The air shimmered.
One moment, Leo stood amidst the skeletal trees of the Howling Hollow. The next, he was adrift in silence—weightless, voiceless, unformed.
The system chimed, faint yet omnipresent, like a lullaby echoing from the edges of thought.
> "Memory Realm Detected: The Veiled Cradle."
"Emotional Echo: Vulnerability."
"Resonance upon Completion: +22%."
"Warning: Deepest echoes may stir dormant pain. Proceed only if your core remains unfractured."
Leo's fingers twitched. He inhaled, but the breath caught. No scent, no taste, no light—only the sensation of falling inward.
Then… warmth.
The scene coalesced like fog retreating from the morning sun. He was inside a small cabin, its walls made of smoothed timber, its floor blanketed in woven reed mats. A crib stood nearby—crafted with loving detail. A lullaby hummed from somewhere he couldn't see, drawing him toward the cradle.
He approached.
Inside, a child slept. Golden eyes, barely open, blinked up at him.
His breath hitched. That's… me.
---
> "System Anomaly Detected."
"This Echo traces pre-awakening identity. Access may destabilize emotional bindings."
The system's warning rang hollow. Leo couldn't look away.
A figure entered the room. A woman, tall and calm, with a cascade of starlight silver hair. Her face was veiled—not by cloth, but by memory itself. Every time he focused, it shifted, unformed.
Yet… the affection in her voice was unmistakable.
"You were born under the Hollow Sky," she whispered to the infant. "But you will rise beneath your own sun."
Leo reached out—but his hand passed through her like mist.
"I remember this," he whispered. "I never knew why, but I've seen this dream. Every night before my awakening in Nimrune."
A sudden lurch rippled through the room. The walls trembled. The light dimmed.
> "Vulnerability Threshold Reached. System permission temporarily lifted."
"Fragment Unlocked: Cradle of Stars – Sigil Memory."
The system surged. Leo's chest burned with clarity.
> "You have unlocked a Hidden Fragment."
'Cradle of Stars' – Passive Memory Sigil
Rank: A (Scaling)
Effect: When struck below 25% HP, instantly trigger a shield of starlight equal to 40% Max HP. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Bonus: Resonant Echoes charge 10% faster while under 50% HP.
Note: Origin fragments reveal parts of your forgotten self.
The image blurred. The veil over the woman's face began to fracture. But before it could fall—
Darkness crashed through the wall.
A Veil-Walker, its form writhing in sorrowful whispers, plunged through the memory. Leo staggered backward, instincts surging.
"No! Not here!"
The system flashed:
> "Corruption Intrusion Detected. Protect the Echo."
"Memory Combat Protocol: Engaged."
Leo's weapons manifested from thin air—Verdant Fang in one hand, Soul Chain pulsing from the other. The child wailed. The lullaby twisted into a scream.
The Veil-Walker lunged.
Leo moved on instinct. Shadow Step—now enhanced—blinked him forward. He struck clean across the creature's throat, then wove the Soul Chain around its core.
> 'Soul Chain – Bind' Activated.
Target's resonance destabilized.
The creature shrieked, unraveling like torn paper caught in a vortex. Leo turned to shield the child.
A moment later, calm returned.
The woman knelt beside the cradle. Her veil lifted slightly, revealing a smile.
"Even now," she said softly, "you protect what you do not understand."
> "Memory Realm Complete."
"Echo Absorbed: Vulnerability."
"Soul Resonance Increased: +22%"
"Current Soul Resonance: 100%"
> "Final Echo Unlocked: The Anchor."
---
The light dimmed again. But this time, it was Leo who was the beacon.
Power pulsed beneath his skin. Every step, every breath—felt grounded.
The final trial awaited.
> "New Trait Unlocked: Soulbound Resilience."
Effect: Resonance no longer deteriorates under mental duress. Anchor protocols active.
As the veil around the cradle faded, Leo whispered, "I know now... why I couldn't trust. But maybe—just maybe—there's something worth trusting in me."