The stairwell spiraled downward endlessly, lit by pulsing veins of crimson crystal embedded in the walls. The further they descended, the less the world felt like stone and more like something organic. The walls breathed. Faint vibrations echoed beneath their boots—not sound, but rhythm.
A heartbeat.
The Codex's.
[Trial Zone: Crimson Depths – Tier II Ascension Path]
[Active Members: Kieran Vale | Riven Amari | Ashen Lyel][Trial Status: Initiated]
[Warning: Trial of Memory – Phase One Engaging]
[Objective: Witness. Endure. Accept.]
At the bottom of the stairs, they stepped into a circular chamber.
It was vast—larger than it should have been, impossibly so. A dome of black and red stone arched overhead, its surface etched with faintly glowing runes that shifted every few seconds. Bloodlight poured from cracks in the floor, casting long shadows across the room.
In the center stood seven mirrors.
Each one different. Each one incomplete—cracked, clouded, fractured.
Ashen froze.
Riven tensed, eyes darting across the room. "This isn't normal."
"No," Ashen murmured. "It's worse."
Kieran approached the closest mirror. His reflection looked back—then blinked out of sync.
Not a copy. Not him.
[Codex Note: Phase One – The Mirror of Memory]
[You must each face the moment you buried. Only those who accept it may move forward.]
[Warning: Denial will result in fragment corruption.]
Kieran turned to the others. "We're being forced to relive something. A core moment. One we've tried to forget."
Riven looked away. "I know what mine is."
Ashen's expression darkened, but she said nothing.
The first mirror pulsed red.
And Kieran stepped forward.
He stood in a hospital hallway.
Everything was dim. Silent.
The scent of antiseptic filled his nose. White lights flickered overhead. The Codex was gone—no interface, no numbers. Only memory.
He turned a corner and saw himself.
Younger. Slouched in a metal chair, head down, phone in hand.
He remembered this.
Liana was supposed to call him for a ride.
He had seen the call.
And ignored it.
"Just five more minutes," he'd told himself.
The younger version of himself sat frozen in the chair, scrolling.
The hallway darkened.
A nurse burst through the swinging doors ahead, shouting something.
The scene fractured.
Police. Lights. Screams.
An officer saying: "She didn't make it."
[Codex Interface Reactivated]
[Do you accept this moment as your burden?]
[Y / N]
Kieran stood in silence for a long time.
"I could've been there," he whispered.
"I could've saved her."
He stepped toward his younger self—and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
The boy didn't look up.
Kieran closed his eyes.
"Yes," he said. "I accept it."
[Acceptance Registered – Trial Phase Complete][Blood Codex Affinity +3%]
[Resonance Unlocked: Crimson Reflection]– Grants limited ability to channel past pain into power.– When HP drops below 25%, gain +5 Strength and +10% blood skill speed for 30 seconds.– Cooldown: Once per battle.
When he opened his eyes again, he stood in the chamber once more.
One mirror had shattered.
Ashen looked at him with quiet understanding.
"You saw her," she said.
He nodded.
Riven stepped forward next.
Her mirror showed a battlefield.
Flames consumed buildings. Cries filled the air.
She ran—blade in hand, breath ragged.
And then she found her.
A younger girl, half-buried beneath rubble. Wide eyes. Broken leg.
Riven tried to pull her out. Screamed for help.
But she didn't lift fast enough.
The wall collapsed.
Blood. Silence.
The girl didn't move again.
And Riven just stood there, shaking.
Frozen.
[Do you accept this moment as your burden?]
Riven knelt beside the memory, silent.
Then whispered, "I never deserved to live."
She touched the girl's bloodied hand.
"Yes."
[Acceptance Registered – Trial Phase Complete][Anchor Sync Deepened – Trust Level 3]
[New Skill: Shared Surge (Lv. 1)]– Temporarily share buff effects with bonded user (Kieran)– Duration: 10 seconds. Cooldown: 4 minutes.
She returned to the chamber without a word.
Kieran met her eyes—but said nothing.
She didn't need words.
Then came Ashen.
Her mirror did not pulse red.
It pulsed black.
The room dimmed as she approached.
Kieran and Riven watched as she vanished into the reflection.
The silence that followed was unnatural.
Even the Codex went still.
[Error: Path memory locked][Override key recognized – Precursor status confirmed]
[Accessing sealed Proto-Core]
When Ashen returned, her hands trembled.
But her eyes blazed.
"What did you see?" Kieran asked.
Her voice was flat.
"My mother's last breath."
And then the chamber shook.
All seven mirrors shattered.
The ground cracked—and a stairwell opened beneath the center of the room.
[Phase One Complete – All Candidates Accepted]
[Phase Two Unlocking: Core Chamber – Blood Ascension Path]
[Codex Fragment 4/7 Available]
[Warning: Combat Trial Initiating]
Ashen turned to them, still pale but steady.
"She died activating a path like this one," she whispered. "Now it's our turn."
Kieran looked into the descending stairwell, the light below blood-red and pulsing.
No more mirrors.
No more memories.
Only judgment.