The wind howled through the high ridges of Lirael's Divide, shrieking like a wounded god.
Kael Arclight stood at the threshold of the world—where the broken ground gave way to a valley choked in permanent twilight. His cloak fluttered behind him, now lined with veins of dark silver—the mark of the [Specterbound Bladesoul].
In his hand, the Shard of Severance pulsed faintly, feeding him echoes. Not words. Memories.
He saw glimpses of ancient wars. Cities devoured by roots. Titans falling to unseen blades. And in the deepest part of his mind, a voice repeated:
"Sever. Sever. Sever."
Behind him, Lyra clutched her staff tighter. "You sure about this? The Abysslight region isn't even marked on sanctioned maps. Even the Sunspire avoids it."
"That's why we go," Kael muttered.
"Do we have a plan, or just a suicidal death wish?" Drayke's tone was half-joke, half-dare.
Kael didn't answer.
Because the moment he crossed into that shadowed path, the world shifted.
System Alert: You have entered a Forbidden Zone.
> Area: The Hollow Veins of Abysslight
Ambient Aura: Corrupted Celestial / Echo-Tainted
Estimated Threat Level: S-SS
Adaptive Challenge Scaling Engaged.
The ground here wasn't dirt. It was fossilized aura—solid, glowing with spectral veins. Trees twisted in reverse, their leaves growing downward. The stars above flickered in reverse pulses, like dying memories.
A low growl echoed from somewhere unseen.
Drayke's aura flared in instinct. "We're not alone."
"Worse," Lyra murmured, eyes wide. "We're not supposed to be here."
Something moved. Not in sight—but in aura.
A ripple passed through Kael's Ashen veil. For a split second, he saw it—
A towering beast made entirely of unclaimed memories. Hollow-eyed. Dripping with echoes. Horns spiraling backward.
Name: Varnak, the Forgotten Warden
> Type: Apex Remnant Beast
Aura: Echo-Class
Rank: SS
Status: Bound to the Abysslight Cycle
Reward: Core Fusion Catalyst – [Liminal Fang]
Kael didn't hesitate.
"Haaah…"
He stepped forward, tightening his grip on his blade.
"…what a strong aura."
The Warden moved like a thought turned violent.
Its claws slashed across the air, warping reality. Drayke barely dodged, flames erupting from his gauntlets as he retaliated.
Beast Flame – Wild Fang Blitz!
But the creature phased—flickered—and appeared behind him.
Kael intercepted mid-flash.
Ashen Veil – Burnout Dash.
His blade struck Varnak's core—only to be repelled with a shriek of echo feedback. The aura around them twisted into looping memories, replaying battle moments from just seconds ago.
"Shit—it's copying us!"
"Not copying," Lyra said, desperately casting a barrier. "It's re-experiencing."
Kael felt it too. The beast wasn't just fighting them—it was learning, adapting with every second.
"Then we stop giving it memories."
His eyes lit with determination.
Fusion Detected: Ashen Aura + Shard of Severance
> Initiating Soul-Break Sync
New Skill Unlocked – [Echoflame Excision]
Effect: Renders targeted aura unable to reform for 10 seconds.
Cooldown: 3 minutes
Side Effect: Temporary dissonance – loss of self-memory.
Kael gritted his teeth.
He had to remember who he was.
But just this once—
He let go.
He vanished.
Reappeared behind the Warden, mid-flicker.
Echoflame Excision.
A strike unlike any other carved through the creature's spine. Not flesh. Not aura. Memory itself was erased.
The beast reared—screamed without sound—and shattered into glimmering fragments of forgotten time.
The valley went still.
Drayke collapsed, panting. "Okay… now that was new."
Lyra looked at Kael, her eyes troubled. "You alright? You were gone for a second. Like—not just physically. I couldn't feel you."
Kael's expression was distant.
He saw flashes—his childhood, Drayke's laugh, Lyra's first smile.
And then…
Gone.
Just faint shadows of themselves.
"I'm fine," he lied. "Let's move."
System Alert: Apex Target Defeated
> Reward Claimed: [Liminal Fang – Core Catalyst]
Title Gained: Memory Severer
Passive Bonus: Enemies take 20% longer to adapt to your combat style
Warning: Mental strain approaching limit
Hours later, the trio camped by a broken ruin, the stars above flickering oddly.
Lyra set down her staff. "This place is… wrong. The aura doesn't rest."
"That's because it remembers too much," Kael muttered. He turned the Liminal Fang in his hand—a toothlike relic pulsing with echo-light.
Drayke tilted his head. "What even is this next phase we're walking into? What's in the core of Abysslight?"
Kael answered with a whisper.
"Something that even the Eternals sealed away."
Far from them, deep within the Hollow Veins, a sound stirred.
Not a growl.
A whimper.
And a chained god opened one eye.