The door in front of Akihiko wasn't just a physical obstacle. It was a ritual barrier, sealed with blood, secrets, and pacts dating back centuries. The inscriptions glowed softly, as if acknowledging his presence, but they didn't open. Isabella and Kael watched from behind, silent.
"This place... was built to contain something, not protect it," Kael said, studying the symbols with his tech visor. "And the key... it's not an object. It's a choice."
Akihiko placed his hand on the surface of the door. The touch flooded him with foreign memories: ancient rituals, betrayals sealed by fire, wars fought in the name of the Tree. He saw desperate men kneel before the Lux Aeterna, offering it everything. And the Tree... only took.
The Times of Silence
The Judgment Root's defensive system began to activate. Once-dormant buildings shuddered. Towers rumbled as if awakening from a forced sleep. And overhead, ancient alarms clanged like funeral bells.
"Something's changed," Isabella said. "They're watching us."
On the walls of the city's living corridors, figures appeared: the former bosses of global mafias, projected like ghosts. They weren't real, but ritual recordings. Echoes.
"Those who cross the threshold," a deep male voice said, "will be responsible for awakening the legacy. Judgment will fall on the guilty and the innocent alike."
Kael frowned. "It's not a warning... it's an advance condemnation."
Viktor's Memory
Akihiko stepped away from the door. An image materialized beside him: Viktor, young, before his promotion. He was in a similar room, with the same markings on his skin that Akihiko wore now. He stared at the threshold, but didn't cross it.
"I saw it too," the vision said. "And I was afraid. Not because of what was behind it... but because of what it could do to me."
Akihiko gulped. "You chose not to come in?"
"I didn't need to. I still believed in people. But you, Akihiko... you crossed that line a long time ago."
The vision faded. Isabella took a step toward him.
"You can stop this. We can do it together."
But Akihiko pulled the black seed from his pocket. The runes on his skin lit up. And the door responded.
The Legacy Chamber
The door opened with a deep sound, as if the entire city were groaning. Inside was a circular chamber, constructed of living metal and braided roots. In the center, a crystalline sphere floated on a pedestal.
There lay a living archive: the Eden Codex. It wasn't a book or a device. It was an organic machine fueled by the memories of the ancients. Every mafia boss who had served the Tree had left a fragment of their soul here.
"This... this is the real origin," Kael said.
The walls depicted hidden scenes: the first encounter with the Tree, blood pacts between nations, murders silenced in the name of balance. And one image was repeated: Ezra, in every century, always in the same role.
"Ezra isn't eternal," Isabella whispered. "He's a cycle. A role. A punishment someone must inherit."
The Weight of the Fruit
Akihiko approached the Codex. His body trembled. Each step resonated like a sentence. The black seed in his hand vibrated with new force.
"I don't have to do it... but I know if I don't, someone worse will," he said.
From the shadows, Ezra's figure appeared. This time it wasn't a vision, but him.
"So the story will continue. One inherits, another falls. No one is free from the cycle."
Akihiko looked up. "I may not be able to break it... but I can drag it with me."
Decision of Blood
With a firm motion, Akihiko placed the seed on top of the Codex. The runes in the room lit up. A black light enveloped it. Isabella screamed his name, but Kael held her.
"It's your choice. And your legacy."
The room shook. The walls crumbled like ash. And in their place, a new structure began to grow. Something new. Something unforeseen.
Ezra watched everything in silence. For the first time, without smiling.