Kael's body burned.
Not with fire. But with memory — raw, ancient, alive.
The chamber spun with violet flame as the broken glyph beneath his feet seared itself into his bones. He clutched his chest, gasping as visions tore through him — swords clashing under moons of blood, black banners rising above dying cities, a throne of ash crumbling beneath his hands.
> [Shadow System Notice]
Legacy Class: Ashen Sovereign — Awakened.
Title: The Shadow That Remembers
Unique Skill Gained — Memory Dominion (Lv. 1):
Allows user to channel forgotten skills and spells sealed within ancestral blood. Usable once per memory anchor.
A name flashed in his mind.
Kael Verradin.
No longer a ghost. No longer a servant.
The true heir had returned.
---
💀 Mareth's Warning
The violet fire dimmed. Kael stood tall, eyes glowing faintly — not with magic, but with recognition.
Mareth stepped back, awe flickering in his voice.
"The Vault recognizes you… but now, you must pass its judgment."
From behind the statue, gears clanked. Chains rattled.
Riven drew his weapons instantly. "What now?!"
Kael turned slowly as the wall behind the statue slid open, revealing a long corridor filled with statues of warriors in black armor, faces hidden beneath broken helms.
Lyra stared, voice low. "Guardians of the Vault…"
Mareth nodded grimly. "Specters forged from shadow and sorrow. They exist only to test the heir."
> [System Alert: Vault Defense Protocol Initiated.]
Objective: Survive the Trial of Echoes.
---
⚔️ Trial of Echoes Begins
The air shimmered — and suddenly, the statues moved.
Armor clanged. Blades unsheathed. The first guardian stepped forward, eyes burning with voidlight.
Kael whispered, "Memory Dominion… activate."
> [Skill Activated: Memory Dominion]
Channeling: Bladestorm of Arctaris, Technique of the 2nd Ashen King.
Kael's shadow flared behind him, stretching like wings. A phantom blade appeared in his hand — silver black, humming with silent rage.
Riven blinked. "When did he learn that?"
Kael didn't respond.
He lunged.
The clash of shadow against steel echoed like thunder. Kael moved with inhuman precision, the blade spinning around him like a whirlwind. Every strike left ghostly afterimages — echoes of his past life fighting alongside him.
The first guardian fell.
But ten more stepped forward.
---
🩸 Memory Break
Kael staggered, breath sharp.
Using a memory burned energy fast. Too fast.
"Lyra!" he shouted.
She raised both hands. "On it—!"
A flash of healing light surged toward him, just enough to steady his pulse.
Riven joined the fight, blades spinning. "If these are echoes of your past, next time, get a quieter legacy!"
Kael grinned slightly — then ducked under a spectral blade, driving his own through the shadow knight's chest. Two more vanished into smoke.
But they kept coming.
And just when they thought the Trial would never end—
The last guardian stopped.
It dropped its sword.
Knelt.
> [Trial Complete.]
[You have been judged worthy.]
> [Reward: Shadow Core Unlocked — "The Forgotten Throne".]
---
🕯️ End of Chapter 24
The flames died down. Silence returned to the Vault.
Kael stood at the center, panting, blood on his hands, memory in his veins.
Behind him, a new voice whispered from the system — not mechanical, not cold.
"Welcome home… Sovereign."
---