The dust hadn't even settled when the second Wraith collapsed into itself—shrieking like a dying god, unraveling into tendrils of shadow that scattered through the crypt like smoke chased by wind.
Kael stood at the center of the broken tomb chamber, breathing hard, blade lowered. The echo of his last strike still vibrated in his bones.
The air was heavy—thick with death magic. But also… something else.
Something watching.
"Don't move," Selene whispered sharply.
Kael froze.
She stepped forward, slowly, carefully, her violet eyes glowing with a faint, unnatural light.
Then he saw it.
The Wraith's essence hadn't fully faded. A single black root of soulstuff writhed in midair above the sigil platform—twitching like it wanted to regrow.
Selene raised one pale hand. A circle of glyphs spun into existence, layered like a clock of runes.
"By the oath of the Weaver's Thread, I bind what lingers," she murmured. "Name. Memory. Spirit."
The glyphs shot out like lightning and wrapped around the root.
The soulstuff shuddered—then froze.
Trapped.
Kael narrowed his eyes. "What did you just do?"
"I caught its last whisper," she said calmly. "The Wraith was dying, but not done talking."
The glyphs hovered between her hands now, glowing brighter.
"Let's hear what it has to say."
A voice spilled out—not with sound, but pressure. Like a scream from a buried coffin.
> You cannot stop what has already begun. The fifth seal cracks. He returns… on wings of fire.
Kael stepped forward. "Who returns?"
> Your fate. Your mirror. Your end.
Then silence.
The glyphs shattered like glass, and Selene staggered slightly.
Seraphine caught her, frowning. "What did that mean?"
Lira crossed her arms. "It means there's a fifth Wraith. And we're already late."
"No," Kael said. "It means this was never about the Wraiths."
He turned to the ruined wall behind the altar. The second tomb's sigil was pulsing, fading, and then revealed a new shape beneath the cracks.
A different symbol.
One none of them recognized.
Selene's lips parted in a rare moment of uncertainty. "That's not part of the original burial circle. It's… older."
Seraphine narrowed her eyes. "No. Not older. Forbidden."
The chamber shook suddenly.
Cracks spread across the floor—black, branching lines crawling toward the center.
Kael's System pinged.
> Hidden Sub-Quest Unlocked: "Echoes of the First Rebellion."
Objective: Investigate the Shadow Sigil Beneath the Capital.
Reward: ???
Risk Level: Unknown.
Kael swore under his breath.
They weren't finished here. Not even close.
---
They emerged from the tomb before sunrise, faces streaked with ash, cloaks torn.
The city was silent. Not peaceful—silent. Like it was holding its breath.
Seraphine was the first to speak. "We can't go back to the palace. Not like this."
"They'll know we were there," Lira added. "Too much magic. Too much noise."
Kael nodded. "Then we disappear. Regroup. Plan."
Selene brushed a lock of soot-covered hair from her face. "I know a place."
She led them through backstreets, down narrow alleys, through wards that shifted like mirages. Finally, they reached a forgotten tower—tall, old, and shielded by magic that smelled like dust and fire.
The inside was dim but clean. Empty. Abandoned, but preserved.
Selene locked the door behind them. "We're safe here. For now."
Kael sank onto a broken chair, staring at his palm.
The runes from the Wraith hadn't faded.
If anything, they were deeper. Hungrier.
> Corruption: 21%
Soul Trait Evolved: "Voice of the Hollow" → "Echoblade"
New Passive: Your strikes leave lingering soul wounds. Warning: Prolonged use increases instability.
Kael exhaled shakily. He could feel it now. The magic wasn't just inside him. It was him.
Lira sat across from him, pulling her hood back. Her face was pale.
"This isn't what we signed up for."
Kael didn't answer.
Because he didn't know what they had signed up for anymore.
---
Night fell.
Selene and Seraphine sat in opposite corners of the tower—like they were waiting for a reason to kill each other. Lira had curled up in the corner, half-dozing but still gripping her dagger.
Kael stood at the window, watching the moon rise.
Then he heard the footsteps.
He turned.
Selene.
She walked toward him slowly, her black gown trailing behind her like smoke.
Her voice was quiet. "You saw the sigil."
Kael nodded. "You knew what it was."
"I suspected," she admitted. "I didn't think it would appear so soon."
He frowned. "So what is it?"
Selene's eyes searched his. "It's not just a mark. It's a calling card. A symbol of the First Rebellion—the time when magic users tried to burn the Thrones of the Empire and carve a world without kings."
She stepped closer, her voice almost a whisper.
"My family helped start that rebellion."
Kael's breath caught.
"That's why the Empire fears us," Selene continued. "Not because we use forbidden magic… but because we remember what came before."
Kael studied her.
And for a moment—just a moment—he saw the cracks behind her composed mask.
Loneliness. Anger. Hope.
"We don't have to do this alone," he said quietly.
Selene blinked.
Then something unexpected happened.
She smiled.
Not her usual, smirking kind.
Something smaller.
Sadder.
"Maybe," she said.
Then she reached into her sleeve and pulled out a vial of black liquid.
"Drink this," she said. "It'll slow the corruption."
Kael hesitated. "What's in it?"
"Blood. From someone who survived full soul binding."
He stared at the vial.
Then downed it.
The effect was instant. Cold. Sharp. Like a spear through the heart.
System Update:
> Corruption Stabilized.
New Passive: "Borrowed Grace" — You've inherited a fragment of another's resistance. Side effects unknown.
Kael leaned against the wall, panting.
Selene caught him before he fell.
"You're still human, Kael," she said. "But you're walking the edge."
He looked up at her.
"I know."
Their eyes locked.
And this time… neither looked away.
---
Hours later, Kael sat alone on the tower rooftop, staring into the sky.
Footsteps again.
But not Selene's.
Seraphine.
She sat beside him without asking.
"You kissed me and stole magic from my soul," he said dryly.
"You're welcome."
He shot her a look.
Seraphine smirked. "I came to warn you."
Kael stiffened. "About what?"
"The Inquisition. They're moving. Word's out—someone's using death magic inside the capital."
Kael frowned. "So they'll come for us?"
Seraphine leaned close.
"They'll come for you. The cursed prince. The system-blessed. The one who might bring down the balance of everything."
Her voice softened.
"They think you're dangerous."
Kael looked down at his hands.
"I'm starting to think they're right."
Seraphine didn't argue.
She just looked up at the stars.
"I hope you're ready, Kael," she said. "Because this… this is just the beginning".