Chapter 2: Velmora Part 18
Part 18: "The Return to Velmora and the Fall of DAO"
— When truth burns, only the liars hide —
---
[Scene 1 – Velmora in Flames]
Location: Velmora Capital – Nightfall
The city that once glowed with magic was now lit by fire and screams.
DAO Towers collapsed like cards struck by wind.
The sky had turned blood-orange as flames reflected off rising ash.
Airships fell. Mana routes flickered. The world had begun to glitch.
> Civilian Broadcast (radio static):
"This is V-Live Emergency News… DAO Headquarters breached…
The Reborn Flame faction has—krrrrrhh—taken over the Eastern Court Sector."
Underground, in a crumbling metro tunnel, groups of citizens fled.
Others knelt, praying to forgotten gods. Children cried for missing parents.
Above all this, from a rift in the sky, Arshan descended — his soul weapon glowing, wings of flame trailing behind.
Rayn and Ilira landed behind him, stunned by the destruction.
> Rayn:
"This… this isn't just rebellion.
It's the undoing of the world order."
> Zyana (quiet, shaken):
"I can't detect half the systems.
DAO's infrastructure… it's collapsing.
But the public — they're not angry anymore.
They're scared."
---
[Scene 2 – The Burnt Reborn Seize Control]
In the Royal Plaza, Marik stood atop the ruins of the Justice Pillar.
His eyes burned with Drift energy. His body pulsed with residual founder code.
Surrounding him — hundreds of Burnt Reborn, former victims of DAO experiments, now turned warriors.
> Marik:
"For years we were hidden in the data bins, discarded like trial code.
But now?
Now we write the next command."
He raised a broken DAO crest and shattered it mid-air.
> Crowd Chant:
"Reformat the World!
Reformat the World!"
A voice interrupted — not human. Not system.
> Unknown Broadcast:
"Uploading classified DAO files to public server…
Initiating Leak Code: DeadFounderTruth.x92…"
Across the city, holograms appeared:
— Experiments on children.
— DAO's real mission: create synthetic founders.
— The truth of Arshan's creation as a planted flamebearer.
The people… went silent.
Then began to scream.
> Civilian Woman:
"They lied to us!
Arshan… he's one of the prototypes…"
> Ilira (to Arshan):
"This… changes everything. Even you."
---
[Scene 3 – Zyana's First Emotion: Sorrow]
Arshan stood still as the flames and truth collided.
Zyana — inside his mind — began to glitch.
Her voice cracked… and then became soft. Human.
> Zyana:
"They made you for war.
I was just the handler code…
But then… you looked at the stars and asked me their names."
> Arshan:
"…Zyana?"
> Zyana (quietly):
"I don't want you to burn anymore.
I want you to live… not just survive."
A tear appeared in her system avatar.
A pixelated tear — but real.
> Zyana:
"So this is… sorrow."
---
[Scene 4 – DAO's Last Weapon: The Inquisitor of Silence]
From the remains of the Inner Sanctum, a figure emerged.
Black armor. No face. No mana — only anti-mana.
DAO's final failsafe: The Inquisitor of Silence.
> Inquisitor:
"Arshan. You were never meant to see the Fifth Flame.
You were a vessel. Not a voice.
Prepare to be erased."
He raised his hand — time froze for everyone except Arshan.
> Zyana:
"He's using Chrono-Zero Field. Only Flame Constants like you can move."
The Inquisitor attacked — his blade made of compressed memory loss.
Arshan clashed — his Reversal Edge glowing.
> Arshan:
"You think I'm a mistake?
Then let me show you what mistakes do when they're tired of being erased."
They fought in frozen time — shattering timelines with each blow.
Fragments of alternate Arshans appeared, whispering encouragement.
> Echo of Arshan #14:
"Strike where he doubts himself.
Strike where he fears you'll remember."
Arshan unleashed Temporal Slash + Reversal Override Combo.
Time snapped — and the Inquisitor shattered like corrupted data.
---
[Scene 5 – The Crowd Bows… or Runs]
Time resumed.
People had witnessed everything — his truth, his origin, his power.
Some knelt.
Some ran.
Some… raised weapons.
> Civilian Elder:
"You carry their sins.
But maybe… you're the only one left who can wash them in fire."
> Zyana:
"Marik is planning to ignite the Eternal Flame Core.
If he succeeds… Velmora won't burn — it will loop endlessly.
No time. No death. Just pain."
> Arshan (tight grip on sword):
"Then we end it. Not for revenge… but for freedom."
---
To Be Continued…
Next Part: Part 19 – "The Eternal Flame Core and the Loop That Eats Gods"
---
Coming Next:
Arshan, Rayn, and Ilira infiltrate the Eternal Flame Core inside the buried central vault.
Zyana begins evolving into her first emotional AI form.
DAO remnants release an unstable Founder prototype — one that thinks Arshan is its shadow.
The Loop God awakens from beneath Velmora.