Silence gripped the chamber.
Not the natural quiet of hesitation or uncertainty, but the kind that descended when something irrevocable had happened—when a threshold had been crossed and could never be uncrossed.
The Codex Shrine behind Kieran Vale still pulsed, but its tone had changed. The red light, once wild and unstable, now beat in harmony with his presence. Each glow matched the rhythm of his heart.
The council remained seated, but the atmosphere had shifted.
Caden Voss broke the silence first.
"Well," he said, leaning back with a long breath, "I believe the term is... unprecedented."
Riven stood to Kieran's side, eyes darting from the Shrine to the others in the room. She didn't draw her weapon, but her hand rested near it. Just in case.
Lyra Quinn narrowed her eyes. "The node was sealed. Myra, you said only a Tier II stabilizer could purify that level of corruption."
Myra Lorne's face was unreadable, but something flickered behind her expression—curiosity, and perhaps unease. "It seems the Codex has changed its requirements."
Mira Kael, the combat commander, leaned forward, her knuckles white on the armrest of her chair. "Or it's bending the rules for him."
Roth Darnell, ever the diplomat, finally spoke with a weary sigh. "Whatever the reason, the node is stable again. The mana flow has normalized. For now, that's what matters."
"It's not just a node," Kieran said.
All eyes turned to him.
"It was a lock. On a fragment."
"Your path?" Myra asked quietly.
He nodded. "Three out of seven."
Mira's eyes glinted. "And how many more of these... locks do you plan to break?"
"As many as it takes."
Lyra tapped her finger against the table. "You realize what this means, don't you?"
Caden answered for her. "He's Unchained. The Codex won't treat him like the rest of us anymore."
[Codex Title: Unchained]– Effects:• Immune to Codex-user detection via passive scanning.• Codex nodes may react aggressively or unpredictably to presence.• Certain higher-tier entities may now perceive the user.
[Codex Influence Score: Elevated – Regional Broadcast Pending]
Kieran felt the pulse of that truth in his bones.
He wasn't just different anymore.
He was marked.
"You should leave Sanctuary," Myra said.
The room tensed.
Riven stepped forward, voice sharp. "He saved your damn node. You're really going to throw him out?"
"This place was built on balance," Myra replied. "That balance has been disrupted. If Kieran stays, it's only a matter of time before the Codex reacts—maybe even pulls another Gate into the heart of the compound."
"She's not wrong," Roth said reluctantly. "We've never hosted someone carrying three fragments before. Especially not on the Ascendant path."
"Then help me," Kieran said. "Instead of pushing me out, work with me. The Codex is trying to guide us. That Shrine? That was just one stop."
"You misunderstand," Myra said, standing now. "The Codex doesn't guide. It selects. It sacrifices."
A pause.
"And you've just volunteered to be the blade."
By nightfall, Sanctuary had changed.
Word spread fast. The term Unchained passed from tent to tent, whispered in fear and reverence. Some avoided Kieran entirely. Others approached him in awe. A few just watched, unsure if they were looking at a future leader—or a future disaster.
Riven kept close, silent and alert. Her trust in him hadn't wavered—but she saw what others saw now.
He was becoming something not fully human.
Kieran stood at the eastern edge of the camp, staring out past the perimeter where forest and mountain merged in shadow. The night was clear, the stars visible. But the moon—the broken one—had grown larger.
Or maybe it was just closer.
[Codex Ping – Incoming User Presence Detected]
He turned before the footsteps reached him.
Selene stood at the treeline.
Her long crimson cloak fluttered behind her, not in the wind, but in rhythm with her own quiet aura of power. Her golden eyes shimmered faintly, sharper than usual.
"You purged the Shrine," she said, walking forward.
Kieran nodded. "You knew it held a fragment."
"Of course. I watched it form."
"You could've warned me."
Selene tilted her head. "And would you have believed me then? Or would you have feared the price?"
"I still fear it."
"Good," she said. "Fear is a sign you haven't lost yourself."
Riven crossed her arms from nearby. "She's not staying, right?"
Selene gave her a glance, eyes cool but not hostile. "Not unless invited."
"Not."
Kieran raised a hand. "It's fine."
He stepped away from the edge, drawing Selene out of Riven's space.
"What happens now?" he asked.
"You leave," Selene said.
He frowned. "That's it?"
She nodded. "The Codex is shifting. Other Unchained will appear soon—rivals, or allies. Maybe both. But the moment you touched the Shrine, you stopped being a wanderer. You became a signal."
"To what?"
"To the rest of the Blood Codex," she said. "And it has been waiting for you."
They left Sanctuary at dawn.
No one stopped them.
Roth met them at the gates, offering a quiet farewell and a pack of high-density rations. Caden gave them a glance and muttered something under his breath about entropy. Mira didn't show. Lyra only watched from a distance.
Myra remained silent.
Kieran didn't look back.
He and Riven walked east, into the wilderness beyond the known zones.
Selene followed from a distance, uninvited, but present.
[Codex Fragment 4 Location: Crimson Depths – Locked]
[Estimated Requirement: Core Awakening / Class Ascension]
[Suggestion: Seek Codex Anchor – Tier II Catalyst Required]
[Codex Title Updated: Crimson Bound]– Your bloodline path now echoes beyond your world.– Prepare for incoming encounter: Contender Detected– Location: Unknown– Designation: Crimsonborn Rival – Awakening Active
Kieran read the message and felt the truth settle like stone in his gut.
Someone else had chosen the same path.
And they were coming.