They said she was a myth.
The silent girl who lived among the dead books, whose presence warped spells, silenced noise, and drove lesser mages mad.
They called her a ghost.
But Ryon knew better.
Because the System called her Thread Eight.
> System Alert: New Soul Thread Detected
Identity: ???
Location: Obsidian Tower – 13th Floor
Codename: The Archivist
Status: Soul Seal Locked (Advanced)
Danger Level: Medium
Emotion: Suppressed
Access Condition: Answer the Forgotten Question
The Tower of Lost Tomes
The Obsidian Tower wasn't on any map.
It appeared only at dusk—half shrouded in illusions, guarded by scholars who spoke in riddles. Ryon passed them using the seal Lyria gave him after their pact.
Inside, the tower smelled of dust and soul ash.
Books whispered.
Magic vibrated faintly underfoot.
And on the 13th floor, beneath a broken skylight, he saw her.
She sat cross-legged among scattered pages, barefoot, hair silver-white and glowing faintly in the shadows. Her fingers danced through invisible threads—books opening at her command, pages flipping without touch.
She didn't look up.
Didn't greet him.
But whispered:
"You're late."
The Forgotten Question
"You know who I am?" Ryon asked.
The girl's eyes—silver with no pupils—finally rose to meet his.
"I know what you are."
She waved a hand. A book snapped shut beside him. Another opened.
"You're the reborn one. The cursed soul who walks on borrowed time. The harem-maker. The anomaly."
She tilted her head.
"But none of that matters unless you can answer."
"Answer what?"
Her lips curled.
> "What was the last thing you forgot before you died?"
> System Trigger: Soul Test Initiated
Target: The Archivist
Thread Type: Memorybound
Condition: Complete the Forgotten Memory Trial
Risk: Temporary Identity Disruption
Reward: Bond Path Unlock / Soul Archive Access
Memory Trial
Ryon stood frozen.
And the tower shifted.
The books melted. The air thickened. Suddenly, he was back—
Back in the North.
Snow falling.
His brother screaming.
Flames rising.
But one detail was wrong.
He wasn't holding a wand.
He was holding...
A mirror.
And in its reflection—he wasn't Ryon.
He was someone else.
A face with violet eyes. A tattooed rune above his brow. A whisper in his mind:
> "You were never supposed to be born… but you were made."
He gasped, falling to one knee in the tower. The Archivist knelt before him, her gaze now curious—almost tender.
"You're remembering," she whispered.
"I'm... not who I thought I was."
"No," she said. "You're worse—and better. That's why I waited."
She leaned forward, touching her forehead to his.
"I remember for those who forget. Let me carry some of yours."
> System Update:
The Archivist's Bond: 0% → 14%
Soul Status: Memory Link Initiated
New Ability Unlocked: Recall Fragment – Recover hidden truths once per day
Soul Thread 8 Claimed
Core Integrity: +3%
Time Remaining: 4 Days, 18 Hours
Archive Access: GRANTED
Before He Left
"Do you have a name?" he asked softly.
The girl hesitated.
Then whispered, "Neive."
"Thank you, Neive."
"No," she said, rising back into her books.
"Remember me. That's thanks enough."
Far below the tower, as Ryon stepped back into the evening wind, the books behind him sighed like sleeping stars.
And Neive smiled for the first time in years.