The courtyard shook like the earth itself was afraid.Three Fractureborn creatures tore across the stones—their bodies cracked like shattered glass,their movements sharp and unnatural,their hollow eyes locked on one target:Rick.He stood at the center of the courtyard, blade drawn, breath steady, but inside—Inside he felt the same thing the Veil felt:pressure.A weight pressing on him from all sides.A pull like invisible hands trying to drag him somewhere he wasn’t ready to go.But he ignored it.He had no choice.The first creature lunged with a screech that split the air.Rick dodged low, the creature’s claws slicing a stone pillar behind him clean in half.Lira fired an arrow that exploded on impact, scattering shards of dark matter—but the creature reformed instantly.Kai cursed.“Great. They regenerate. We’re gonna die stylishly.”Rick didn’t even respond.His focus sharpened.If the creatures reformed…Then maybe the trick wasn’t killing the body.Maybe it was breaking th

The chamber shook again.Dust rained from the ceiling as the Echo-Lord’s presence pushed harder against the Veil, forcing cracks through the air like broken glass. Rick felt the pressure dig into his skull—sharp, cold, and familiar.Lira grabbed his arm.“Rick! Stay with me!”But Rick wasn’t slipping away.This time… he was being pulled.A whisper rippled across the chamber, soft but heavy enough to silence everything.“Rick…”He froze.That voice wasn’t the Echo-Lord’s.It wasn’t cruel.It wasn’t demanding.It sounded… sad.Kai stepped forward, blades drawn. “What do you hear?”Rick swallowed. “Someone’s calling me.”Kai stiffened.“Is it him?”Rick shook his head slowly. “No. This feels different.”The air darkened. The runes on the floor flickered, reacting to something unseen. A cold wind circled Rick’s feet, twisting upward like a hand trying to reach him.Lira’s voice dropped.“Rick… that’s not normal magic.”“No,” he whispered.“It feels like… memory.”A sudden flash hit him—A

The moment the torches died, the tunnel swallowed them whole.A darkness so thick it felt alive pressed against their skin.Lira whispered, “Rick, stay close.”Kai clicked a rune-stick, and a faint blue glow lit his face. “Whatever that was… it wasn’t an illusion.”Rick nodded slowly. His heartbeat felt heavier, slower—like something inside him was waking up.Lira touched his arm.“Rick. Look at me.”He did.“You’re still you,” she said firmly. “Don’t let her words shake you.”But they did.They shook him to his bones.I gave you life.Your maker blocks me.Those words wouldn’t leave his mind.Kai started moving forward, holding the glowing rune-stick high.“We need to leave this place. Now. The Echo-Lord will try again.”Rick followed, but his thoughts spun.“What if she’s telling the truth?” he asked quietly.Kai didn’t turn around. “About which part?”“That I wasn’t… born.”Lira’s step faltered for a second. She recovered quickly.“Rick, she might be twisting the truth. Spirits do

The mansion was unusually quiet that night—too quiet. Rick felt it the moment he stepped through the hallway. A tension in the air. A hum beneath the silence. As if the house itself was holding its breath.Evelyn noticed it too.“What’s wrong?” she asked, her hand slipping into his.Rick didn’t answer immediately. He scanned the shadows, his instincts tightening. “Someone was here,” he murmured. “Recently.”Before Evelyn could respond, Collins Lutherchris appeared from the far end of the corridor, his expression grave, jaw clenched hard enough to crack stone.“You sensed it too,” Collins said. “Good. That means we’re not dealing with someone ordinary.”Rick nodded. “What did they take?”Collins’s silence was the answer.Evelyn stepped forward. “Collins… what’s missing?”He inhaled, sharp and pained. “The Veil Fragment.”Evelyn’s heart dropped. Rick’s eyes narrowed.“That fragment controls the boundary between the hidden realm and our world,” Rick said slowly. “If it falls into the wro

The chamber erupted into chaos.Shadows streaked across the floor like living storms, forming monstrous shapes—creatures with elongated limbs, empty eyes, and mouths that opened too wide to be human. They charged with a fury that sent shockwaves through the ancient hall.Rick braced himself as his Sigil blazed to life, a swirling aura of white-gold light enveloping him. The force of it pushed back the closest shadow beasts.Evelyn stood behind him, trembling but determined. “Rick—don’t let too many get close! The shadows can drain your strength!”Rick shouted back, “I know!”Collins Lutherchris burst forward, his spectral blade igniting in a surge of blue fire. He swung through three creatures at once, the blade slicing through shadow like wind through smoke. But each creature split into two smaller ones, screeching.“Tch—annoying pests!” he growled.Morian watched calmly from across the chamber, his violet eyes glowing brighter as he raised both arms.The Tri-Bound Seal behind him pu