The Eastern Temple – Forbidden Sanctum
In a cold underground shrine beneath the Eastern Temple, Evelyne Greymoor stood before an altar of obsidian and bone.
She held the Memory Talisman in her hands—etched with runes older than Aerthrial itself.
A hooded priest whispered beside her.
"Are you sure, Lady Greymoor? This spell may fracture the soul."
Evelyne's emerald eyes gleamed.
"I'm counting on it."
The Shattering Spell
The talisman wasn't designed to kill.It was designed to sever connections.
Love. Loyalty. Memory.
When activated, it would target the Crimson-Gold Bond directly, cutting across time and lifetimes.
Evelyne whispered the incantation.
The talisman pulsed once, then cracked softly in her hands.
The spell was cast.
At the Aurelian Estate
Lucien jolted awake, his chest tightening.
The bond between him and Selene throbbed violently—like a harp string about to snap.
His vision blurred.
For a moment, he couldn't remember her face.
"Selene…"
At the Valeburne Estate
Selene clutched her temples in agony, crimson eyes wide with panic.
Her heart stuttered.
What's happening?
Why can't I remember his voice?
A Shadowed Memory
For a terrifying instant, both of them stood in darkness, no longer sure if the other existed.
Was he real? Was she?
Their past lives—those fragments of love, war, death—began to unravel, torn apart by Evelyne's spell.
Lucien Fights Back
Lucien dropped to his knees, sweat trailing down his jaw.
"No."
His golden aura flared, raw and unstable.
"I won't forget her."
His soul fought the spell, his will cutting against the talisman's curse.
Selene's Defiance
Selene's crimson mana surged in answer.
Her soul cracked under the weight of the shattering—but she refused to let go.
I'd rather break than forget you.
A Flicker of Connection
Through the chaos, a single thought passed between them.
A whisper in the dark.
"Lucien.""Selene."
That was all.But it was enough.
Back in the Eastern Temple
Evelyne stumbled backward, blood dripping from her lips.
"What—?"
The talisman shattered completely.
Her spell hadn't succeeded.
But it had fractured the bond.
The Aftermath
Lucien collapsed beside his bed, breath shallow.
Selene fainted in her chambers, Lira screaming for healers.
The connection between them was still there—but fragile now.Fractured. Scarred.
A Dangerous Shift
From this moment on, the Crimson-Gold Cycle had changed.
Love alone would not be enough.
If they wanted to survive this life, they would have to fight for every memory, every feeling, every shared glance.
And the next time someone tried to break them—
They might succeed.