"I never feared death. I feared what would rise if I wasn't there to stop it."
— Rahul, sealed in the Book of Echoes
Scene 1: Seriel Ridge — Two Days After
Aeyra sat alone in the study, flipping through a glowing book bound in black silk and Voidflame stitching. It had appeared mysteriously on her bed.
The title: The Book of Echoes
Authored by: Unknown. But the flame around it recognized only one bloodline.
As she opened it, her fingertips glowed.
Pages shifted themselves.
Words rearranged.
And then—her eyes widened.
"Kaien…?"
The book spoke in Rahul's voice:
"If you are reading this… the future is about to bend."
"One of you… will not survive what comes."
Scene 2: Aren's Accidental Discovery
In the family tech lab — a blend of magic runes and hyper-core machinery — Aren Vordrakar hummed a tune while assembling something clearly too advanced for his age.
"Okay, if I combine Rahul's memory crystal with dimensional warp fiber, and reverse the chrono-core—"
BZZZZZZZT.
Flash. Surge. Energy burst.
Rahul's final battle appeared as a hologram.
Not the parts the world saw.
But something else:
Rahul, standing on a field of broken stars, holding a child in one arm.
Bleeding.
Smiling.
Whispering, "You're safe now."
Then the feed cut.
Aren sat back, pale.
"Who… was he protecting?"
Scene 3: Olivia and Kaien — Rooftop
Olivia leaned against Kaien's shoulder.
For a rare moment, they weren't royalty, warriors, or legends.
Just… two people watching clouds pass.
"You ever think about running away?" she asked.
Kaien didn't answer.
Then softly:
"Only if they come with us."
Olivia smiled. "So... never alone?"
Kaien shook his head.
"I watched Rahul's memory once. He said the same thing."
"What happened to him?"
"He stayed behind. So they wouldn't have to."
Their fingers brushed.
Just before Olivia could say more—
A flare lit the sky.
Red. Urgent.
War-born.
Scene 4: The Temple Cracks
Somewhere far off — in the Silent Province of Aethera — a temple sealed by Rahul himself cracked open.
Seven seals.
All broken.
By something that should not exist.
A monk screamed as black fire consumed the horizon.
An artifact long thought myth awakened.
"The Emberspire. It's… it's active."
Scene 5: Zephyr's Warning
Zephyr sat in a tree, reading Aeyra's copy of the Book of Echoes when she wasn't looking.
His smirk faded.
"So it's true…"
He dropped the book gently and vanished into mist.
His whisper echoed behind him:
"Rahul… you knew the future would come for them."
Final Scene: Kaien Gathers the Team
At dawn, Kaien stood in the courtyard.
Valenya. Olivia. Vaeyra. Zephyr. Aeyra. Aren.
"The Emberspire's active."
Valenya's jaw tightened. "That means—"
"Rahul didn't destroy all of it," Kaien said.
"Just sealed it."
He looked at Aeyra and Aren — both ready despite the fear in their eyes.
Kaien's fist clenched.
"We're not losing anyone."