The underground shrine thrummed with residual heat, remnants of Rei's battle with the Ashbound emissary. The air still shimmered faintly, as if the confrontation had scorched the very fabric of space. Flames danced along the edges of the Spirit Circle engraved into the floor, whispering secrets in forgotten tongues.
Eirenne watched from the threshold, arms crossed, her usual chaotic energy subdued. The faint flicker of unease in her eyes betrayed what her posture tried to hide. She had fought gods and spirits alike, yet what she had seen in Rei's most recent release unnerved her.
Noira stood beside her, quiet as always, the obsidian of her eyes reflecting the molten glow.
"He didn't hold back this time," Eirenne said finally, voice hushed.
Noira nodded. "He couldn't."
From within the chamber, Rei emerged—his steps slow, deliberate. Sweat clung to his skin, mixing with soot and ash. His eyes burned not with rage, but with absolute focus, like a blade honed beyond perfection.
"Is it done?" Noira asked.
Rei gave a curt nod. "The spirit fragment has submitted. But it wasn't alone. There was something hidden within it… something ancient. It spoke of a trial."
Eirenne frowned. "Another trap?"
"More like a choice," Rei replied. "A path only I can take. It's tied to the Council—the real one, not their pawns."
Mireille entered silently, bearing her ever-constant tray, this time with a crimson vial instead of tea.
"I figured you'd need this," she said, offering it.
Rei took it gratefully and drank. As the potion burned down his throat, strength returned to his limbs. The pain receded, but the weight of his choices remained.
"There's a gate beneath the eastern ruins," he continued. "Locked behind a seal. It's where the next Spirit is calling from."
Noira narrowed her gaze. "The original spirits… or another of your own design?"
Rei looked past them, toward the mountain wall. "Neither. This one predates even the First Spirit. It's older than the factions, older than the realms."
---
Later, under cover of night, the group descended into the forgotten catacombs. Mireille led with a lantern imbued with celestial flame, casting shifting shadows on the moss-stained walls. The air grew colder as they traveled deeper, but the silence was not empty. Whispers brushed their ears—unintelligible, yet filled with longing.
At last, they stood before a massive door. Symbols of flame, void, and time spiraled across its surface. It pulsed with heartbeat-like rhythm.
> [System Interface: Obsidian Gate — Sealed. Access Requires Key of Remembrance.]
Rei stepped forward and pressed his palm to the door. The fragment he had recently claimed blazed to life on his back, reacting.
> [Key of Remembrance — Synchronized. Seal Disengaging...]
The door shuddered open.
A world of starlight awaited them inside. A floating space, endless and disjointed. In the center hovered a crystal—shaped like a heart, glowing with pure Spirit essence. But it wasn't alone.
A woman stood beside it.
She had long silver hair that flowed like liquid mercury, skin like moonstone, and eyes that shimmered with galaxies. Her presence made Noira tense, Eirenne flare with chaos, and Mireille raise a warding hand.
"Who are you?" Rei asked, his tone calm.
"I am Solienne," she replied. "The Spirit of Memory, and the first of the True Flame."
Rei narrowed his eyes. "You've been waiting."
She nodded. "Since before you were born. Since before your first death. You are the only one who can bear the Core of Recollection."
"What happens if I do?"
"You remember everything. Every life. Every death. Every choice not taken. And with it… you'll forge a new reality, or destroy this one."
Noira stepped forward. "He doesn't need your manipulation."
Solienne turned her gaze toward her, and for a moment, even the obsidian flame flickered. "He has always been free. But now, his freedom is dangerous."
Rei raised his hand. The Spirit Circle surged beneath him. The Core responded.
> [Synchronization: Initiating… Warning — Mental Overload Risk: High.]
He breathed in.
"If I can see all paths… I can choose better ones."
Solienne smiled, wistful and sad. "Then choose. But remember, Kazenari Rei… the past does not forgive. It only remembers."
As Rei reached for the Core, memories surged—not just his, but those of every Spirit, every wielder, every casualty of power misused. Names. Faces. Betrayals. Forgiveness. Love.
And one voice above all:
"Even if you forget me in the next life, I'll wait."
Rei's eyes snapped open.
He held the Core of Recollection in his hand.
---
Back in the sanctuary, silence fell over the group.
Rei stood alone again at the peak, Core glowing faintly in his chest.
Mireille joined him. "You remember now?"
He nodded. "Too much."
"Will you let it consume you?"
He gave a small, tired smile. "No. I'll let it guide me. Not control me."
Far below, in the valley of eternal sakura, a new spirit stirred in the wind. The Council would come. The Factions would awaken. But Rei—Rei would be ready.
Because now, he remembered who he chose to be.