It lay hidden beyond the Veil of Sorrow, a jagged formation of salt cliffs and ancient ash dunes rising from a cursed sea. The Isle of First Silence was said to be where the gods buried their first regrets—where voices went to die.
And Belarion was going back.
Kaelira stood beside him at the prow of the darkwind skiff. The sky above churned with ethereal gales, and the water below shimmered with mirage fire.
"Are you sure this is where it ends?" she asked.
"No," he replied. "But it's where I ended. Once. Before the fire found me."
Arrival on the Isle
They passed through layers of ancient wards and silence fields. Magic here didn't die; it slept, waiting to be awakened. The skiff landed upon a shore of black silt, and no sound followed their steps.
System Warning: [You have entered a Divine Forbidden Zone: 'The Isle of First Silence.' Skill usage reduced by 65%. Communication functions restricted.]
Kaelira touched her throat. "I can't speak."
Belarion nodded grimly. His system interface flickered wildly.
[Quest Update: Explore the Grave of Origins. Time Limit: 72 hours.]
They moved inland, past pillars carved with pre-language glyphs. Each stone hummed as they approached, resonating with memories not their own.
Belarion placed a hand on one, and the world swirled.
A Memory Reclaimed
He was falling.
The sky above him cracked. Blades of divine fire rained down. A voice screamed his name—but not the one he bore now.
"Thaleon!"
The memory surged: a prince, an exile, a betrayer who had tried to steal flame from a slumbering god. The first silence was not divine—it was punishment.
He collapsed to his knees.
Kaelira steadied him. Their eyes met, and in the silence, understanding passed between them.
He had been here before.
He had died here.
But the fire had not.
The Vault of the Hollow Flame
At the island's heart stood a broken tower swallowed by bone trees. At its base: the Vault. Not locked. Not sealed. Waiting.
Belarion touched the door, and his flame rippled outward.
[System Trait Activated: Willfire. Reality Alignment Threshold Met. Door Responding.]
Inside, a chamber lined with obsidian mirrors. In each reflection, a version of himself—some kind, some cruel, all burned.
One stepped out.
His reflection.
Thaleon.
He looked older. Hardened. More king than man. His flame burned white and cold.
"I failed," the reflection said. "You carry the flame now. What will you do with it?"
Belarion stared him down. "Forge something no god can take."
Thaleon's eyes softened. "Then remember me not as your failure… but your beginning."
They touched palms. Flames merged.
[New Skill Gained: Inheritance of the Hollow Flame. Passive: Immune to divine-level memory erasure. Active: Ignite a moment in time.]
Silence Broken
Kaelira cried out.
Sound returned, like a breath held for centuries.
The island screamed. Mountains shifted. Trees burned from the inside. The sky cracked again—this time not from divine wrath, but awakening.
Belarion stood amid the chaos, flame dancing in arcs of resonance. He raised his hand, and the system responded:
[World Quest Initiated: Rise of the Sparkborn. Status: Global.]
In the sky above the world, across continents and hidden dominions, ancient beings stirred. Old enemies smiled. And forgotten watchers began to descend.
"Let them come," he whispered.
Kaelira nodded, her hand gripping her sword of lightning.
"This time, we burn the world on our terms."
End of Chapter 10
Next: Chapter 11 – Court of the Shattered Heavens.