Scene 1 – The Dream He Can't Forget
Zagan's eyes snapped open.
Sweat clung to his skin. The ceiling of his chamber blurred in the darkness. But the voice… the whisper still echoed in his ears.
> "Vinam… don't leave me behind…"
That girl—her voice was soft but haunting. He didn't know her. He'd never seen her before. But her sorrow wrapped around his mind like chains.
> "Who the hell is Serena?"
He sat up, breathing hard.
The Blooming Destroyer. The red light that tore through that demon. The tremor in Vinam's voice when Zagan asked him where he learned that technique. It was all starting to make sense—and none of it felt right.
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Scene 2 – The Forbidden Library
Solareth's royal archive wasn't just a place for dusty scrolls. Beneath the library was a place few dared to visit. Even the king himself hadn't opened its gate in decades.
Zagan walked past rows of bookshelves before stopping at a thick, iron gate. Ancient celestial glyphs were engraved into its frame.
He reached into his tunic and pulled out a fragment Kris had stolen—half of an old sigil used by the Moon Order. Zagan had refined it with his own magic.
As he pressed it to the gate, it trembled.
The glyphs flared to life. A groaning click echoed.
The gate opened.
Beyond was a single chamber—circular, wide, and carved in white stone that glowed faintly. Suspended in the air was a floating book, its cover pulsing between pale blue and blood red.
Zagan stepped forward.
> The Blooming Doctrine: A Tale of Heavenbloom and Ruinbloom
He hesitated only for a second—then opened it.
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Scene 3 – The Doctrine's Secrets
> "Forged not by mortals, but by the gods, the Blooming Destroyer holds two hearts: one of radiance, one of annihilation."
> "Heavenbloom: born of divine will, amplifies the virtues of the bearer. It can heal, shield, and judge the wicked."
> "Ruinbloom: born of the void, born from grief. It shreds time. It unravels fate."
Zagan's brow furrowed. He turned the page.
> "Only one bearer was known to awaken both forms—his name now erased from time, for he chose love over duty, and destruction over obedience."
> "He was said to follow a girl with light in her eyes… and darkness buried deep in her soul."
The page flickered—then revealed a line:
> "Serena, the girl who walked between worlds. Not mortal. Not god. But something… broken."
Zagan's fingers trembled.
"Serena…"
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Scene 4 – The Cliffside Conversation
Kris sat alone on the cliffside, just before dawn. The sky was still black, stars slowly fading into the east.
Zagan approached, silent.
"I figured you'd come," Kris said without looking.
"You always sit here when you're unsure," Zagan replied.
"I've been remembering that night again," Kris murmured. "When we were nearly dead. When Vinam appeared."
Zagan sat down beside him.
"He didn't just save us. He changed everything," Kris continued. "But lately... I've started to wonder if he's even the same man."
Zagan pulled something from his coat—a sketch he drew of the glyphs he found under the book. "These marks. I found them carved next to her name—Serena. There's more to her. More than Vinam is saying."
Kris took the page. His hand clenched.
"I saw her once," he said quietly. "Or something like her. She wasn't alive… but she wasn't dead either. She looked like someone who forgot she existed."
Zagan looked at Kris, eyes sharp. "And Vinam still loves her, doesn't he?"
Kris hesitated. "Too much."
"…He's breaking."
Kris nodded slowly. "And I don't think he realizes it."
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Scene 5 – Vinam's Room
Vinam stared at Heavenbloom lying across his lap. Its blade was dormant now, cold and dull. The last time he summoned Ruinbloom, it took everything in him to suppress it again.
He brushed his fingers over the hilt.
A soft voice echoed.
> "Why do you keep resisting me, Vinam? I thought you loved me."
His body stiffened.
"You're not her," he whispered.
> "But I feel like her, don't I? I know what she knew. I remember what you promised…"
"I promised Serena, not the shadow you've become."
> "You need me. You were never strong enough alone. You couldn't save her then—so now I'll make you strong enough to bring her back."
Vinam stood quickly. "Get out of my head."
> "I am your head."
He slammed his hand into the wall, cracking the stone. "You are not Serena."
Silence.
Heavenbloom trembled faintly in his hands—just for a moment.
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Scene 6 – The Shadow Within the Blade
Back in the forbidden archive, Zagan stood before the last page of the doctrine. The text shimmered as he whispered a trigger spell.
A final passage revealed itself:
> "The sword will choose. Heavenbloom responds to hope. Ruinbloom responds to loss. But when the bearer begins to fracture, both forms awaken—and may devour him from within."
> "If the bearer loses himself… the blade will bloom into something neither heaven nor ruin. Something born of obsession."
Zagan narrowed his eyes.
"…So that's what's coming."
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Scene 7 – Jessica's Worry
Later that day, Jessica paced outside the strategy hall, arms folded.
She glanced up as Zagan exited the vault passage, his expression unreadable.
"You're still digging into Vinam?"
He paused. "Wouldn't you, if he could cut through space with one swing?"
"…He saved us."
"That doesn't make him safe."
Jessica's voice softened. "Zagan, you're my friend. But so is Vinam."
He looked away.
"…I'm not sure he's still himself."
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Scene 8 – Final Scene: The Rising Moon
That night, Vinam stood alone in the old temple ruins behind the castle. Moonlight spilled through the broken dome above.
He drew the Blooming Destroyer.
It pulsed.
First blue—Heavenbloom.
Then red—Ruinbloom.
He stood in the middle, eyes closed, breathing slowly.
> "Serena… I'm doing this for you."
From the shadows behind a shattered column, a pair of glowing purple-red eyes watched.
Zagan.
His hand clenched at the hilts of his twin daggers. But he didn't move.
Not yet.
> "Who are you really, Vinam?"
The question echoed in his mind as the chapter ends.
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