Part I: Vault of Echoes
They broke into the Imperial Vault at midnight.
Azazel shattered the sigil locks with black fire. Elion bypassed the arcane traps with barely a whisper. Vera kept the rear—two blades drawn.
Yui stepped into the vault first.
Scrolls older than nations lined obsidian shelves. Crystals pulsed with soul echoes. At the center was a glowing pillar—on it, a massive codex bound in iron thorns.
> [System Resonance Detected]
Origin Artifact Identified: "Codex of the Flameborn"
She touched it.
The world split open.
She saw herself.
Hundreds of times.
In armor. In chains. In fire. In ruin.
> [WARNING: Multi-Reality Instance Detected]
Codename: Subject YUI-03
Status: "Stable Host"
Observation Level: MAXIMUM
Azazel's face hardened.
"This isn't just a power," he said. "You're a fragment. A test. A cycle."
Vera stared at the codex. "They've run this scenario before."
> [Update Unlocked: Origin of the System – The Flameborn Protocol]
Designed by an ancient civilization to find a soul capable of uniting or destroying the realms.
Each "Yui" was sent to a different reality. Only one would ascend.
And then—
A mirror ignited beside the codex.
Inside, a girl stood.
Same eyes. Same face. But clad in regal white and silver.
> "Yui…" she whispered. "So you're the one who made it this far."
---
Part II: The Second Flame
The mirror pulsed.
And the other Yui stepped forward—but couldn't cross.
> Designation: YUI-01
Status: Ascended Host – Realm of Light
Personality Divergence: 46%
Alignment: Unknown
"I was sent to save," she said. "But I failed. My realm crumbled. The Flame turned cold."
Yui-01 looked at her, sorrow in her voice.
"I think they're trying again… with you. And they don't care who breaks along the way."
Yui stepped closer.
"I won't fail," she said. "I'll burn the throne. And I'll choose my own fate."
The mirror flickered.
Yui-01 smiled faintly. "Then beware the Echo King. He's not bound to any realm. He hunts the Flameborn."
The mirror shattered.
> [New Objective Unlocked: Prepare for the Echo King]
Lore Fragment Acquired: YUI-01's Warning
The codex sealed shut.
Azazel stepped beside her. "There's no going back now."
Yui nodded, flame in her eyes.
"I don't want to."