The capital was rotting.
Even from miles away, Kael could feel it—the stench of old blood and corrupted ley-lines that pulsed through the ground like veins too full of poison.
The closer they got, the quieter the world became. Birds stopped singing. Wind held its breath.
Selene's eyes narrowed as the ancient spires of the outer districts came into view, some crumbled, some wrapped in ivy like the city itself was trying to bury its own history. "The tomb's entrance lies beneath the catacombs of the old church quarter," she said. "Sealed for centuries. Until now."
Seraphine, riding just ahead, kept her gaze on the horizon. Her silver hair swayed behind her like a battle standard. "We'll need to be quick. The Inquisition has eyes everywhere. And if they catch us near the tombs, they'll assume we're here to awaken it."
Kael gave a dry look. "Which we kind of are."
Selene smirked. "Not helping."
Lira said nothing, walking beside Kael on foot. Her expression had been hard since Selene joined them. And it had gotten even worse since Seraphine sealed that kiss-bound contract.
Three women. One mission.
And Kael?
Caught in the middle, cursed by power he didn't fully understand.
> System Status:
Burial Sigil — Active
Soul Corruption — 18%
New Alert: Proximity to Anchor Tomb detected.
Protective wards destabilizing.
"Something's wrong," Kael muttered. "The System's… warning me again."
Seraphine dismounted, already unsheathing her curved blade. "We're close. The tomb's seal is being unraveled. Someone beat us here."
---
They slipped into the old quarter like ghosts—hoods raised, weapons hidden. The buildings were silent, hollowed out, with holy statues crumbling under the weight of time and neglect.
At the edge of a forgotten chapel, hidden beneath rotted pews and broken glass, lay a spiral staircase. Stone, slick with age. And at the bottom—a gate of bone.
Kael stepped forward.
> System Syncing…
Burial Gate Recognized.
Initiating Sigil Sync.
Warning: High-risk of Wraith Contamination.
The bone gate pulsed.
It opened without a sound.
And the air that rushed out smelled like ancient screams.
---
The tomb wasn't a cave—it was a cathedral.
Carved deep beneath the capital, it stretched wider than the surface temple above. Massive obsidian columns held the cracked ceiling, and eerie blue fire danced along hanging chandeliers of bone. Statues of faceless kings lined the walls, each holding a sword stabbed through their own chest.
At the center lay a stone sarcophagus. Black. Cracked.
Not sealed. Waiting.
Lira's breath misted. "It's not asleep anymore."
Kael stepped forward.
> Burial Anchor Detected.
Wraith Residue: Active.
Corruption Zone Level: Red.
Environmental Contamination: 36%.
From the shadows, a voice echoed.
"No further."
Figures stepped out. Half a dozen, then a dozen more. Silver-masked inquisitors, cloaked in torn church garb, but their movements weren't natural. Their limbs twitched. Some floated instead of walked. Their skin shimmered like oil over water.
"Corrupted," Seraphine whispered. "Too late. They've fused with the Wraith's soul fragments."
And then—the coffin shattered.
Something crawled out.
It wasn't like the last Wraith.
This one was human-shaped. Almost regal. It wore burial robes stitched with silver thread, and a twisted crown of thorns sat on its head. Its skin was gray, too tight over bones, and its eyes glowed with a cruel blue flame.
It opened its mouth—and screamed.
The tomb shook. Stone cracked. Lira fell to one knee. Selene's eyes widened. Even Kael staggered.
The corrupted inquisitors rushed them.
Kael drew his blade.
"Lira! Selene! Right flank!"
Seraphine was already moving—her silver blade a blur as she blinked behind two attackers and struck clean through their spines.
Selene floated above the chaos, crimson runes swirling around her. "Blood is memory," she whispered. "And memory never forgets."
Her hands weaved a spell—veins of red tearing into the corrupted crowd.
Kael charged straight at the Wraith.
> System Combat Mode: Active
Sync Rate: 91%
New Art Unlocked — "Chain of the Hollow"
Dark chains burst from Kael's hand, wrapping around the Wraith's limbs. But the creature resisted. It let out a screech that shattered stone. Kael was thrown back into a column, coughing up blood.
> Warning: Soul Stability Compromised
Soul Corruption: 22%
Trait Evolution in Progress: "Graveborn Resilience" — [UNSTABLE]
Kael forced himself up, blood dripping from his nose. "You were a king once, weren't you?" he growled. "Buried and forgotten."
He raised his blade. "Let me remind you what death feels like."
The Wraith rushed him.
Kael struck.
Steel met shadow.
The tomb flashed white.
---
Everything blurred.
Kael was falling—not through space, but through memory. Flashes of a kingdom burning. A boy crowned too early. Betrayal by a brother. Execution beneath moonlight. A burial without a name.
He saw it all.
Not his life.
The Wraith's.
> System Alert: Soul Imprint Absorbed
New Passive Trait: "Wraithborn Echo"
New Art: "Phantom Blade"
Kael slammed back into reality.
The Wraith staggered, momentarily stunned—its form flickering.
Kael didn't hesitate.
He called on the new art.
"Phantom Blade."
A spectral sword formed in his left hand, glowing with ghostlight. He stabbed with both blades—crossed strike. The Wraith screamed—real, this time—and shattered like glass.
The corrupted inquisitors dropped lifelessly.
Silence.
Only the sound of Kael's own breathing filled the tomb.
> Wraith Neutralized
Corruption Zone Receding
Soul Corruption: 25%
New Status: You have defeated the Second Anchor
Selene floated down beside him, her voice oddly soft. "You touched its soul."
Kael nodded. "More than that. I think… it touched mine."
Seraphine stepped closer, eyes glowing with interest. "Two Wraiths down. Three remain. And each one will be worse than the last."
Kael glanced at the cracked sarcophagus, then back at his party.
"Then we don't wait."
---
Outside, the sun was rising over the capital.
But underground, beneath the bones of old empires and forgotten gods…
Something else had started to awaken.
And it was watching.