The air of the labyrinth was no longer heavy with menace—only with the quiet, almost sacred stillness that follows great battles.
Eliakim stood before the withered remains of Baphomet's colossal corpse, the demon's mutated flesh still steaming in the cold underground air. The Bracelet of Umbravice hummed at his wrist, each of its chains trembling faintly, the treasures it bore resonating as though recognizing the victory.
Above them, the Yggdrasil Bloom—the great crystalline flower grown from the labyrinth's heart—pulsed faintly, its petals shifting through impossible colors. To the untrained eye, it was only beautiful; but to Eliakim, there was an undertone of something deeper. The Bloom's core swirled with motes of light that behaved almost like… memories.
He reached toward it.For an instant, he saw visions—distant realms, forgotten epochs, the deaths of stars and the births of cities. The Bloom was not just a prize. It was a living archive, and its power was not in healing or growth, but in connecting every living root across time and space. This was a seed that could touch worlds.
Eliakim drew back, deciding silently not to share everything he saw… not yet.
The Bracelet of Umbravice — Full Activation
The final confrontation had unlocked the Bracelet of Kharuun, completing the Seven-Treasure Map. The chains and gems no longer sat on his arm as separate relics—they pulsed together, a single organism of shadowsteel and light.
[Arc Progression Log – The Seven Treasures]
Index Finger:The Gauntlet of Varnash – Won in Chapter 7, after solving the sealed library's living riddle.
Middle Finger:The Heart of Thal'Adreth – Claimed in Chapter 8, surviving the Illusory Maw and its mind-breaking trial.
Ring Finger:The Tear of Lirael – Found in Chapter 9, hidden within the drowning chamber of the Silent Cistern.
Pinky Finger:Codex of Imreth – Taken in Chapter 10, after defeating the phantasmal tactician in the Hall of Echoes.
Thumb:Collar of Veyrun – Earned in Chapter 11, after shattering the slave-bind curse on Gideon.
Palm:Embercloak of Veyrun – Won in Chapter 12, after enduring the molten trial of the Furnace Path.
Wrist:Bracelet of Kharuun – Taken in Chapter 6, The vault opens only to those who deny greed.
The Others' Gains
Gideon Ravenscar: Physically transformed. His muscle density had increased, his endurance sharpened. He no longer moved like a man burdened by chains, but like a predator that had cast them aside. His blows would now carry more than brute strength—they would carry intent.
Ezra Nightfall: Inherited the labyrinth's lost medical lore, gaining knowledge of ether-nerve acupuncture, arcanic clotting techniques, and battlefield triage formations. His team-tactics insight sharpened, making him able to read combat flows in seconds.
Skyling: Her wings now shimmered faintly with refracted light, enabling her to bend visibility at the edges—a gift from the stealth trial's lingering magic.
Departure
They ascended the long, spiraling passage to the surface. As the heavy air of the labyrinth gave way to the crisp winds of the Emberroot Plains, the change was immediate.
Where once the plains had been warped—air shimmering with heat ripples, grass bending in unnatural directions—now it was calm. The anomaly was gone.
Eliakim looked toward the distant hills and felt the faint hum of the Emberroot Sigil in his chest. It had claimed the disturbance and silenced it, sealing this land's wound.
For a long while, they stood there, breathing in the clean air. No words were spoken. None were needed.
Far above them, the sun dipped toward the horizon, scattering gold across the plains. But deep underground, beneath their feet, the Yggdrasil Bloom still pulsed—quiet, patient, and waiting for the day Eliakim would dare to use it.
End of Labyrinth Arc