The morning after the storm was unnaturally bright.The city looked clean, almost peaceful — as if the rain had washed away not just the dirt, but every trace of what happened the night before.
Adrian knew better.The bond with Lucien still pulsed in his chest, like a quiet heartbeat under his ribs.
[Synchronization: 19.8%][Heroic Echo — Lucien: Dormant. Emotional Stability: Stable.]
He left early, heading toward the outskirts where the ruins of an old church stood. It had once been a training ground for young heroes — before they cast him out.
Each step on the cracked stones echoed with memory.The faces of those who had laughed, the voice of the instructor who told him he "didn't have what it takes."
And then—
[Warning: Unknown Entity Detected.]
A figure stood among the shattered pillars.Golden hair. White cloak. A blade etched with holy runes.
Adrian froze. He knew that face.Leon Varelius, one of the youngest heroes to ever be knighted. The "Son of the Light."
Leon turned, his blue eyes sharp but strangely sorrowful."Adrian… it really is you."
"Didn't expect me to still be breathing?" Adrian's tone was dry, his hand tightening slightly.
Leon sighed. "I expected you to stay gone. You were erased from the registry, your soul marked as unstable. You shouldn't exist."
Adrian laughed softly, the sound hollow."So the 'system' decides who gets to exist now? How heroic."
Leon's jaw tightened. "You don't understand. You're… not yourself anymore. The readings from your last appearance were corrupted with—"
[Interference Detected.][Lucien: Resonance Initiated.]
The air shifted. Behind Adrian, a faint spectral figure appeared — armor cracked, eyes burning faint violet.Leon instantly drew his sword. "A bound Echo? You're playing with cursed souls now?"
Adrian's smirk returned. "No. I'm listening to the ones your kind silenced."
A silence heavy as iron fell between them.Raindrops from a cracked roof dripped steadily onto the floor, marking time before the storm.
Leon raised his sword. "Then by the decree of the Heroic Order, I will end this corruption."
Adrian extended his hand calmly. "Lucien."
The spirit's form solidified, drawing an ethereal blade that shimmered with spectral light.For the first time, the boy and the ghost stood together — fragments of rejection bound by vengeance.
The clash was instant.Light met shadow. Holy aura burned against the Abyssal resonance.
Each strike sent ripples through the ruined church. Statues shattered, dust swirling in waves.Leon's sword cut through air like thunder, but Lucien parried with a calm, precise rhythm.
Adrian stood behind, his eyes glowing faintly. He felt every movement through their link — every surge of anger, every memory of betrayal.
[Skill Activated: Abyssal Feedback][Effect: Converts emotional energy into strength.]
Lucien's strikes grew heavier. Leon stumbled, his glowing blade dimming under pressure.
"Impossible…" Leon gasped. "A cursed Echo… adapting?"
Adrian stepped forward, voice cold."You call it cursed because you fear what you don't control."
He raised his hand. Black energy spiraled around his palm, forming faint, unstable runes.
[New Sub-Skill Generated: Fragment of the Void]
The rune pulsed — and exploded.A wave of dark energy rippled outward, throwing Leon back across the debris. His armor cracked, light flickering weakly.
When the dust settled, Adrian approached slowly."You came to judge me, Leon. But look around."
He gestured at the destruction, the broken statues of saints, the silent walls.
"Your light destroys just as much as my darkness."
Leon coughed, blood staining his lips. "You… don't have to walk this path, Adrian. There's still a place for you—"
"No."
The word hit like a hammer. Adrian's eyes glowed fully violet now.
"There was never a place. You made sure of that."
He turned away. Lucien's spectral figure followed, fading slowly into mist.
Behind him, Leon fell to his knees — not dead, but defeated.
[Synchronization Increased: 24.3%][System Notice: Emotional Anchor Strengthened.]
Adrian looked toward the cloudy sky."This world judges without understanding. Fine."
He smiled faintly."Then I'll become the judgment it fears."