The golden eye above the sky pulsed once—and the world screamed.
Thunder cracked like divine drums. The earth split open, glowing veins of molten light crawling through the ground. Trees twisted into ash, rivers boiled into steam. Every breath Lyra took burned her lungs.
[Emergency Quest: Survive Divine Judgment][Countdown: 00:59:30]
"Kael—!" she shouted over the storm.
He was already pulling her close, wings of black flame unfurling behind him. "Hold on to me!"
As they lifted off, the world below erupted into pillars of holy fire. The light wasn't warm—it was devouring. Each beam swallowed life, memory, even sound.
Lyra clung to him, trembling. "What do we do?"
Kael's jaw clenched. "Run first. Think later."
The system flickered again:
[Mission Condition: Do not die together. Shared death = permanent erasure.][Penalty: Curse Resurgence – Stronger upon failure.]
Lyra froze. They couldn't even die together.
Her voice shook. "Why does everything try to separate us?"
Kael didn't answer. His eyes were sharp—focused on a dark mountain in the distance. "The old ruins. That's where the veil between realms is weakest. If we can reach it, maybe—"
A blinding spear of light sliced past them, grazing his wing. He grunted, blood spilling midair.
Lyra screamed, grabbing him tighter. "Kael!"
He forced a smile. "Still alive. Barely counts."
Another system alert flashed:
[Warning: Divine Hostiles Approaching – Archons x3][System Advice: Evasion Recommended. Direct combat not advised at current power level.]
Three angelic figures descended through the storm—glowing armor, halos cracked like broken mirrors, eyes full of divine wrath.
The first Archon raised his blade. "Kael of the Fallen Star, by decree of the High Order, you are sentenced to eternal silence."
Kael's smirk was bitter. "Been there. Hated it."
He twisted midair, summoning his dark sword—a relic of black steel and forgotten prayers. Lightning clashed against shadow as he met their strike, the explosion throwing Lyra back.
She tumbled through the air, the wind tearing at her hair—until the system blinked crimson:
[Skill Suggestion: Activate 'Temporal Seal – 1 Use Remaining']
She hesitated. No… I'll need that later.
Instead, she extended her hands, channeling her energy. The ground below rippled, forming a glowing barrier that caught her.
Kael fought above her—flashes of black and gold tearing the sky apart. But he was slowing. The divine light was eating through his aura.
Lyra's mind raced. I need to help him… but how?
The system answered.
[New Feature: Memory Sync 12% Unlocked][Access fragment from previous life? Y/N]
She didn't think twice. "Yes!"
The world blurred—and suddenly, she was somewhere else.
A grand hall. White marble floors. Kael standing before her—but his hair was silver, his eyes calm, dressed in divine robes.
"Do not cry, Lyra," he had said in that memory. "When I fall, remember—find me again. We'll always meet, no matter how many times they curse us."
Then, she saw herself—a goddess in mourning, whispering: "Then I curse myself to love you forever."
The vision shattered.
Lyra gasped back into the present, tears streaming down her face. The system's voice was faintly trembling now—almost human:
[Memory Integration 25%][Bond Sync 34%][Title Updated: Eternal Defier]
She stood up, power radiating from her body. The Archons turned their heads toward her, startled.
Kael blinked mid-battle. "Lyra?"
She raised her hand. "You said we always meet. So let's win this time."
The runes on her arm blazed gold. The ground beneath her feet cracked open, divine and cursed energy merging in a violent surge. The storm twisted around her—divine lightning bending toward her call.
Kael's eyes widened. "You're using both powers—you'll burn out—"
"I don't care!"
She extended both arms. The system screamed warnings, but she drowned them out.
"System Command: Override Judgment!"
The countdown froze for a heartbeat. The Archons faltered mid-strike. Even the golden eye blinked once, uncertain.
Then, everything went dark.
A pulse of white energy erupted from Lyra, washing across the battlefield like an ocean. When the light faded, the Archons were gone—dissolved into dust.
Kael dropped to one knee, panting. "What did you do?"
Lyra swayed. "I… don't know. It just… listened."
He caught her before she fell. "You're insane."
She smiled weakly. "You fell for me. That's worse."
Before he could answer, the system lit up again—this time, not in red, but violet.
[New Quest Triggered: "Rewrite the Beginning"][Objective: Locate the Lost Archive – Realm of Forgotten Gods][Time Remaining: 30:00]
Kael looked up, dread in his voice. "That's where it started—the curse, the fall, everything."
Lyra's breath trembled. "Then we finish it there."
The golden eye began to crack apart, bleeding light into the sky like shattered glass. A deep, booming voice filled the heavens:
"The cycle breaks… or the world ends."
Kael wrapped his arm around her, his wings unfurling. "Then let's find out which it'll be."
They took off into the storm as the world collapsed behind them—fire, light, and ruin chasing their every heartbeat.
[Countdown: 00:29:59]