Chapter 13: The Hollow Annex
The door moaned open like a dying god.
Ren stepped into darkness—but it wasn't empty. Words clung to the walls. Floating pages drifted through the air like dead leaves.
The Codex Nullum throbbed with hunger.
[Sealed Knowledge Zone Detected]Accessing Memory Lock…"Third Movement" criteria met.
He didn't understand how. But as he walked, the air shifted. The space bent. And then—
He saw himself.
A ghostly echo. Taller, regal, draped in void-black robes lined with silver thread. His eyes burned with starlight.
"You finally returned," the echo said. "Or are you still pretending to be human?"
Ren's breath caught."…Who are you?"
"The one who betrayed the gods," the echo replied. "And the one who will do it again."
The chamber erupted with flame—but it didn't burn. Instead, it sang.
A hymn. A requiem. A curse.
[Void-Class Skill Unlocked]
Null Requiem – Third Movement: "Ashen Refrain"
You become the echo of your former divine self.Duration: 60 secondsWarning: Using this will cost one memory or emotion of great significance.
Ren fell to his knees as a name tried to claw its way from his lips.
Your name, long forgotten… whispered by the stars…
But before it surfaced, Lira caught his arm.
"Don't," she said. "Some names should stay buried."And in her other hand… she held a key. Not to a door—but to a memory.
Meanwhile, Kael Veylor trained under solar light forged into flame-sabers. The Phoenix Spirit hovered behind him, wings of fire.
"He stepped into the Annex?" Kael asked."Then I'll meet him in its reflection. Let's see how far a cursed scholar can go."