The Archive's golden barrier hissed like a living thing, holding back a pressure that scraped against the veil of reality. Outside, the Sovereign's presence pressed against the walls — a slow, deliberate force, neither frenzied nor desperate. It was patient. And ancient.
Ren stood with his palm still resting on the final tablet, its glow slowly fading.
"They'll break through," Kael said grimly.
"Not yet," Ilis replied. Her eyes were closed, sensing the current of power. "The seal will hold for a while, but when it breaks, it'll be all at once."
Meka approached the center platform, her gaze flicking between the floating crystal spires. "If the Hollow Sovereign is here… then everything changes."
System Update
Sovereign-Class Threat Detected
Initiating Tactical Protocol Sync
Generating Battle Forecast...
Estimated Survival Odds Without Intervention: 17%
Ren's jaw tightened. "We've had worse odds."
Notice: Memory of the Fractured Seed now accessible.
Remaining Sync: 39%
Unlocking Memory Trial: The First Collapse
"Do we engage that now?" Kael asked. "In the middle of this?"
"We can't stop the Sovereign yet," Ren answered. "But if this trial gives me more access to the Seed's true power, I'll take the risk."
Ilis nodded. "We'll keep watch. You go in."
Ren closed his eyes and triggered the trial.
Initiating Memory Trial: The First Collapse
Warning: Memory trials are not simulations. Events experienced will imprint physically and mentally. Proceed?
He confirmed.
In a blink, the Archive vanished.
And the world… changed.
Ren stood not as himself, but in the body of someone else — someone older, taller, wrapped in robes of black and white. Around him was a city in flames. The sky boiled with crimson energy, and creatures with twisted limbs and empty eyes poured from rifts in space.
This was the Collapse.
The Seed burned in his chest — not fractured yet, but unstable, reacting violently to the chaos.
He knew his mission. Hold the line. Prevent full breach.
The trial wasn't about winning — it was about understanding.
He fought, each movement powered by instinct not his own. Swords of light flickered to life. Shields erupted from the air. He channeled both healing and destruction, flipping between the dual aspects of the Seed with fluid control.
But with each victory, the city died a little more.
And finally, in the heart of the battle, he saw her — the original bearer.
She stood on a shattered bridge, her back to a collapsing sky, and whispered one final incantation.
The Seed fractured.
The world buckled.
And Ren was thrown back.
Memory Trial Complete
Sync Progress: 100%
Duality Protocol Unlocked
He staggered, gasping, back into the Archive.
His team surrounded him, worried, but he waved them off.
"I saw it," he said hoarsely. "Why the Seed fractured. She chose to save a few instead of obeying the whole."
"And now?" Ilis asked.
"I carry both halves. I can restore and destroy. But I have to choose every time I act."
System Status: Duality Mode Enabled
Title Unlocked: Sovereign Catalyst
Perk: Action Determines Alignment — Restoration or Ruin
Next Evolution Trigger: Direct Confrontation with Sovereign-Class Entity
As if summoned by the words, the golden barrier shattered behind them.
And there, stepping through the smoke and light, was a figure wrapped in silence.
The Hollow Sovereign.
He wasn't armored. He didn't need to be. His body was a hollow echo, a void molded into humanoid form, wearing the mask of what once was a god.
"System bearer," the Sovereign spoke, voice like crushed stone. "You carry stolen legacy."
Ren stepped forward. "It's mine now."
The Sovereign tilted its head. "Then prove your worth — or be erased."
Boss Battle: Hollow Sovereign (Fragmented Form)
Danger Level: Catastrophic
Synchronization in Progress…
All allies will receive temporary buffs based on your Seed alignment.
Kael cracked his neck. "Guess we're doing this."
Ilis smiled grimly. "Together."
Ren drew both hands forward, and for the first time, both aspects of the Seed lit in unison — one hand blazing with silver light, the other burning with shadow.
As the Archive trembled and battle began, Ren felt it deep within:
This was no longer about survival.
This was the proving ground.