The Obsidian Spire rose like a blade driven into the earth.
Black stone. Smooth. Impossible in its perfection. No windows. No banners. Only silence.
And yet the people of the nearby town—Greyreach—called it cursed.
They never looked at it after dark.
Aelric, Lyria, and Caelum arrived at nightfall.
The townsfolk avoided them, whispering behind shutters.
"You feel that?" Caelum muttered.
"Yeah," Aelric said. "The mana here is twisted."
> [System Notice – Contaminated Mana Field Detected]
Warning: Long exposure may cause fatigue, nightmares, or hallucinations.
They pressed on anyway.
They entered the spire at dawn.
No guards. No traps. Just a door that opened at Aelric's touch.
Inside, a spiral staircase wound downward, deeper and deeper, into darkness.
At the base: a chamber lit by cold-blue crystals and a stone altar carved with monster sigils.
Waiting in the center was a woman in grey.
Hair braided with bone.
Eyes blindfolded in silk.
And around her neck, a pendant shaped like a burning crown.
"I am the Keeper," she said.
"You are late."
Aelric narrowed his eyes. "You knew I was coming?"
"I knew someone would come. The flame always returns. And with it, the war."
She stepped aside.
Behind her, a wall carved with ancient symbols.
Monster tongue.
And at its center: the sigil of the Nine-Eyed Beast.
Aelric stepped closer.
The symbols pulsed faintly as he approached.
> [System Response – Legacy Memory Detected]
Translating ancient glyphs…
Unlocked: Prophecy Fragment – "The Eye in the Flame"
> "When the heir takes the blade and the eye weeps light, the continent shall fall once more to fire, fang, and fury. The age of men will end. The chosen will decide what rises in its place."
Lyria's breath caught. "That's…"
Caelum swallowed. "That's not just a prophecy. It's a warning."
The Keeper nodded. "Long ago, the monsters were not beasts. They were gods. Betrayed. Broken. Banished."
"And now… they whisper again."
"Some hear them. Some follow them."
She looked directly at Aelric.
"You carry the system. The blade. The will. But will you be their end—or their beginning?"
Aelric clenched his fists. "I'll never serve monsters."
The Keeper smiled—sadly.
"We'll see."
Then she turned… and disappeared into mist.
Leaving behind a new mark on the altar.
A sigil of fire intertwined with shadow.
> [System Update – Legacy Quest Progress: 4/7 Clues Found]
Item Acquired: Sigil of the Shadowflame
New Quest Branch Unlocked – The Cult of Fang and Flame
Next Target: Infiltrate the Bleeding Circle Guild
As they exited the Spire, the sky had darkened.
And from the rooftops above Greyreach, a dozen shadows watched them.
Silent.
Waiting.
Each cloaked in crimson.
Each wearing a silver mask.
The assassins of the Bleeding Circle.