The wind howled as Kairo and Zevrin approached the edge of the Rift Valley, a place long thought to be sealed off after the Great Collapse.
Rumors whispered of a sunken dungeon that had once been part of an ancient Ascenders' testing ground—now buried beneath layers of fallen earth and broken magic.
But that wasn't what drew Kairo here.
It was the voice.
A memory that wasn't his.
> "The Third Fragment lies beneath the silence, where light dares not go."
That message had played in his head ever since he touched the Empath's crystal. And something deep within him—deeper than fear—was being pulled there.
Zevrin crouched beside the fractured rocks. "There's a path. Hidden under these ruins."
Kairo knelt next to him. He could feel it too. Emotionless space. Like a void. Not dead. Not alive. Just… waiting.
> "Let's go."
---
The descent was slow, guided only by the faint glow of Kairo's essence and the torchlight on Zevrin's sword. The tunnel wound like a coiled serpent, the air growing colder with every step.
Then, without warning—
> WHOOOM.
A pulse.
Kairo fell to one knee.
> "You okay?" Zevrin asked, sword drawn in an instant.
Kairo's eyes widened.
> "It remembers me."
"What?"
Kairo stood slowly. "The Fragment. It's here. But it's not alone."
They entered a cavern lit by flickering ethereal flames. Ancient glyphs floated in midair, hovering above a massive stone door that pulsed like a heartbeat.
There were names etched into the door.
Kairo reached out—until one name made him freeze.
> Kairo Veyne.
His own name… carved into ancient stone.
> "This is impossible."
Zevrin read another name aloud. "Ivenis the Undying. That's the name of the Warden."
The moment he spoke, the stone door began to open.
Dust. Silence. And then—footsteps.
Out walked a figure shrouded in broken armor, glowing with crimson cracks. Its eyes were hollow, but its voice echoed with memory.
> "Kairo Veyne… I've waited a long time."
Kairo stepped back, heart pounding.
> "How do you know me?"
The Warden's voice was ancient. "Because I fought beside you. In your past life."
---
The Warden raised a hand, and the room flooded with visions—of a forgotten battlefield, of monsters made from stars, of a younger Kairo wielding a blade of light.
> "You died saving us all. And now, the world needs you again."
Kairo gritted his teeth. "I don't remember any of it."
The Warden smiled faintly. "You will. But first, earn the Fragment. Survive the trial."
The chamber began to shift, stone crumbling to reveal a spiraling battlefield beneath—a dungeon of illusions where fear became reality.
> "Only those who face their truest nightmare may claim the Fragment of Truth."
Zevrin grabbed Kairo's shoulder. "You don't have to do this alone."
But Kairo shook his head. "This is mine. I need to know who I really am."
He leapt into the pit.
---
The world changed.
He stood not in stone, but in a glowing arena of sky and flame. And across from him stood a figure… identical to himself.
Same face. Same eyes.
But darker. Hollow.
> "You're not ready," the double said.
Kairo summoned his blade. "Maybe not. But I'm done running."