The tower shook as Reid pressed his palm against the massive door. The runes flared with blinding light, chains grinding and twisting as if resisting him. Each pulse of energy sent a jolt through his arm, making the blue flames in his veins flare brighter. The whispers became screams—pleading, commanding, threatening.
Kaela braced herself, spear ready. "Reid! It's reacting to you—pull back!"
He didn't move. "No. This is what we came for."
The Bond's voice hissed, panicked. "Host, listen to me. If you open this, you open more than the seal. You open yourself to them."
Reid's grip on Veil Rend tightened. "Then I'll make sure they fear what they find."
Lira's tone was sharp, uncharacteristically serious. "You sure you can handle whatever's behind that door?"
Reid glanced back, a faint grin on his face despite the tension. "Guess we'll find out."
Mara drew an arrow and aimed at the chains. "If this goes bad, I'll do what needs to be done."
The Bond growled. "None of you could stop what's coming."
Reid drove his blade into the glowing chains. Veil Rend absorbed the energy, pulsing with both shadow and relic fire. The runes screamed, fracturing like glass. Every strike tore through layers of magic older than the council itself. The air filled with blinding light and the metallic scent of burning mana.
The door groaned open, chains snapping one by one. With each break, a wave of force swept across the tower, knocking the Red Fang back. The final chain shattered with an ear-splitting crack, and the door slowly opened to reveal a void of swirling blue light.
Kaela steadied herself, eyes wide. "What is that?"
The Bond's voice was low, almost reverent. "The heart. The prison of something that should never breathe free again."
Reid stepped forward, the void's pull wrapping around him like a current. "Then let's see what they locked away."
Crossing the threshold felt like stepping into another world. The ground was a shifting surface of light and shadow, and the air hummed with raw power. Chains floated freely in the void, forming bridges that led deeper into the prison. Each one pulsed under Reid's feet, whispering secrets with every step.
The Red Fang followed cautiously. Lira muttered under her breath, "I hate this place."
Mara scanned the floating chains, her voice tense. "The magic here isn't just strong—it's alive. It's watching us."
Kaela stayed close to Reid, her grip white-knuckled on her spear. "Whatever's at the center, it's not going to welcome us."
The Bond's tone wavered. "Do not let it speak to you, host. If it does, you will not resist."
Reid said nothing, eyes fixed on the glowing core ahead. A massive form hung suspended in chains—an ancient being of shadow and flame, its body sealed in layers of glowing runes. Its eyes were closed, but even in slumber it radiated power.
The whispers became one voice, deep and resonant. "Release me."
Kaela stiffened. "Did you hear that?"
Reid's heart pounded. "Yeah. I heard it."
The chains holding the being trembled as if sensing Reid's presence. The shards of relic energy inside him responded, glowing brighter with every step. The voice spoke again, softer this time. "You are not like them. You carry our flame. Free me, and I will make you whole."
The Bond snarled with a ferocity Reid had never heard. "Do not listen! That thing is death incarnate. It will devour everything—starting with you."
Lira's voice was tight. "Reid, whatever this is, don't just—"
The being's eyes opened, glowing like twin suns. Chains rattled violently as the void shuddered. The voice thundered in Reid's head. "Break the chains. Set me free."
System prompt:
[Main Objective: Decide the Fate of the Sealed Heart]
[Optional Objective: Resist the Ancient Voice]
Reid stood at the edge of the final chain bridge, Veil Rend blazing in his hand, torn between the Bond's fury and the ancient being's call.
The being's chains rattled with each word, the void quaking under its power. Flames of shadow leaked between the seals, curling like smoke around its form. Despite the oppressive presence, there was something almost pleading in its voice. "Free me, and I will give you strength beyond this prison. No council, no god, no chain will ever hold you again."
Kaela stepped forward, her voice shaking. "Reid, don't listen. Whatever that thing is, it's lying."
Lira gritted her teeth, her usual grin gone. "I don't like the way it's looking at you."
Mara drew an arrow but kept it lowered. "It's offering something. That's never free."
The Bond roared in Reid's mind, almost drowning out the ancient voice. "Host, destroy it! Burn it out of existence before it speaks again!"
The ancient being's tone softened, coaxing. "The parasite fears me because I am truth. You are not its vessel—you are mine. Break my chains, and I will make you whole."
Reid's head pounded as conflicting voices tore through him. Visions flooded his mind: himself standing above a city in flames, unbound by fear or weakness; himself swallowed by darkness, losing everything human. He staggered, gripping Veil Rend to stay grounded.
Kaela grabbed his arm. "Reid, look at me. You're stronger than whatever this thing is."
The Bond hissed. "She's right. You need no one but me."
The being's laughter rumbled through the void. "You will die with that parasite. Choose me, and live as a god."
The chains surged, releasing tendrils of blue fire that lashed out, wrapping around Reid's arms. Pain seared through him, visions crashing harder: endless power, endless ruin. The being's voice filled the void. "Accept me. Claim what you deserve."
Reid's breath came in ragged gasps. The shard in his chest burned, the Bond screaming over the chaos. "Resist! You are mine, host!"
Through the storm of voices, Kaela's words cut through like a spear. "Reid! Don't let it choose for you. You decide what you are."
The flames around him dimmed slightly. He raised his blade, energy crackling around it, torn between two fates.
The being leaned forward, its massive eyes locking onto him. "Break the chains, and I will walk beside you. Refuse, and I will tear this prison apart with or without you."
The Bond growled, seething with fury. "Strike now! End it while it is bound!"
System prompt:
[Critical Choice: Break the Chains or Strike the Heart]
[Warning: Both paths carry irreversible consequences]
Reid stood trembling at the edge of the glowing core, every nerve aflame. Behind him, Kaela, Lira, and Mara waited with weapons ready, fear etched on their faces. The void held its breath.
With a roar, Reid made his choice.
The void trembled as Reid moved, Veil Rend blazing with the combined energy of shard corruption and relic fire. The ancient being's eyes widened, anticipation flickering like a storm. Whether he chose to free it or strike it down, the chains knew and responded violently—tightening and lashing around him.
Kaela shouted over the chaos. "Reid! Whatever you're doing, finish it!"
Lira cut through the attacking chains, her voice fierce. "We've got you! Just don't die up there!"
Mara loosed arrows into glowing weak points, each hit disrupting the chain's grip. "Do it now!"
Reid roared, forcing the energy through his body and into Veil Rend. The blade erupted with a mixture of darkness and blinding blue fire, a storm barely contained. The Bond's voice screamed, half rage, half desperation. "Host, control it! CONTROL IT!"
The ancient voice boomed, exultant. "Yes! Break them! Set me free and claim what is yours!"
Reid brought the blade down, severing the first massive chain. Energy exploded outward, rattling the entire prison. The being howled, the void fracturing with each strike. Whether he was freeing or destroying it, every chain shattered in a blinding storm.
As the last chain broke, the being surged forward, its essence pouring into the void. Its form split into waves of shadow and fire, merging with the collapsing space. Reid felt the energy rush into him, burning and freezing at once. The shard screamed with power, its corruption swirling violently.
The Bond roared in fury, then pain. "You fool! You've changed everything!"
Kaela, Lira, and Mara shielded their eyes from the light as the tower cracked apart, the echoes of chains breaking ringing like thunder. For a heartbeat, the void was silent—then the energy condensed around Reid, forging a new link between him and the ancient power.
System prompt:
[Major Evolution Achieved – Relic Integration Complete]
[Warning: Unknown Entity Connection Established]
When the light faded, Reid stood at the center of the collapsing prison, the blue flames on his veins now swirling with traces of red and black. His aura burned brighter, but something about him felt… distant.
Kaela rushed to his side, eyes wide. "Reid… what did you do?"
He looked back at her, expression unreadable, voice steady. "I survived."
The Bond whispered faintly, weaker than before. "You think you've won. You've only opened another cage."
The ancient voice echoed faintly in his mind, not gone, not whole. "We are not finished."
The prison collapsed entirely, spitting the Red Fang back into the tower's top chamber. The walls shook, chains falling lifeless. Outside, the city screamed as the energy surge spread like wildfire.
Reid tightened his grip on Veil Rend. "It's done. Whatever comes next… we face it."
Kaela's jaw set. "Then we stand with you."
Lira smirked through the exhaustion. "Hope the next thing's just as fun."
Mara scanned the horizon where the council's stronghold lay. "It won't be long before they come."
Reid stepped toward the edge, staring into the distance. "Let them. We're ready."