The Driftways shimmered behind him, its misty pathways dissolving into echoes. Leo stood alone before a jagged, crimson shard suspended in empty space. It pulsed with heat—not the warmth of life, but the searing sting of guilt.
"⟪Memory Realm Detected: Shard of Regret⟫
Emotion Signature: Guilt
Stability: 48%⟫"
The system pulse matched his heartbeat.
He stepped forward.
With a flash, the realm engulfed him.
---
He landed hard—knees scraping against cobblestone scorched black. Around him, the remains of a burning city crackled and moaned. Buildings collapsed in slow motion, endlessly caught in the moment of ruin. The sky was red, and ash fell like snow.
The world was dying, again and again, in a loop of devastation.
And at the center of it all… a familiar street.
Leo's breath caught.
"No. Not this again."
He knew this place. A marketplace near the edge of Delsyr District, back before the world fractured. And standing beneath a ruined awning—
"Felix," Leo whispered.
A boy, no older than twelve, stared back at him. Dirty blonde hair. Burnt sleeves. A defiant grin.
Leo's brother.
But this wasn't him. Not truly.
The figure turned—and its face warped into a hollow-eyed mask of shadow.
"⟪Memory Echo Manifestation: The Ashborn Shade⟫
Entity Classification: Corrupted Fragment
HP: 3,200 | Status: Bound to Emotional Core⟫"
The shade raised a hand. Fire bloomed in its palm.
"Why did you run, Leo?" it asked.
Leo's knuckles tightened around the Verdant Fang. "Because I couldn't save you. I wasn't strong enough."
"Liar."
Flames erupted. The battle began.
---
"⟪Skill Activated: Shadow Step⟫"
Leo vanished into the smoke and reappeared behind the shade. The Verdant Fang slashed across its back, vines erupting into the open wound.
"⟪Hit Landed⟫ +52 Damage | Verdant Bloom Applied⟫"
But the Ashborn Shade turned unnaturally, as if joints were suggestions, not rules. It grabbed him mid-motion and hurled him into a collapsing wall.
Pain bloomed across Leo's back.
"⟪Status: Scorched | -5 HP per second⟫"
The voice from the shade shifted. It was Felix again. "You left me. You lived."
Leo spat blood, then stood.
"Damn right I did. And I became stronger—so this never happens again."
The Fang pulsed in his hand. Life surged.
"⟪Skill Unlocked: Verdant Pulse⟫
Rank: C
Effect: Emits a short-range shockwave of vitality. Heals minor damage and damages undead or corrupted. Cooldown: 2 minutes⟫"
He drove the weapon into the ground. Green light exploded outward, searing the corruption.
"⟪Critical Hit!⟫ +120 Damage | Ash Dispelled: 24%⟫"
The shade screamed and staggered.
Leo rushed forward, channeling every ounce of rage and grief.
"Not again!"
He struck once—twice—three times.
The shade tried to form a barrier of flame, but he shattered it with brute force. His blade pierced its chest.
"⟪Fatal Strike⟫"
The world began to collapse.
The fires extinguished.
The ash froze mid-air.
The figure of Felix stood again—this time, calm. Pure. Smiling.
"Thanks, brother," the memory said. "Keep going."
Then, it faded into golden light.
---
"⟪Memory Echo Acquired: Regret⟫
Signal Strength Increased: +12%
Current Resonance: 45%⟫"
Leo dropped to one knee, the Fang buried in the ash.
A new light hovered before him.
"⟪Item Acquired: Burnt Locket⟫
Type: Memory Token
Effect: -5% Fire Damage Taken | Required to access The Anchor⟫"
He stared at it for a long moment, then slipped it into his pouch.
The realm around him began to dissolve. The path back to the Driftways opened once more—misted, silent, waiting.
But Leo didn't step through just yet.
He stood, breathing deep, hand resting on the Fang's hilt.
That pain… that memory... he wouldn't forget it. Couldn't.
Because he was becoming the weapon this broken world needed.
And the next realm awaited.