The crimson wound in the sky widened by inches every hour, a slit of divine rot tearing through the heavens. Squad Umbra stood in a state of unease, their weapons gripped tighter, their formations stiff. The forest no longer whispered; it watched.
Kaizen sat by the campfire, his eyes dimly glowing, a thin shimmer of heat trailing from his fingertips. The weight of the God Core's truth pressed on his shoulders like mountains.
Ayaka sat beside him, silent, her gaze fixed on the flickering flame. She hadn't spoken about Rhena's warning since the previous night. But Kaizen knew she was haunted.
Just like he was.
Suddenly, a faint pulse rippled through the earth. The trees bent slightly—not from wind, but from something waking. Kaizen stood, instincts flaring.
> Something ancient had entered the world.
---
Arrival of the Architects
From the tear in the sky, shards of silver light fell like meteors, crashing into distant mountains, forests, and oceans. Wherever they landed, the world shook.
Rhena reappeared, her eyes glowing faintly with a spectral hue. Her voice was cold, ancient. "They're here."
Kaizen turned. "Who exactly are they?"
She looked him dead in the eye.
> "The Architects. The original makers of the Bists. The ones who created the Veinborn… and chained the First Flame."
Ayaka's breath hitched. "But that was… myth."
Rhena nodded slowly. "Until you awakened the God Core. Now they know the Veinborn Line has survived. They will come to judge you, Kaizen. And if you fail… the world will be reshaped."
Kaizen's fists clenched. "Let them come."
---
A Message from the Sky
That night, one of the falling silver shards smashed into a hill nearby, leaving behind a crater steaming with celestial heat. Squad Umbra, Kaizen, Ayaka, and Rhena approached cautiously.
At the center of the crater stood a colossal humanoid statue, ten meters tall, made of silver bone and emberstone. It was kneeling.
Suddenly, its chest split open, revealing a core of swirling runes. A voice boomed—not from its mouth, but from the air around them.
"Kaizen Ryouma. Blood of the Flame. Son of the Echo. Bearer of the Last Vein."
Ayaka flinched. Kaizen stared, saying nothing.
"We have returned to reclaim balance. Your presence is a disruption. A Veinborn has no place in a world without fire. Present yourself at the Celestial Hollow in three days' time. Or be deemed a false creation."
The runes flickered—and the statue crumbled into dust.
---
Preparations for the Trial
Back at camp, a tense silence filled the air. Kaizen sat apart from the others, staring into the darkness. Ayaka approached him slowly, kneeling beside him.
"You're not a false creation," she whispered. "You're the only thing standing between us and the end."
Kaizen looked at her. "I'm not afraid of being judged. I'm afraid of what I might become if I pass."
She placed a hand over his.
"You won't lose yourself. I won't let you."
Rhena stood nearby, listening. "The Architects do not test with words. They test with war. Only one Veinborn in history passed their trial."
Kaizen raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
Rhena turned her back. "Your mother."
---
A Flashback Fragment
Later that night, Kaizen dreamt—not of the God Core, but of something deeper.
A barren battlefield. Ash falling like snow. And in the center—his mother, flames spiraling around her body as three silver beings surrounded her.
She screamed his name—not in pain, but as a warning across time.
"Kaizen, don't become what I had to!"
He jolted awake, breath ragged, skin shimmering with latent fire.
Ayaka rushed to him. "Another vision?"
He looked at her, shaking. "They killed her. They called it a test, but they executed her."
---
End Scene: Shadows on the Horizon
As dawn broke, the horizon cracked.
Not just the sky—but reality.
From the edge of the forest, three figures in silver cloaks emerged—faceless, hovering inches above the ground.
Squad Umbra raised their weapons, but the figures made no move to attack.
One of them spoke in a voice that felt like ice running through blood.
"Three days? No. The trial begins… now."
Kaizen stepped forward, flames beginning to rise from his shoulders.
Ayaka whispered behind him, "I'm going with you."
He turned once—smiled faintly—and nodded.
> And as they walked toward the Celestial Hollow, the ground cracked beneath their steps… and the sky above began to burn.