7

The Dungeon's tenth floor was a misty expanse of fog and twisted trees, its air thick with the scent of moss and danger. Bell Cranel moved cautiously, the Hestia Knife glowing faintly at his hip, its runes pulsing with an eerie rhythm. His adventurer gear—light armor reinforced by Welf's craftsmanship—felt reassuringly familiar after Lordran's tattered rags, but the knife's new markings kept him on edge. Since his return to Orario two weeks ago, the runes had flared during battles, amplifying his strikes and Firebolt spell with a power that felt foreign yet potent. Ember of Resolve, the skill etched into his falna from Lordran, burned within him, pushing his growth beyond what Liaris Freese alone could achieve.

His Familia flanked him: Lili, her crossbow loaded; Welf, wielding a newly forged greatsword; and Haruhime, her fox tail swaying as she prepared Uchide no Kozuchi. The tenth floor was routine for a Level 4 like Bell, but he'd insisted on this expedition to test his new strength—and to quiet the unease that had settled in his chest since his dream of Anastacia, the Fire Keeper. Her words haunted him: The cycle endures. Should thou need us, the embers remain.

"Master Bell, you're awfully quiet," Lili said, her voice sharp with concern. "Is it those creepy runes again? Lili doesn't like how they glow."

Bell forced a smile, dodging an orc's clumsy swing and countering with a precise slash of the Hestia Knife. The blade cut deeper than it should, the runes flaring as the orc collapsed. "They're fine, Lili. Just… adjusting to them."

Welf snorted, cleaving another orc with his greatsword. "Adjusting? Kid, you're moving like a Level 5 now. Whatever that other world did, it turned you into a monster."

Haruhime's gentle voice chimed in. "Lord Bell, your strength is inspiring, but… are you truly well? You seem distant."

Bell's heart clenched. He hadn't told them about the dream, about Anastacia's warning. "I'm okay, Haruhime. Just thinking about home. And… what I left behind."

The fight ended quickly, the party's synergy honed from countless expeditions. But as Bell knelt to collect magic stones, the Hestia Knife pulsed sharply, its runes glowing a deep violet. A chill ran through him, and the Dungeon's mist seemed to thicken, shadows coiling unnaturally. A faint whisper echoed—not Hestia's voice, but something colder, like Kaathe's serpentine hiss from the Abyss: The Dark stirs, Chosen Undead.

"Bell!" Lili's shout snapped him back. A crack split the Dungeon floor, violet light spilling out, just like the portal that had taken him to Lordran. From it emerged a figure—a Darkwraith, its skeletal armor and curved blade unmistakable. Its eyes glowed with malice, and the air grew heavy with the stench of decay.

"Get back!" Bell shouted, instincts kicking in. He cast Firebolt, its flames now tinged with the chaotic heat of Lordran's Chaos Fireball. The Darkwraith staggered but pressed forward, its blade draining the air itself. Bell's party sprang into action: Welf's greatsword clashed with the wraith's, Lili's crossbow bolts peppered its armor, and Haruhime's *Level Boost* surged through them.

But the Darkwraith was relentless, its attacks eerily familiar. Bell dodged, his movements sharper from Lordran's trials, and struck with the Hestia Knife. The runes flared, and the blade sank deep, dispersing the wraith into motes of dark light. But more cracks appeared, spawning two more Darkwraiths. The Dungeon was changing, corrupted by something beyond its natural chaos.

"Bell, what are these things?!" Welf roared, parrying a wraith's strike.

"They're from Lordran!" Bell shouted, his mind racing. The runes, the whispers—somehow, his choice of the Age of Dark had followed him. "Stay together! They're fast and drain your strength!"

The battle was brutal, the Darkwraiths' speed testing even Bell's enhanced reflexes. *Ember of Resolve* burned within him, his soul channeling Lordran's lessons. He imagined Solaire's Lightning Spear, Siegmeyer's Zweihander, Anastacia's calm guidance. "Stay strong," he whispered, as if the Fire Keeper could hear him. He cast Firebolt repeatedly, the runes amplifying its power, and used the Hestia Knife to parry and strike, its divine edge cutting through the wraiths' cursed armor.

When the last wraith fell, the cracks sealed, but the Dungeon's mist remained thick, unnatural. Lili panted, her eyes wide. "Master Bell, what was that? The Dungeon doesn't spawn monsters like those!"

Bell's grip tightened on the knife, its runes still glowing. "It's my fault," he said quietly. "I brought something back from Lordran. The runes… they're a link to that world."

Hestia's voice cut through the tension, her divine presence appearing behind them. "Bell!" She rushed forward, her eyes scanning him. "I felt a disturbance in your falna. What happened?"

He explained the Darkwraiths, the runes' glow, the whisper of Kaathe. Hestia's face paled. "The runes are a conduit," she said, her voice trembling. "Your choice in that world—the Age of Dark—it's bleeding into Orario. The Dungeon's reacting, like it's trying to balance the chaos."

Bell's heart sank. "Can we stop it?"

Hestia hesitated, her hand brushing the runes. "I don't know. This power isn't mine. It's tied to that world's cycle. We need to consult Freya or Loki—someone with deeper divine knowledge."

---

Back in Orario, the Hestia Familia sought answers. At the Guild, Eina's usual calm was replaced by worry as Bell recounted the incident. "Monsters from another world? That's unprecedented. The Dungeon's magic shouldn't allow it."

Hestia's eyes narrowed. "It's not the Dungeon. It's Bell's knife. Those runes are acting like a falna, but for that world's power. We need to know what they're doing to him."

They visited Loki Familia's Twilight Manor, where Finn, Riveria, and Ais listened intently. Riveria, the high elf mage, examined the Hestia Knife, her magic probing its runes. "These markings are ancient, tied to a primal force—neither divine nor mortal," she said. "They're channeling something called the Dark Soul, a fragment of which seems bound to Bell's falna through this Ember of Resolve skill."

Bell's stomach twisted. "The Dark Soul? That's what Kaathe mentioned—the source of humanity's power in Lordran."

Riveria nodded. "Your choice to let the fire fade strengthened that power, but it's unstable here. The Dungeon's reacting to it, summoning echoes of that world. If it continues, it could destabilize Orario."

Ais stepped closer, her golden eyes steady. "Bell, you're stronger now. We'll figure this out together."

Her words sparked warmth in Bell's chest, fueling *Liaris Freese*. "Thanks, Ais. I won't let this hurt anyone."

Finn's gaze was calculating. "We'll investigate the Dungeon's deeper floors. If this corruption is spreading, it might originate there. Bell, your experience in that world makes you key. Will you join us?"

Bell nodded without hesitation. "I'm in."

---

The joint expedition ventured to the Dungeon's fifteenth floor, where the mist grew thicker, the air heavy with an unnatural chill. Loki Familia's elites—Ais, Tiona, Tione, Bete, and Finn—moved with precision, while Bell's Familia kept pace. The Hestia Knife's runes glowed brighter, reacting to the Dungeon's shift. Shadows flickered, and more Darkwraiths emerged, their blades draining vitality. But worse were new foes: *Hollow Soldiers*, their rusted weapons and shambling forms straight from Lordran's Undead Burg.

Bell fought with a ferocity that stunned even Bete. "Not bad, rabbit!" the werewolf grunted, kicking a hollow aside. Bell's *Firebolt*, enhanced by the runes, burned with chaotic intensity, while the Hestia Knife carved through armor like butter. *Ember of Resolve* pulsed, his soul channeling Lordran's trials—Solaire's courage, Siegmeyer's persistence, Anastacia's calm. He imagined the Fire Keeper's voice: *Thy fire burns true.*

Ais fought beside him, her saber a silver blur. "You're faster," she noted, parrying a Darkwraith's strike. "Like you've fought these before."

"I have," Bell said, dodging and striking with the knife. "In Lordran. They don't stop unless you break them."

The party pushed deeper, reaching a chamber where the mist coalesced into a massive crack, violet light pulsing. From it emerged a *Black Knight*, its greatsword wreathed in dark flame. Its presence was overwhelming, like facing Gwyn again. Bell's heart raced, but *Liaris Freese* and *Ember of Resolve* burned in unison, his soul alight.

"Everyone, focus!" Finn shouted, his spear flashing. The Loki Familia attacked, but the knight's power was immense, its swings shattering stone. Bell took point, his Lordran-honed instincts guiding him. He dodged its greatsword, cast *Firebolt* to stagger it, and struck with the Hestia Knife, the runes flaring as they cut deep. Ais followed, her *Ariel* spell enhancing her strikes, and together they felled the knight, its form dissolving into ash.

The crack pulsed, and a voice echoed—not Kaathe's, but Anastacia's, soft and urgent. "Bell Cranel, the Dark Soul stirs. Thy choice opened a path, but the cycle seeks balance. Seal the breach, or both worlds will suffer."

Bell's eyes widened. "Anastacia? How are you here?"

The voice faded, but the runes glowed, guiding him. He plunged the Hestia Knife into the crack, its divine light clashing with the violet energy. The breach sealed, the mist dissipating, but the knife's runes remained active, their glow a warning.

---

Back at Twilight Manor, Riveria studied the knife again. "The breach is closed, but the runes are still active. They're a conduit to Lordran's Dark Soul. Bell, your falna is stabilizing it for now, but you'll need to master this power—or sever it."

Hestia clutched Bell's hand. "No severing! We'll find a way to control it. Right, Bell?"

He nodded, his ruby eyes resolute. "I won't let Lordran's darkness hurt Orario. I'll train, I'll grow—whatever it takes."

Ais met his gaze, her smile faint but warm. "I'll help you, Bell. You're not alone."

---

That night, Bell dreamed of Firelink Shrine again. Anastacia stood by the bonfire, her blindfolded gaze soft. "Thou hast sealed the breach, but the Dark Soul endures within thee. Wield it with care, Bell Cranel, for thy fire is a beacon in both worlds."

He woke, the Hestia Knife glowing softly. Lordran was gone, but its embers burned in his soul. He was Bell Cranel, hero of the Hestia Familia, and no matter the challenge—Dungeon, Dark Soul, or beyond—he would face it with the fire he'd forged.

---