The world remembered her as Yui Sakamoto.
But the air around her now whispered another name: Irielle—the Worldbinder, the unseen author of fate.
Azarion knelt beside her, his glowing silver eyes soft despite the terrible power in his aura.
> "You wrote me in sorrow," he said, voice low. "And gave me rage so I could survive your silence."
> "I never meant for any of this to happen," Yui murmured.
> "No author ever does. Until the characters start moving on their own."
---
System Notification
> [Hidden Memory Fragment Recovered]
📖 Draft Chapter: "The Echo King's Rebellion"
Status: Corrupted
Recovery Level: 21%
— Data suggests the Echo King was once a guardian character, twisted after Author's death.
> Trait Unlocked: Author's Echo – You can partially command corrupted characters you've created—if you can remember their original purpose.
---
Meanwhile – Echo Citadel
A man in silver robes stared into a mirror of broken glass.
Each shard shimmered with Yui's face—different versions, from childhood to death.
> "She lives," the Echo King whispered. "Even after all this time…"
He clenched his jaw, the light in his eyes pulsing with anguish.
> "She abandoned us. Left us half-written."
A twisted figure in robes bowed behind him. "What shall we do, my king?"
> "We remind her," the Echo King snarled, "what it means to leave a world unfinished."
---
Return to Camp
Yui stood beside Azarion, Vera, Akari, and Azazel—now temporarily united.
Elion returned from his scout run, face pale.
> "The Echo King is marching on the capital ruins. Ten thousand flamebound warriors. He's coming for you, Yui."
> "No," Azarion said. "He's coming for the throne. If she takes it before he arrives, she claims the right to rewrite fate."
> "The Throne of Ashes," Vera said, eyes wide. "I thought it was just a myth."
Azarion turned to Yui.