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The Capital's Glittering Lie
Above, the royal capital gleamed like a jewel. Festivals filled the streets. Children laughed, nobles paraded, and the Hero clone stood tall on the balcony of the palace, cheered by thousands.
But beneath the gold… were chains.
Far below the throne room, hidden from every citizen's eye, was a forgotten dungeon. Old magic, cursed stones, and blood-soaked walls. A place where truth had been buried.
And tonight… it stirred.
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The Third Soul's Origin
She was suspended in the center of the dungeon—no longer a body, but a memory made flesh. Bound in magical chains, her eyes closed.
> "How long… have I been dreaming?" she murmured.
The chains trembled. Her fingers twitched.
Her memories flooded back—burning temples, the cries of a god she struck down, the night the Rebirth Protocol sealed her away.
They'd feared her power.
So they split her into fragments.
> One fragment to lead the light.
One to become the darkness.
One to be forgotten.
And now, the forgotten… remembered.
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A Forbidden Visit
A girl in a red cloak descended into the dungeon, carrying only a lantern and a dagger. She wasn't royal. She wasn't divine.
She was curious.
> "They said you were a myth," she whispered to the chained being.
> "They lied," the Third soul said softly, opening her eyes.
Her eyes were not human.
They shimmered with shifting stars.
> "Why did they lock you here?" the girl asked.
> "Because they couldn't kill me," the soul replied. "And they feared what I would become."
The chains began to crack.
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The Warning
In the Sanctuary, Serian fell to his knees.
Blood dripped from his nose.
His heart pounded.
He saw flashes—chains, stars, a voice laughing in the dark.
> "She's waking," he gasped. "The Third… she's not just a soul. She's older than the gods."
Lira caught him before he collapsed.
> "Should I be worried?"
> "Yes," he said. "Because she remembers everything."
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Meanwhile: The Hero Clone's Nightmare
That night, the Hero clone dreamed.
A child stared at him from a cage of light.
> "You're not me," the child said.
> "What are you?"
> "The part you left behind."
The Hero woke in sweat, gripping his blade.
> "What… am I becoming?"
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