Location: Eastern Wing, Universität der Ewigen Flamme – Obscura Chamber
The chamber was sealed behind seven wards and three blood seals.
Maximilian stood alone in the dim undercrypt of the Eastern Wing, where only the chosen few of the Unaligned could enter. The floor beneath him was obsidian etched with concentric constellations. Starlight bled from the ceiling like threads sewn into the dark.
The invitation had been silent—a flare of his Throne Key, a brief flicker of the System's divine circuits.
And now, he was here.
A whisper echoed around him.
"The flame casts long shadows. Welcome, bearer of Stellarweave."
From the walls, shapes emerged—cloaked figures bearing the sigils of forbidden disciplines. One wore the Weeping Star of Chronomancy. Another bore the Mask of the Silent Flame. And at their center stood…
Maelis der Aschenträgerin.
Her eyes were the color of burned paper and starless night.
"You've drawn attention, Maximilian Kriegswald. Divine and demonic. You walk toward something none of us can see. Yet… you burn with the memory of a war that has not yet happened."
Maximilian's voice was calm. "Then why summon me?"
"To offer what others fear: freedom," she said. "The Schattenzirkel does not seek to bind you—but to see if you are more than a weapon."
She raised a gloved hand, and a silver flame appeared.
"Take the Vow of Twilight. Enter the Circle. Or leave—and know we will watch."
He studied the flame for a long time. Then, with a steady breath, he reached out—
[Vow Accepted: Schattenzirkel Initiate – Rank: Unbound Scholar of Flame and Void]
[System Alert: Hidden Path Acquired – "Twilight Nexus Pact"]
Maelis smiled. And for the first time, her silhouette wavered, revealing a shadow… with wings.
Interlude: The Forgotten Duel
Log Entry: Flame Parliament Internal Ledger – Suppressed Document
"Subject: Maximilian Kriegswald""Event: Duel Suppression Request – Filed by House Grauwind & House Vulcanos""Status: Denied – Record Tampering Detected""System Note: Kriegswald's aura exhibits signature interference with divine flame resonance algorithms. Anomaly consistent with sealed-class types."
Lore Drop: Stellarweave Path – Branches of Ascension
Path of the Star Soul – Class Evolution Tree (Partial)
Stage 1: Stellarweave InitiateUnlocked Traits: Temporal Displacement | Starbound Mana Conversion | Partial Aura Redirection
Stage 2: Astrarium Warden(Sealed)Requirement: Cosmic Resonance Threshold + Divine Witness Mark
Stage 3: Voidflame Architect(Unknown)Effects: [REDACTED BY SYSTEM]
Sidepaths and anomalies include:
Time-aspected Paradox Weaving
Reality Divergence Immunity (WIP)
Soulcore Echo States
Item Profile: Zeitbrecher – The Chrono-Edge
Class: Soulbound Temporal Weapon
Primary Forms: Longsword / Chakram / Null-Thread Dagger
Material: Starsteel Infused with Temporal Glass
Rarity: Divine Relic (Evolving)
Unique Abilities:– Temporal Anchor – Locks enemies in echo-frames of their last movement.– Chrono Drift – Reactivates the wielder's most recent spell without mana cost.– Form Weave – Morphs based on emotional intensity and inner alignment.
Resonance Level: 41%Warning: Weapon growth limited until bearer confronts Divine Memory Imprint.
Scene Shift: Astral Dome – Night of the First Constellation Alignment
High above the Flame Towers, the Astral Dome opened for the first time this year. Glass petals unfolded to reveal the night sky in its truest form—alive with orbiting divine aether, constellations aflame with mana-light.
Maximilian sat on a platform edge, legs dangling, his fingers wrapped around a mana-infused tea flask. Silence reigned.
Kira Eisenmoor joined him, unannounced.
"You always look like you're about to vanish," she muttered.
"Maybe I am," he replied.
She paused. "I watched your duel. You didn't fight like a Flamebound. You fought like someone... remembering a future."
Maximilian's stare lingered on the sky.
"Maybe the stars already know."
Epilogue: The Warlocked Gate
Deep beneath the university, sealed behind five soul-bonded glyphs, the Warlocked Gate throbbed once.
It had not moved in over nine hundred years.
Until now.
End of Chapter 12: Schattenzirkel und Sternenversprechen – Circle of Shadows and Stellar Vows