The campfire cracked under a cold wind.
No one spoke.
Not because there was nothing to say—but because Lucius had drawn the blade.
The Blade of the Last Name.The weapon given by Salavine. The blade wrapped in crimson cloth—bound to the memory of the girl whose name Lucius still couldn't recall.
He unsheathed it slowly.
And the moment the steel hit air—
The world paused.
Claire gasped.
Lilith clutched her chest.
Velda stepped back, whispering, "That's… a memory seal."
Zara drew her axe on instinct. "Who's attacking?"
No one.
Not yet.
Because the blade wasn't attacking.
It was speaking.
Not out loud.
But into Lucius's soul.
A voice. Soft. Familiar.
"If you're reading this… then I'm already gone."
Lucius staggered.
The others stood frozen, watching him like the world might fall if he did.
"You were never meant to carry it all alone, Sovarion. That was never the point."
"You tried to fix a world that punished kindness. You tried to be light in a place that didn't want saving."
"But I still believed in you. Even when they told me not to."
Lucius gripped the blade harder.
His knuckles turned white. His throat tightened.
And still the voice continued.
"You're probably angry. Or numb. Or pretending again."
"But if this letter reached you, then you lived."
"And that's enough."
Tears stung Claire's eyes.
Velda couldn't look directly at him.
Lilith had her arms wrapped tight around herself.
Zara just said, "Don't fall, Lucius. Not now."
The final line came like a wound.
"You don't have to carry me anymore. But if you do… let it be as someone who loved you, not who broke you."
"—Signed, the girl who never stopped waiting."
[Memory Resonance Achieved: 24%]Trait Unlocked: Name Unsealed – (Fragment 1 of 3)You now remember what she called herself when only you were listening.Passive Gained: +15% resistance to emotional suppression abilities.New Skill Awakened: Letter of Flame – Once per battle, summon a memory of her voice to shield an ally from death.
Lucius dropped to his knees.
He didn't cry.
But the silence he let settle around him said enough.
The others sat down beside him.
One by one.
No words.
No pity.
Just presence.
Because the only thing stronger than the gods?
Was the soul of a man who remembered the one person who never let him die alone.