The midday sun filtered through the stained-glass windows of the Fairy Tail guild hall, casting dappled colours across the wooden floor. Most of the usual bustle had quieted—members were out on missions, and only a handful lingered around. Amid the quiet, Kairo leaned against the towering mission board, scanning each parchment and poster with a critical eye.
The lower-ranked jobs held no appeal anymore. Escorting caravans, catching petty thieves, or finding lost pets—they were far behind him now. His recent evolution in magic had stirred something within him. A hunger. Not just for combat, but for a purpose. Challenge.
That's when he noticed it.
Tucked in the upper corner of the board, sealed in deep gold wax and marked with a swirling black sigil—a sealed scroll, unlike the others. A strange pull led his hand toward it, as if it had been waiting for him.
Before he could open it, a familiar gravelly voice spoke from behind.
"That's not your average request," Makarov said, arms crossed over his small chest, his expression unreadable. "Came from the Magic Council directly. Only trust a few with something like this."
Kairo turned the scroll over in his hands, studying the sigil—a crest of intertwining wings and fire. It resonated faintly with his magic. His fingers broke the wax, and the scroll unfurled with a gentle snap.
[New Quest Received: Abyssal Investigation – Class A]
Requesting Mage: Magic Council – Secrecy Required
Location: Forgotten Ruins, West Mountains
Objective: Investigate the reactivation of an ancient, cursed Vault.
Threat Level: High
Reward: ???
He looked up, eyes burning with quiet resolve.
"Do you think I'm ready?" he asked.
Makarov's lips quirked in a rare, knowing smile. "You tell me, Kairo. You're the one holding the scroll."
Kairo tightened his grip. "I need to know what else is out there. What else can I become?"
As if on cue, footsteps echoed from the hallway. Erza strode into view first, armoured and purposeful. Gray followed, hands in his pockets but eyes sharp. Kaelen—another powerful guild mage, cloaked in pale blue robes and a glimmer of magical lenses across his eyes—stood beside them with a rare look of concern.
"This Vault you're heading to", Kaelen said quietly, "It's not normal. The magic coming off it isn't elemental. It twists things—time, space, maybe even the soul."
At that moment, a jarring chime rang in Kairo's mind.
Quest accepted. System alert: High-energy anomaly detected. Unknown magic signature confirmed. Shadowflame core reacting.』
Something in his chest thrummed—Shadowflame sensing kin. Or pray.
They departed that same afternoon.
The journey to the West Mountains took hours, but as they climbed, the temperature dropped unnaturally. The clouds thickened. By the time they reached the Forgotten Ruins, the sun had all but vanished, even though the sky remained bright behind the veil of mist.
It was wrong here.
The air was sharp and cold, not like winter—but like absence. Like the world forgot warmth.
Kairo's flames flickered uneasily in his palm.
"Something's… calling," he muttered.
Erza unsheathed her blade, her eyes scanning the treeline. "Then we go in prepared."
The ruins loomed ahead—a shattered temple sunk into the hillside, its pillars broken and scattered like bones. Symbols etched into ancient stone pulsed with sickly green light. No birds. No wind. No sound.
Then the ground trembled.
A shriek tore through the silence as a monstrous form erupted from beneath the earth. Its body was a chaotic mesh of black crystal and oily shadow, jagged and twitching with instability. Its eyes glowed like molten rubies.
『New Enemy Identified: Abyssal Spawn – Lv. 22』
Status: Corrupted Construct
Weakness: Light and Flame
Danger: EXTREME
Kairo's instincts kicked in.
"Phoenix—Now!"
With a burst of dark violet fire, the Shadowflame Phoenix burst into the sky, its wings beating with arcane fury. The air ignited as it dove, engulfing the creature in a wave of purging flame. Shadowfire licked across their weapons, granting a temporary edge.
Erza struck like lightning, cleaving through hardened crystal. Gray weaved sharp spikes of ice into the Spawn's legs, locking it down. Kaelen unleashed shimmering lances of refracted light, piercing its corrupted form.
Kairo darted across the field, dodging clawed limbs and launching a barrage of Shadowflame Bolts—Burn and Veil. Explosions of dark flame blinded the beast, staggering it just enough for Erza to land a decisive blow through its chest.
With a keening cry, the creature convulsed—and shattered.
『Enemy Defeated – 3,200 EXP gained』
『Level Up! You are now Level 8. Unspent Stat Points: 5』
Kairo dropped to one knee, catching his breath, sweat trailing down his jaw.
But they weren't done.
At the end of the crumbling temple, a massive Vault door stood tall—wreathed in pulsing sigils and swirling mist. Unlike the rest of the ruins, the door was intact. Waiting.
Kairo stepped closer, drawn like a moth to the flame.
Then—a voice.
Not sound. Thought.
"Bearer of flame… You walk the path of the Hollow Flame. Do you seek power?"
The system interface glitched momentarily, and a new prompt appeared in blood-red font:
'Vault Interface Detected. Synchronisation in Progress…』
Warning: Trait Evolution Possible – Unknown Cost. Proceed?
The others stood back as the Vault's energy thickened, tendrils of black light swirling around Kairo like smoke. He could feel it tugging at his core—not just his magic, but his soul. It wanted him to choose.
He stared at the prompt.
Behind him stood his allies. Beside him—the weight of his Shadowflame. Before him, mystery, danger… and something calling him by name.
Kairo took a breath, clenched his fists, and whispered:
"…I'm ready."
And the Vault opened.
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