The Nullstream Spire opened like a cracked egg, revealing a cathedral made entirely of mirrored data. The floor shimmered like still water but distorted everything above it. Soren's reflection didn't mimic his movements—it stared back independently, breathing, watching.
WARNING: Reflection Anomaly Detected.
Initiating Custodian #2 Encounter…
⸻
Boss Fight – CUSTODIAN OF MEMORY #2: VITRAEL, THE ECHO KING
He emerged from a throne of broken UIs and achievement icons—Vitrael, crowned with spinning halos of corrupted XP, his body stitched from the remains of forgotten players and unsaved quests. His eyes burned with system authority.
"Who gave you permission to rewrite memory?" he asked, voice split across channels.
Soren raised his dagger. "I'm not asking permission."
—
PHASE 1 – The Crown Remembers
Mechanics:
Authority Stomp: Causes achievement badges to rain from above. Standing on incorrect badge = instant death.
Mirror Link: Soren's reflection attacks in real-time; they share damage.
Cast: Memory Audit: Deletes one of Soren's equipped abilities for 60 seconds.
Soren dodged left, then right—his reflection dodged opposite. He flipped midair, slamming down with his Abysslight dash, slicing into both Vitrael and his mirror at once.
Reflection HP: 47%
Vitrael HP: 89%
"Let's turn the bugs into features," he muttered.
—
PHASE 2 – Reboot the Throne
At 50%, the Echo King activated System Reboot:
The cathedral reversed itself. Walls became ceilings. Reflections became solid. Soren now fought inside his mirror.
"You now fight in your own past."
Inside the mirrored world, time ran backward.
All cooldowns reversed.
Damage healed Vitrael instead.
Every jump or dodge became rewinded error loops.
"Son of a—"
Soren adapted by walking against his instincts. He let himself fall off platforms to leap higher. He let himself be hit to delay healing. It wasn't about attacking—it was about learning from the loop.
He smirked through bloodied teeth.
"You're not the king. You're the log file no one checks."
—
PHASE 3 – Glassworld Collapse
The throne exploded. Mirrors shattered into the sky, reflecting infinite versions of Vitrael and Soren. Now there were dozens of echo-clones, each copying the other in staggered delay.
"What memory is real now, Diver?"
Mechanics:
Must tether correct Vitrael by pattern recognition.
Every wrong attack strengthens the true boss.
Only correct strikes deal permanent damage.
Soren closed his eyes.
He reached for the tether.
Tether Pulse Activated.
True Vitrael Identified.
He lunged. Final strike.
The mirror imploded—shards spiraling into code dust.
CUSTODIAN #2 DEFEATED
Tether Stability: 1%
Memory Altered: You forget what your own voice sounds like.
Soren fell to one knee again, trembling.
"I'm almost out of pieces…"
But the spire didn't let up.
A golden gate opened at the peak of the cathedral.
Custodian #3 Awaits.
And above it… the tether flared violently.
From that point on, there would be no returning.