Location: Emberwake Valley, Two Days After the Ravine Battle
The storm had passed.
The ravine lay silent now, echoing only with the wind that carried the scent of scorched stone and faint embers. Brent had spent the last day resting beneath the sacred trees of the Furnace Temple, his wounds slowly stitching together with help from Rae and Lysa's synchronized healing abilities. But it was Rae who had begun to act… strangely.
Brent noticed it first during one of her meditations—her body would shimmer faintly, colors dancing like oil on water across her skin, as if her soul was reflecting things unseen. The second time it happened, she collapsed, and it took both Brent and Lysa to stabilize her.
Now, in a secluded chamber deep beneath the Emberwake Sanctuary, Brent watched anxiously as Rae knelt before the Soulflame Mirror—an ancient artifact used to reveal the true shape of a person's soul core. Lysa sat beside her, hands glowing faintly in case another surge overtook Rae's body.
"It's responding to her," Lysa whispered, amber eyes wide. "The Mirror's not supposed to awaken unless someone has a fractured or evolved soul core. Rae… might have both."
Rae took a deep breath, her hands trembling, and reached forward.
The moment her fingers touched the glass, the chamber ignited in pale violet and silver fire. The Mirror expanded like a ripple across water, forming a portal of reflection. And then—
It showed them the truth.
Within the Soul Mirror
Rae's reflection twisted into fragments—each piece revealing another version of her. One of her as a child, one as a warrior, one cloaked in shadow, and another… glowing. But it was the glowing figure that stepped forward.
"I am the Echoed Flame," it spoke. "The shard of what was left behind."
Rae fell to her knees. "Wh-what does this mean?"
The glowing reflection reached out and pressed its hand to hers, light flowing into her body.
Soul Core Type: Fractured Celestia – Dual Echo Variant
Fragments:
— The Dreamer (Emotion Bound – Anchored to Brent)
— The Exile (Her Sister's Legacy – Memory Bound)
— The Flamekeeper (Bloodline Bound – Ancestor of the Crimson Queen)
Trait: Multifaceted Soul Memory – Grants access to dormant powers across echoes and fragments once synchronized.
Current Sync Rate: 52%
Special Trigger: Soul Pair Stabilization with Brent Emeris or Lysa Emeris
Lysa gasped. "You… you carry echoes of your sister?"
Rae nodded slowly, the tears welling in her eyes. "I think… she didn't die like they said. She gavesomething to me."
Brent stepped forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You've been fighting your whole life to be someone worthy of her. Maybe this… was her way of making sure you always had her strength."
"I thought the bond between you two was growing deeper," Lysa added, watching as light arced between Brent and Rae like twin stars caught in orbit.
Soul Bond Progression: Phase Two Initiated – Dual Core Link at 84% Compatibility
Access to Shared Resonant Techniques Unlocked:
— Flameweaver Aegis – Channel Brent's regeneration and Rae's spatial flame into a moving shield
— Twilight Convergence Pulse – Combo AoE burst of shadow and light flame
— Echoflare Counter – Reactive burst upon taking critical damage
"I didn't know it was this strong," Rae said, standing slowly, her voice trembling not with fear, but awe. "I thought I was just tagging along with you, Brent."
He shook his head. "Rae, you've never been behind me. We're walking forward together. Always have."
Hours Later – Emberwake Cliffside
The trio sat under the stars, the smoldering braziers from the Temple casting long shadows behind them. Lysa sat curled beside Rae, still recovering from the Soul Mirror's emotional flood, while Brent leaned forward, staring into the distance.
"So… we've beaten Vaelrick," Lysa said quietly. "For now."
"He wasn't really himself," Brent muttered. "The system said he was a Herald of the Bleeding Crown. From… another world."
Rae's gaze turned hard. "You think the Gate leads there."
Brent nodded. "The Gate… wasn't a prison. Not really. It was a threshold. And now that we've pushed it open even slightly, they know we exist."
Lysa shivered, her small flame flickering in her palm.
"But there's more," Brent continued. "When I used Eclipse Judgement… for a moment, I heard Her. Not the system. Her. The one the Keepers don't speak about. The one from the oldest flame echoes."
System Update: Warning – Higher Plane Activity Detected Beyond the Gate
Estimated Power Threshold Required: Level 25+
Full Core Harmonization
Guardian Protocols Activated: Awaiting Final Ascendant Signal
"I think we're just at the edge of something bigger," Brent said. "We need to get stronger. All of us. Together."
He reached out, touching both Rae's and Lysa's hands.
"Because whatever's on the other side of that Gate… it's not done with us."
Meanwhile… Beyond the Gate
Far away, in a place with no sky and no sun, a cloaked figure stood on a balcony of black crystal, watching a burning map of the lower realm.
"The Torchbearer ascends," it whispered. "And the Celestia Fragment awakens."
Behind them, a throne of bones groaned to life. A dozen robed beings turned as the Gate pulsed.
"Prepare the descent," the cloaked one said.
"And find the girl with the mirror flame."