The next morning, the castle felt… different.
Not cursed. Not heavy.
Just quiet. Like it, too, was waiting.
Lucius was already dressed by sunrise—black coat, blades strapped, soul burning quietly under his skin. He stared at the map Velda had spread out across the war table.
"There's a region north of Velgrath," she said, "where the land literally scorches the air. A volcanic zone untouched by gods or men."
Lucius nodded. "That's where we'll start."
Claire tilted her head. "You think this girl… the one in the flame memory… is there?"
"No," Lucius said. "But her grave might be."
---
> [Quest Unlocked: The Garden of Fire – Path of Forgotten Flame]
Location: Ashen Veil Mountains
Objective: Find the grave of the First Bond
Danger Level: Catastrophic
Emotional Cost: Unmeasurable
---
The journey took only hours, thanks to a portal Velda summoned (after some grumbling about "burnt hair" and "unstable ley lines").
They arrived at the edge of a blackened cliff.
Volcanic ash drifted through the sky like cursed snow.
Trees twisted by heat and hatred lined the mountain path.
And in the center of it all—
A circle of stone pillars, completely untouched by decay.
Lucius stepped toward it.
Claire: "Are you sure it's safe?"
Velda: "Nope."
Zara: "Perfect."
Lilith: "This place remembers blood."
---
Lucius walked into the circle.
The air shimmered.
A flame sparked on each pillar—blue, cold, but very much alive.
In the center, a mark glowed beneath his feet:
> "Here rests the girl who believed in monsters."
Lucius knelt down.
His fingers brushed the sigil.
Suddenly—
FLASH.
A memory. Not his.
A hand in his.
A voice: "You're not evil, Lucius. You're just hurt."
Then fire.
A scream.
Her name—ripped away from time.
---
> [System Shock: Emotion Overload Detected]
[Skill Gained: Flame of the First Bond]
Effect: Allows Lucius to ignite a forgotten feeling within another. May awaken, heal… or destroy.
---
Lucius stood slowly.
"She died… because of me."
Velda stepped beside him. "No. She died because the world couldn't handle someone loving you that much."
Lucius looked at her. For once, no sarcasm in her voice.
Zara approached, gripping her axes. "What's next?"
Lucius turned to them all.
"We find the ones who erased her. We find the gods who built this lie."
"And we burn it all."
---
> [New Objective: Locate the Divine Inquisition – Those Who Silenced the First Bond]
[Warning: This choice will make you a target of every major holy faction in the realm.]
[Are you sure you want to proceed?]
Lucius didn't blink.
"Yes."