Smoke drifted across the shattered palace courtyard.
Lyra struggled to stand, clutching her wounded shoulder.
Golden light from the Codex slowly sealed the injury, but the pain remained.
Umbra rushed to her side, gently pressing his head against her arm.
"I'm alright," Lyra whispered.
"We're not finished yet."
Above them, Malakar smiled from the palace balcony.
"You disappoint me, Lord Kael."
"I created a hero."
"I expected a monster."
Kael's crimson eyes narrowed.
"You murdered innocent beasts."
"You attacked your own soldiers."
"And now..."
"You tried to kill me."
The Codex flickered.
Status Update
Lord Kael
Alignment:
Unknown
Mental State:
Conflict Detected
Probability of Defection:
31%
Malakar laughed.
"Conflict?"
"There is no conflict."
He raised his right hand.
A black brand on Kael's chest began glowing through his armour.
Kael dropped to one knee.
Dark chains burst from the mark, wrapping around his body.
Pyron's expression darkened.
"A Void Brand..."
"So that's how they controlled him."
Nereus clenched her fists.
"Every order he obeyed..."
"...was forced upon him."
Kael gritted his teeth.
"I... won't..."
The chains tightened.
Malakar smiled.
"Kneel."
Kael's body trembled violently.
His sword slipped from his hand.
Lyra looked at the Codex.
"There must be a way."
The pages turned rapidly before stopping.
Hidden Skill Available
Bond Pulse
Advanced Application:
A Beast Bond can free not only beasts...
...but hearts bound by darkness.
Lyra hesitated.
"He's not my partner."
Pyron smiled.
"No."
"But every bond begins with a choice."
Ignoring Captain Rowan's warning, Lyra walked toward Kael.
The guards shouted.
"He'll kill you!"
She didn't stop.
Umbra stayed beside her.
Kael looked up.
His crimson eyes flickered between rage and despair.
"Stay away..."
"My body isn't my own."
Lyra knelt before him.
"I know."
She gently placed a hand over the glowing brand on his chest.
"You don't have to carry this alone."
The wooden whistle rose to her lips.
The Song of First Bonds echoed through the palace.
Soft.
Warm.
Steady.
The black chains began to crack.
Kael gasped.
Memories flooded back.
A black wolf pup.
A promise beneath an ancient tree.
The day he swore to protect every beast in Asteria.
Then...
The betrayal.
The sacrifice.
The hatred.
The years of loneliness.
A tear rolled down his face.
With a deafening crack—
The Void Brand shattered.
Dark mist exploded into the sky before dissolving into nothingness.
Kael collapsed.
His crimson sword clattered across the stone.
The Codex shone brilliantly.
Achievement Unlocked
Broken Chains
You freed a soul without defeating it.
Reputation:
Friend of the Forgotten
High above, Malakar's smile disappeared.
"So..."
"You've learned that trick."
He stretched out both hands.
The palace trembled.
Hidden beneath the city, dozens of smaller Void Crystals awakened at once.
Purple light burst through the streets.
Citizens screamed.
Captain Rowan looked in horror.
"The entire capital..."
"It was trapped from the beginning!"
The Codex revealed a map of Asteria.
Red lights appeared across every district.
Crisis Event
The Web of Shadows
Void Crystals Active:
48
Time Until Full Corruption:
Two Hours
Kael slowly picked up his sword.
He looked at Lyra.
"I can't erase what I've done."
Lyra nodded.
"No."
"But you can decide what you do next."
Kael rose to his feet.
For the first time in fifteen years, he turned his back on the Cult of the Empty Heart.
He faced Malakar.
"This kingdom..."
"...is still my home."
Malakar's eyes burned with fury.
"Then die with it."
A wave of darkness erupted from the palace tower as the battle for the soul of Asteria truly began.