"To ring a bell again is to promise the world that someone still listens."
—Inscription on Bell 3's internal resonance cage
+43 Days After the Ashen Vault Defense
Location: Bell 3 – Dustlands, Eastern Arc
The sun broke through thin clouds as jagged winds curled over Bell 3's top spire. Teams of Stormwatch engineers, Dustwoken shapers, and Sable Fang metalcasters swarmed the old scaffolding under Jag's direct command.
At the tower's base stood the Glyphhammer of Haru Everdeep, now humming faintly with Jag's echo signature. Next to it, the Cracked Heartbell Core, partially stabilized.
Rain triple-checked the rune lines.
Verana called down from the upper floor, "Glyph seams are aligned!"
Ashra stood at Jag's side. "This is the loudest we've been in days."
Jag gripped the Glyphhammer.
"And that's the point."
[System Subquest: Reforge the Choir – Phase II]
Objective: Reforge Bell 3 and activate harmonic resonance
Requirements Met:
• Glyphhammer obtained
• Heartbell Core stabilized
• Dustwoken Ritual Assistants available
Threat Warning: Area-wide Echo Flare may be triggered upon activation
Reward: Choir Node 1 Reactivated
Passive Bonus: Echo Suppression Radius (500m)
The Ritual Begins
As the first strikes rang out, sparks flared through the metal. Each blow of the Glyphhammer echoed like a heartbeat—resonant, deep, and growing steadier.
The Heartbell Core began to pulse in sync, the fracture lines glowing gold.
Verana read aloud the old rite:
"In the name of silence broken,
We ring for those who fell unspoken."
Jag delivered the final strike—and the bell sang.
A sound sharp enough to pierce through memory drift. Low enough to shake the bones. Clean enough to split silence itself.
[Choir Bell Node Reforged – Bell 3 Reactivated]
Passive Effects:
• Reduced echo corruption in radius
• Stormwatch Command Relay unlocked for east sector
Optional Upgrade: Add Dustwoken Harmonizer Glyph for stealth detection boost
System Prompt: Memory Flare Detected
Just as the bell stabilized, the ground shuddered. Air thickened. A golden haze spread like ink through water.
Rain's scanners snapped red.
"Echo Loop forming — someone buried beneath is remembering."
A sudden rumble split the tower's foundation.
Ashra drew her twin sabers. "That's not just memory leaking. That's resonance retribution."
Boss Encounter – "Chorus of the Forgotten"
Classification: Class B- Echo Construct
Threat Level: High – Unstable Formations
Traits:
• Spawns fragments of lost soldiers bound to old harmonic signatures
• Can mimic command voices from Jag's past
Weakness: Disruption via opposite frequency (requires Rain + Verana coordination)
Battle Highlights
• Dozens of fragmented phantoms rose from the dust — spectral Stormwatch soldiers locked in endless drill routines.
• They called Jag by his real name — not the one he was given here.
• Rain fired alternating echo pulses to break their formations.
• Verana inverted a glyph sequence to collapse the memory loops.
• Jag used "Hammer of Resound" mid-strike to silence the leading phantom with a warcry of his own:
"We march forward — not in their shadow, but for our own dawn!"
[Chorus of the Forgotten Defeated – Echo Zone Stabilized]
Item Acquired: Harmonic Prism Core (Used for advanced choir tuning)
New Ability Unlocked: "Resound Order"
• Temporarily boosts morale and clarity of allied units in corrupted zones
Aftermath – Bell 3 Fully Operational
As silence settled, Bell 3 stood reborn. Its tones hummed gently in the background, like a heartbeat for a land starting to remember itself.
Dustwoken elders approached Jag at dusk. The lead glyphwalker placed a hand on the base of the bell.
"We forgot why we feared silence. Now, you've reminded us."
Jag nodded.
"There are five more bells."
Rain exhaled.
"And gods know what's buried beneath the rest."
Verana marked their next coordinates on her map. "Bell 4 fell in on itself. If we want to reactivate it… we'll need to dig."
Jag stared at the horizon.
"Then bring shovels."