The moon hung low over Celestia Prime, veiled by a thin sheen of clouds. Streets once teeming with celebration were now cloaked in tense silence. The failed Baptism of Crown Prince Kaelith had sent tremors through the nobility, the sects, and even the shadows beneath the city.
Belarion Vane wandered through the lower districts, cloak drawn and presence concealed. His new title—Flamebearer—burned on his system panel, humming with restrained power. The Divine Genesis Fire coiled within him like a sleeping serpent, tempering his soul, amplifying his every breath.
The system pulsed in his mind.
[Optional Quest: Investigate the Ruins of Seraphbane.] [Estimated Threat Level: High.] [Suggested Reward: ???]
He had learned to trust the system's ambiguity. When it teased danger and obscured rewards, it usually meant something significant.
"Let's see what you've hidden beneath this city," he murmured.
Deep Below Celestia Prime…
The entrance to the Ruins of Seraphbane wasn't marked on any map. But Belarion's system highlighted a pathway beneath an abandoned bathhouse near the city's southern edge. Overgrown vines covered the entrance, illusions woven into the stone to deflect spiritual senses.
A flick of his hand dispelled the enchantments.
He descended.
The air grew cold. Ancient. The walls of the stairwell were carved from soulstone, etched with faded sigils of power. Torches lit themselves as he passed, reacting to his system-bound presence.
[You have entered: Seraphbane Vaults – Tier IV Forbidden Zone.] [Warning: Presence of ancient sentience detected. Proceed with caution.]
Belarion smiled.
He proceeded.
The chamber opened into a vast underground coliseum, its walls cracked with age but still pulsing with residual energy. At the center stood a statue—a winged figure cloaked in celestial fire, sword raised toward a burning sun carved into the ceiling.
But the most remarkable feature lay beneath the statue: a sealed gate of obsidian, covered in runes that shimmered like molten gold.
[Sign In.]
[Sign-In Successful. Location: Seraphbane Coliseum. Reward: Seraph's Sigil (Epic).]
[Item Effect: Unlocks blood-sealed gates. Grants partial resistance to divine mental influence. Passive: Empyrean Vision – allows brief glimpses of ancient memories.]
The sigil hovered before him. He absorbed it.
The runes on the gate flared.
And opened.
Inside the gate was a sanctum—round, pristine, untouched by time. Dozens of floating glyphs rotated above an altar of bones. Upon it lay a single scroll, wrapped in iron chains sealed by flame.
And sitting atop the scroll was a figure.
Eyes like galaxies. Hair flowing like ink in water. Draped in torn robes once belonging to a high priest of the astral pantheon.
"So," the figure said. "The thief arrives."
Belarion stilled. "You know me?"
"I know the fire you carry. I know the System that binds your soul. I know the scent of meddling divinity."
[Warning: Unknown Entity Identified – Potential Guardian Class. Estimated Power: Beyond Sovereign Realm.]
"Are you the guardian of Seraphbane?" Belarion asked.
The figure chuckled. "No. I am its prisoner. But you… you could be its liberator. Or its doom."
The system chimed.
[Main Quest Update: The Seraph's Trial.] [Objective: Defeat or Bind the Ancient Soul. Unseal the Scroll of Starfire.] [Reward: Unique Law Comprehension – Starlight Dominion.]
Belarion's pulse quickened.
He stepped forward.
"Let's see if I can surprise even you."
To be continued in Chapter 4: Duel of the Forgotten Flame…