Chapter 37 – The Broken Seal
They reached the ruins by dusk.
It rose from the canyon floor like the ribs of a buried giant—jagged marble columns, half-submerged in ash, covered in faded glyphs that pulsed faintly with ancient magic. The scent of sulfur lingered in the air, sharp and acrid. No birds. No wind. Just the faint hum of something long asleep and barely dreaming.
Kael stood at the threshold, the Gracebound System already reacting.
> Warning: Proximity to Forbidden Relic Detected
Relic Class: Sealed Draconic Core (Type: Abyssal Flame)
Status: Inactive, Locked
Suggested Action: Unlocking will trigger unknown consequences. Proceed with caution.
Lys frowned. "This place wasn't on any of the maps."
"That's because it wasn't meant to be found," Kael replied, eyes fixed on the black obelisk at the heart of the ruins.
Sareth brushed dust from one of the runes. "Or remembered."
They stepped inside.
The air grew denser the deeper they went, filled with the scent of scorched minerals and cold decay. The architecture was impossible—walls that bled into each other, gravity-defying stairs, and flickering illusions of fire dancing along the floor. Runes glowed briefly as Kael passed, reacting to something in his blood, his presence.
At the center of the main chamber stood a black altar, and above it hovered a crystalline sphere wreathed in dormant flame. The seal was visible—six runic chains made of light and ash, wrapped tightly around the core.
Kael approached. His Gracebound mark began to glow.
> Draconic Core Seal Identified:
[The Breath of Kal'Darion – Last Ember of the Abyss]
Condition: Dormant, Fractured
Legacy Resonance Required: 5/10 – Achieved
Warning: Unlocking this seal may attract the attention of legacy hunters and primordial observers.
"Primordial observers?" Lys repeated aloud, reading the projection. "That sounds… bad."
Kael nodded. "It usually is."
"Can you even open it?" Sareth asked.
Kael didn't answer right away. He moved closer, his heartbeat syncing with the subtle pulses of the chained sphere. "I have to."
He touched the outermost chain.
The reaction was immediate.
The room shuddered. Symbols flared to life on every surface, burning like miniature suns. The chains snapped open one by one, unleashing bursts of memory, heat, and force.
A voice echoed—not spoken, but pressed into their minds:
"You who bear the mark. You who survived the Emberwake. Speak your vow. Declare your flame. Prove your right to awaken the Abyss."
Kael's heart pounded. He stepped forward, unflinching, flames flickering at his fingertips.
"I am Kael of the Gracebound. I bear the flame not to conquer—but to remember. I will not be a weapon. I will be the fire that restores what was lost."
Silence.
Then, the final chain shattered.
The Draconic Core dropped into his hand, and the instant it touched his skin, fire erupted outward—not destructive, but transcendent, burning through the illusion of the chamber. The walls revealed inscriptions layered over centuries, stories of a war fought in fire and shadows.
> Draconic Core Acquired: Breath of Kal'Darion
Resonance Level: 6/10
New Ability Unlocked – Abyssflare Surge
[Abyssflare Surge: Temporarily transform into a living avatar of draconic fire. Grants massive AoE damage, short-term invulnerability, and aerial control.]
Passive Effect: Soulfire Infusion (All fire-based attacks now burn through magical resistance)
> Side Effect: Kal'Darion's memory echo now active.
Kael staggered as visions flooded his mind.
Mountains turning to glass. Skies torn open by flame. Kal'Darion—massive, winged, and ancient—fought against another dragon cloaked in shadow. Their battle reshaped the world. Flames licked the edges of reality. Kal'Darion's voice was thunder and sorrow.
"Too much was taken," the dragon whispered. "Let memory guide your fire, Kael. Not vengeance."
The echo faded, and Kael collapsed to one knee.
Lys knelt beside him. "Kael!"
"I'm fine," he rasped. "Just... overwhelmed."
Sareth stared at the smoldering floor where Kael stood. "What did you see?"
Kael stood slowly. "A war. One that broke the world. Kal'Darion fought to stop something far worse than himself. And I think… I think that thing isn't gone."
Behind them, the ruins groaned.
Something had awakened.
> World Event Triggered: The Seal of Kal'Darion Broken
Global Echo Active – Legacy Hunters have been notified
Shadowbind Order aware of Kael's presence
Primary Threats Incoming: 3
Time Until Arrival: 72 hours
"Three days," Kael whispered, reading the update. "They're coming."
Sareth drew his swords. "Then we prepare."
Lys's eyes burned with determination. "We make them regret ever following us."
Kael looked back once at the altar—at what he'd unleashed—and then toward the path leading upward.
For better or worse, the world now knew his name.
And the fire within him had only just begun to burn.
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