The cursed fog thinned as Kairo left the ruins of Cael'drath behind.
But the silence stayed with him.
The visions, the Mirror, the words of the prototype—they clawed at his thoughts like teeth in the dark. Echo of a broken curse. A vessel. A key. Each term etched deeper than any wound.
He clenched the sigil the woman had given him. It was cold to the touch, shaped like a shard of obsidian, humming with power. The moment she handed it to him, his System reacted.
> [Item Acquired: Sigil of the Bound Flame]
[Quest Unlocked: The Vault Beckons]
[Objective: Locate the Shattered Vault – Coordinates Locked]
[Warning: High-Level Threats Imminent]
"Of course," Kairo muttered. "Always more threats."
He paused at the edge of a cliffside overlooking a sea of blackened trees. In the distance, jagged mountains tore through the horizon like fangs. His destination: the Vault hidden somewhere within them.
But he wasn't alone anymore.
A rustle behind him.
Kairo spun, chain weapon ready, eyes narrow.
Out from behind a collapsed wall came a girl—young, no older than twenty. Cloaked in traveler's leathers, auburn hair in a loose braid, eyes wary but not hostile.
"Whoa! Easy!" she held up both hands. "I come in peace, curse-boy."
Kairo blinked. "What?"
"I've been tailing you since the cathedral." She smirked. "You're not great at covering your tracks. The cursed chain? Bit of a giveaway."
He lowered his weapon slightly. "Name."
"Aerin," she said. "Relic Hunter. Former Guild, before they fell to the Black Fang. You?"
"Kairo."
Her smirk faded. "So it's true. The Fang have a new vessel."
"You knew about them?"
"I know they're not what they pretend to be. They used to recruit relic hunters. Now they harvest them."
Kairo frowned. "What do you want?"
She stepped forward, unwrapping a cloth from her satchel. Inside was a cracked compass glowing with blue light.
"I want in. You're heading to the Shattered Vault, right?"
Kairo stiffened. "How do you know that?"
"Because my compass only reacts to Vault keys. And it lit up when you passed through Cael'drath."
> [New Ally Request: Aerin – Accept?]
[Companion Type: Relic Specialist – Passive Buff: Artifact Detection]
Kairo exhaled slowly. The system wouldn't offer this unless she was valuable. And judging by her confidence, she could hold her own.
"Fine," he said. "But if you betray me—"
"You'll chain me up and drain my soul," Aerin said dryly. "Yeah, yeah. I read the wanted posters."
---
The journey to the Shattered Vault was brutal.
The mountains weren't just steep—they were cursed. Snow fell in spirals that burned the skin. The wind howled like a banshee. And worse—things hunted in the blizzards.
> [Entering: The Maw Peaks – Cursed Territory – Mutation Risk 42%]
Kairo's breath crystallized in the air. Beside him, Aerin wrapped her cloak tighter and drew twin daggers glowing faintly with enchantment.
"See that ridge?" she pointed. "Vault entrances are usually hidden beneath corrupted altars. That one's half-collapsed, but…"
A deep rumble cut her off.
Snow shifted.
And from beneath the ice emerged something monstrous.
A twisted golem, fused from metal, ice, and bone—eyes glowing orange, steam rising from its joints.
> [Guardian of the Shattered Vault]
Rank: A
Status: Hostile
Weak Point: Core Crystal (Back)
"Oh, good," Aerin muttered. "A welcoming party."
Kairo stepped forward. "Back off. I'll draw it—find the crystal."
He leapt toward it, chain coiling around his arm.
The golem roared and swung a fist the size of a wagon. Kairo ducked under, his blade sparking against its metallic hide.
Aerin vanished into the snow.
The golem's body hummed with energy. Runes across its shoulders ignited.
> [Warning: Magic Surge Detected – Incoming Flame Pulse]
Kairo raised his arm and triggered his chain's new ability.
> [Skill Activated: Curseforged Weaponry – Shadow Shield Form]
A dome of black chains surged around him just as flames erupted outward. The snow around them evaporated.
When the smoke cleared, Kairo lunged, striking its knee. Sparks flew, but it wasn't enough.
Then a voice behind the golem screamed—
"NOW!"
Aerin leapt onto its back and plunged both daggers into a glowing gem near its spine.
The golem shrieked—violently convulsing. Kairo lashed out with his chain, anchoring it around the creature's head, and yanked hard.
With a final burst of black fire, the golem collapsed.
> [Vault Guardian Defeated – EXP Gained: 450]
[Access to Shattered Vault Unlocked]
[Level Up Achieved – New Stat Point Available]
They stood over the remains in silence, breathing hard.
Kairo stared at Aerin. "You've done this before."
She grinned, wiping blood from her cheek. "Told you. Relic Hunter."
---
The Vault was a staircase of obsidian spiraling downward into darkness.
It wasn't a place built by mortals.
The deeper they went, the colder it became. The air grew thinner. And on the walls, glowing symbols danced—symbols Kairo now understood. Cursed tongues. The same ones whispered in his dreams.
The final chamber was a vast dome lit by hanging crystals. At the center stood a monolith, bound in chains, with a single eye carved into its surface.
The moment Kairo stepped forward, the sigil in his hand ignited.
> [Vault Recognized – Initiating Curse Resonance]
[Memory Echo Unlocked – Subject: V-01 Prototype]
A projection appeared—hazy at first, then clear.
The same man Kairo had seen in his vision. The prototype.
He stood tall, chains covering his body, eyes filled with fire.
"If you've come here, then I failed."
"And if you bear my face… then you were made as I was—shaped by fear, forged by betrayal."
The projection stepped forward.
"They used us. The Black Fang. They said they were binding the curse. But they were only redirecting it. Into us. Into you."
Kairo's hands trembled.
"There will be a moment," the echo said, "when you can choose. To rise beyond what they made you—or to let the curse consume the world. I couldn't stop it."
He looked up.
"But maybe you can."
The projection faded.
In its place, a pedestal rose, holding a new item.
> [Item Acquired: Shard of Self – Prototype Remnant]
[Class Evolution Available – Confirm to Awaken: Curseforged Ascendant]
Kairo stood frozen.
Aerin stared at him. "Well? You gonna do it?"
He looked at her—then at his chained arm.
For the first time, the System was silent.
This choice… was his alone.