Part 23: "Dream of the Founder: Truth in the Burned City"
— Even ruins remember. Even flames dream. But not all memories want to be found —
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[Scene 1 – The Journey to Ashclad, the Burned City]
Location: Southern Wastes – 7 Days Later
The wind howled.
Ash fell like snow.
Arshan, Ilira, Zyana, and a scout team stood before the charred skyline of Ashclad — once a shining city of magic… now a cratered graveyard.
> Ilira (narrowing her eyes):
"This place… it resists my vision.
It's as if the past refuses to be seen."
> Zyana (serious):
"A forbidden crest was tested here — one that turned entire timelines into fuel.
Project Emberfall."
> Arshan:
"Then we go in.
If the Third Crest is here — we find it."
They stepped into the city.
Each footstep awakened burned whispers beneath the stone.
> Whisper (faint):
"He wasn't just a Founder…
He was the first traitor."
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[Scene 2 – Zyana's Dream: The Last Memory of the Founder]
That night, Zyana stood outside the camp tent.
Then — everything blurred.
She blinked — and found herself in a throne room of molten glass, centuries ago.
On the throne: a man with a fire-shaped crown and glowing eyes.
The Founder.
But not as a leader.
As a prisoner — collapsing under the weight of Drift corruption.
> Founder (coughing):
"They lied… even I couldn't stop it."
He reached toward Zyana — or the memory of her.
> Founder:
"If anyone finds this… tell them…
Project Emberfall was never meant to save the world.
It was made to burn it slowly.
And inside its core… is my final regret."
The dream shattered.
Zyana woke — hands trembling.
> Zyana (quietly):
"I saw his death.
But his soul… never left Emberfall."
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[Scene 3 – The Underground Vault]
Beneath Ashclad's ruins, the team found a sealed vault.
Its gate was made of soul-locked stone — only opening to a bearer of the Founder's bloodline.
Zyana touched it.
The gate hissed — and opened.
Inside: an orb of slow-burning white fire, floating above a shattered throne.
> Ilira (reading the runes):
"This… is the Third Crest: the Flame of Undoing."
Suddenly — the fire trembled.
A voice echoed from inside:
> Unknown Voice:
"You were never meant to reach me.
Your fire is stolen. Your system — hacked.
I am the true Flamebearer… and I remember what you erased."
A figure stepped out of the orb.
Draped in smoke.
Eyes made of glitched stars.
> Arshan (stepping forward):
"Who are you?"
> Unknown Figure (smirking):
"The last Echo of the Founder.
Your power comes from me — and I want it back."
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[Scene 4 – The Battle of Flame and Echo]
The figure struck — no delay.
His weapon: a curved blade wrapped in memory runes — every swing rewrote time briefly.
Zyana activated her Chrono Barrier — but it cracked instantly.
> Ilira:
"He's not fighting in the present.
He's rewriting us as he attacks!"
> Arshan:
"Then I'll burn the memory — before he writes it."
He unleashed Temporal Slash – Level 2.
His blade flickered in three timelines at once.
The Echo staggered — but laughed.
> Echo:
"This is only my shadow.
I am still bound within the Fourth Crest… and you just woke me up."
He vanished — leaving behind a burn mark on the wall:
> "EMBERFALL LIVES."
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[Scene 5 – The Emberfall Revelation]
As the vault settled, Zyana approached the now-dormant Crest.
> Zyana (processing data):
"Project Emberfall wasn't a defense.
It was a failsafe — a flame so strong, it could delete every Drift user in existence.
But to activate it… someone has to sacrifice a soul bonded to all three crests."
> Arshan:
"And I already carry two."
> Ilira:
"Who carries the third?"
Zyana turned slowly.
> Zyana:
"I do."
Silence.
Ash fell again… but heavier this time.
As if the city mourned what was coming.
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To Be Continued…
Next Part: Part 24 – "The Echo's Return and the Fourth Crest's Curse"
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Coming Next:
The Echo of the Founder will attack Velmora directly with Drift-forged hunters.
The Fourth Crest will be revealed — hidden deep in a forgotten island surrounded by frozen time.
Ilira's bond with the future will begin to unravel.
Zyana will begin to question if she was ever truly a system… or something far older.