][Vitality: 98/100][Mana: 52/60][Resonance: Low-Fluctuating]
[Threat Range: No Tier II detected within 500m]
He kept his eyes moving regardless.
Not for beasts.
But for who the Codex had warned him about.
The Crimsonborn Rival.
They hadn't encountered them yet, but the system hadn't retracted the warning either. That meant the rival was alive. Awake. And drawing closer.
Riven Amari was unusually quiet.
Not cold or angry—just pensive. She walked beside him through the dense wood, her movements confident but coiled. Her Codex interface occasionally flickered across her eyes as she scanned the terrain. Her recently unlocked spirit-based ability gave her sensory advantages, though she rarely spoke about it.
Kieran noticed.
"You're not sleeping," he said, breaking the silence as they passed through a clearing.
"Neither are you," she replied.
He smirked. "We could pretend to be normal for ten minutes."
She stopped walking.
The wind moved through the trees, whispering like ghosts.
"Kieran," she said slowly, "what happens if this rival finds us and they're… better?"
He turned to her.
"Then I survive anyway."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one I have right now."
Her jaw tightened. "This Codex—it keeps pushing you. Harder, faster. You're changing."
"I know."
"And if it keeps going…?"
He looked her in the eye. "Then I hope I don't lose myself before I find out what I'm becoming."
She didn't respond—but she didn't turn away either.
[Anchor Status: Riven Amari – Stabilized | Trust Threshold Passed][New Trait Synergy Available – Shared Perception (Locked)]
[Codex Sync – Emotional Layer Detected: Protective Attachment]
He blinked the notification away.
It didn't help him decide how to feel.
That night, they camped by a collapsed radio tower.
The structure jutted from the ground like a broken spear, bent at a cruel angle, its base half-swallowed by vines and stone. Old wires still hummed faintly with mana interference. Birds wouldn't land near it. Insects fled its shadow.
Selene appeared after sundown.
As usual, she did not explain how.
"You're being watched," she said without preamble, her voice softer than usual.
Kieran stood, already on edge. "By who?"
"Not just beasts," she replied. "Another like you. A Crimsonborn."
Riven stood slowly, unslinging her weapon. "The rival?"
Selene nodded. "They've awakened three days ago, on a similar path—though... not your exact variant. There are other interpretations of the Crimson Ascendant. Blood Codex logic shifts depending on the bearer's emotional core."
"What does that mean?" Kieran asked.
Selene's eyes shimmered golden. "It means you and your rival are not enemies by design. But you are enemies by impact. There is only one peak for the Crimson line. And the Codex will not allow it to be shared."
[Codex Alert: Bloodline Conflict Detected]
[Rival Presence Approaching – 3.2 km][Designation: Kael Draven][Codex Title: Crimson Warden]
[Ascendant Fragment Count: 3/7][Codex Evolution Status: Parallel]
"Three out of seven?" Kieran murmured. "He's at the same level."
Riven's brows knit. "How?"
"He didn't cleanse a corrupted shrine," Kieran muttered. "He must've fought something else. Or someone."
[Codex Suggestion: Conflict Avoidance Possible – Temporary]
[Option: Leave region to delay encounter][Option: Establish neutral ground for challenge negotiation]
Selene stepped closer, her expression unreadable. "He's not coming to talk."
They met just before dawn.
The forest thinned into an ancient ravine—deep, narrow, and lined with black stone. The trees didn't grow here. The wind didn't blow. It was a place too quiet for nature, too structured for chance.
Kieran stepped into the ravine first.
The Codex pulsed.
[Rival Entering Proximity – 500 meters]
He tightened his grip on the Bloodsteel Edge at his side. The blade had grown slightly over the past trials—now longer, infused with subtle runes from the Heartstone fusion.
Riven stood behind him, alert, tense.
And then—he appeared.
A man stepped out of the mist between the stones.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, clad in red-black armor that shimmered with forged mana veins. A single curved blade hung at his side, crackling with blood-tinged light.
His hair was short, dark, swept back. His eyes—silver.
Cold.
Calculating.
[Crimson Warden: Kael Draven][Level: Unknown][Codex Path: Crimson Warden – Variant of Ascendant][Known Skills: Hemorrhage Field, Blood Guard, Severance Blink]
[Status: Non-hostile – No engagement triggered]
Kael stopped fifteen paces from Kieran.
"You're the Unchained," he said, voice smooth and deliberate.
"You're not the first to say it."
Kael studied him, then glanced briefly at Riven.
"I expected you to be taller."
Kieran's expression didn't shift. "And I expected you to be dead."
Kael smirked faintly. "I admire that. You don't flinch. You will, eventually. But not today."
"You came here to fight?"
Kael shook his head. "I came to confirm something."
"What's that?"
Kael's eyes locked on his. "Whether the Codex chose correctly when it marked me as the true heir to the Crimson Line."
A long pause.
"And?" Kieran asked.
Kael smiled—but there was no warmth in it.
"I think we're going to find out soon."
[Rival Encounter Recorded]
[Combat Not Triggered – Delay Window: 72 Hours][Codex Law Active: First Blood Clause – Neither may engage until trial convergence]
[Next Trial Location: Crimson Depths – Locked]
Kael turned without another word, disappearing into the mist beyond the ravine.
Riven let out a slow breath.
Kieran stood still, staring at the place where the rival had vanished.
"He's fast," Riven murmured.
"He's practiced," Kieran replied. "Probably from a background that trained him for this."
"You're not afraid?"
He was.
But he couldn't say it.
"No," he lied.
[Codex Anchor: Riven Amari – Trust Strengthened][Shared Skill: Perception Sync – Unlocked (Lv. 1)]– Allows temporary sensory sharing within 10 meters. Duration: 15 sec. Cooldown: 2 minutes.
Another piece fell into place.
He turned to her. "We'll need to find the Crimson Depths before he does."
She nodded. "Then let's not waste time."
As they disappeared into the trees, the Codex pulsed once—heavier now.
A countdown had begun.
And the bloodline would not suffer two kings.