Chapter 2: Velmora Part 12

Part 12: The Third Crest and the Fire in the Ruins

[Scene 1 – Dawn of the Inquisition]

Location: Skies above Arkalis Academy

Velmora's morning light never came.

The sky remained dim — the black comet now hovered like an eye, half-closed but watching.

Through the clouds, flying vessels tore through the silence — they bore the crimson insignia of the Inquisition.

> Zyana (alert tone):

"Inquisitor-class strike ships… incoming. They've bypassed Academy protocols. This is a hostile retrieval."

Inside the Academy tower:

> Arshan (gritting his teeth):

"They're here for me."

> Veyron (calm but firm):

"No… they're here for what's inside you now."

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[Scene 2 – Clash at the South Gate]

The South Gate of Arkalis lit up as flaming glyphs began to spin mid-air. Inquisitors in red-banded armor dropped in — armed with memory-siphon spears.

> Inquisitor Leader:

"Subject: Arshan. Surrender the Founder fragment."

Rayn pulled Ilira behind a pillar — she was still weak from the earlier wound.

> Arshan:

"I don't even understand what it is yet. You want me to surrender something I didn't ask for?!"

> Inquisitor (coldly):

"Understanding is irrelevant. Containment is everything."

A fierce fight broke out — sparks of pure mana clashing with system-assisted reflexes.

Arshan's body moved on its own — Zyana guiding every motion.

> Zyana:

"Deploying Soul-Lock Mode… defensive architecture initiated…"

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[Scene 3 – Soul Weapon Awakens: Whisper of the Eternal Blade]

The skies roared — and from Arshan's back, a glowing symbol emerged.

His weapon — the soul-bound blade he inherited long ago — began to burn with blue fire.

And then it spoke.

> Soul Weapon (echoing):

"You finally heard the whisper.

I am Aetheryn, bound to the flames of the First Vessel."

Arshan froze mid-battle.

> Arshan (whispering):

"You… can speak?"

> Aetheryn (solemn):

"Only when time folds. And it has."

Arshan gripped the blade tightly — its edge no longer physical. It was flame made into memory.

He sliced through two Inquisitors — who turned to ash instead of blood.

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[Scene 4 – Flight Toward the Eastern Ruins]

Zyana pulled a projection map in front of Arshan's eyes.

> Zyana:

"The Inquisitors won't stop. We must find the Third Crest — before they rewrite your memory core."

The group escaped using the underground relic path.

Ilira, now partially stabilized, guided the way using her clairvoyance.

> Ilira (while walking):

"There's something buried in the Eastern Ruins… but it's not sleeping. It's waiting."

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[Scene 5 – The Flamebound Undead Army]

Location: Eastern Ruins – Obsidian Valley

Black ash coated the ruined landscape.

A massive gate, sealed with rune-fire, stood before them. As they stepped forward, the earth cracked — and undead rose, bodies wrapped in molten chains.

> Zyana (in horror):

"These aren't corrupted creatures… they were guardians. Firebound by the Founder to protect the Third Crest."

> Rayn:

"Then why are they hostile?"

> Aetheryn (answering):

"Because the Founder is not dead. And he is testing you."

The undead attacked — but they didn't just use brute force. They mimicked Arshan's own moves… as if they were his past lives.

> Arshan (realizing):

"They remember me…"

One undead knight bowed mid-fight and pointed his flaming sword toward a sealed stone.

> Knight (in broken voice):

"The Fire of the Third Crest… only answers to the bearer of the Rift Mark."

Zyana flashed a hidden glyph in Arshan's system interface — the Rift Mark had appeared after defeating the Time-Eater.

> Zyana:

"You are the bearer."

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[Scene 6 – The Third Crest Reveals]

As Arshan touched the stone, a burning spiral rose up — the crest lit up with ancient letters that could not be read by normal eyes.

> System Update: Crest Acquired: Flame of the Rift – Crest 3/7 Buff Unlocked: Temporal Fire Resilience

Special Skill: "Soul Echo Burn" – Project your next strike into multiple futures.

> Zyana:

"There are seven crests. And now the war for them has officially begun."

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[Scene 7 – The Founder Lives]

Inside the chamber, a flickering fire orb glowed — but then, it spoke.

> ??? (low and ancient voice):

"You hold the third. But only when the seventh returns… will I rise again."

Arshan's hand burned as flame carved into his skin — not to hurt, but to mark him.

> ???: "I am the one who fell from the first sky. And I am not done writing history."

Arshan staggered back.

> Arshan:

"He's… alive. Watching everything."

> Zyana:

"The Founder… is hiding in the timelines. He's fractured himself into the crests."

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[Scene 8 – The Council's Next Order]

Far away, the Velmora High Council watched everything through cracked mirror interfaces.

> Council Head:

"He now holds the Third Crest. We can't kill him… but we can trap his timeline."

> Mirror AI:

"Shall I activate the Time Lock Protocol?"

> Council Head:

"No… release Protocol Zero.

Let the Founder Hunter wake up."

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To Be Continued…

Next Part: Part 13 – "The Founder Hunter and the Chrono Trap Maze"

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Highlights coming in Part 13:

Introduction of the "Founder Hunter" — a being not bound by time, created to hunt down the Founder's fragments.

Arshan and team trapped inside a time-loop maze.

A new betrayal… by someone unexpected.

Arshan's soul weapon reveals a forgotten promise.