The Return Undeserved

They'd barely put a day between themselves and Velthram's vault when the aftershocks hit.

Jin Mu was walking with his hands shoved into his coat pockets—a habit he'd picked up in calmer times—when his vision wavered. One moment the canyon walls stood firm; the next, they rippled like heat over a desert road.

"Jin!" Xue Yiran grabbed his arm.

The world bucked beneath him. Dust fell from the ridge. He stumbled, and Su caught him before his knee hit a jutting rock.

He swallowed hard. His chest felt too tight, as if all that new power was trying to punch its way out.

"What—" he gasped.

Camellya's eyes flashed. "Stay with us!"

But his vision narrowed again. He dropped to one knee. The shard of the Bifurcated Seed pressed against his spine, humming in tune with his heartbeat.

A low rumble climbed through him.

He braced a hand on the cold stone. Pain spiked through every vein—as if the shard's energy was slamming him from the inside.

"Forced… breakthrough," he managed, voice cracking.

Shen Yan shouted, "Hold him steady!"

Xue knelt beside him, pressing her palm to his cheek. Her face was pale but fierce. "We won't let go."

It felt like drowning, even though the air in his lungs strained for more. Memories he hadn't lived—snatches of that old Jin Mu's triumphs and terrors—crashed through his mind. Every choice he'd ever made, every sacrifice—including the ones he barely remembered—flared across his vision.

The canyon echoed with the sound of his ragged breaths, his screams halting at the edge of reason.

Su dropped to her knees and laid a hand on Jin's tattooed arm. "Focus on me!" she called. "Your voice!"

He clung to her words. Tried to center on Su's calm certainty, on Xue's steady presence, on Camellya's sharp command, on Shen's unyielding strength.

And then—it snapped.

A surge of quiet power exploded outward. The shard's fractal sigil on his forearm glowed white-hot and then faded—leaving behind a deeper, smoother brand in the shape of a splintering tree.

He coughed, spit blood. His eyes rolled back for a heartbeat, then snapped open—clear, steady, his pupils now encircled by twin rings of light.

"I'm… okay." His voice was low, but certain.

They all exhaled. Even Camellya's guard slipped.

They gave him space to stand. As he straightened, the canyon felt quieter, emptier—as though he'd claimed a piece of it.

Shen checked Jin's arms, nodding at the new brand on the left. "Forced breakthrough," Shen murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

Xue ran a hand over Jin's shoulders. "What changed?"

He flexed both fists. "The Seed's next step… it demanded I earn it. Not by choice, but by… by surviving its trial."

Camellya studied him with a mix of relief and calculation. "That's good. You didn't have time to weigh it, though."

He shook his head. "It chose for me. But it feels… right."

They moved again, slower this time. The canyon gave way to a plateau dotted with black monoliths—each one carved with fragments of old Pathway runes. Camellya paused at one, trailing a finger over the glyphs.

"These once marked the way to the second shard. Now… half of it's here."

Jin knelt to brush the dust away. "So the next fragment's within reach."

"But guarded," Su added, glancing up at the looming stones. "There's a protective seal here."

Camellya raised her hand. "Let me handle it."

She drew a small dagger and cut a single line through the air. The monolith's runes flickered, then went dark. A hollow click sounded beneath their boots.

A hidden stairwell yawned open at the monolith's base—a spiral carved down into the earth.

They exchanged looks.

Xue squared her shoulders. "After you, Jin."

He breathed deeply and led the way.

Light faded quickly as they descended. The air grew cooler, damp with ancient magic. Their lanterns showed walls lined with shallow alcoves—each holding a small glass container. Inside were liquid slivers: molten metal, blood, star dust.

"Fragments of failed Ascensions," Camellya whispered. "Not full Sequences, but pieces. Enough to corrupt or to cure."

Shen frowned. "Why leave them here?"

She shook her head. "To tempt fools."

And at the bottom—a pedestal carved with twin sigils. One for the Emperor, one for the Seed. The second shard floated above it: a pale crystal root twisting around a flicker of amber flame.

Jin stepped forward, heart pounding. "This time, I choose willingly."

He reached out.

But a ripple ran through the shard. A scream echoed in the chamber—raw, furious, inhuman.

The shard recoiled, pulling back, as though it were alive.

Camellya's eyes narrowed. "It's testing you again."

Xue readied her blade. "This isn't a peaceful gift."

Su took one step forward. "We're here for you."

Shen grasped his hilt. "We stand with you."

Jin lifted his hand. "I know."

He closed his eyes—and drew on both Pathways. The Black Emperor's echo steadied his core. The Bifurcated Seed's choice anchored his will.

He placed both hands under the shard.

"I accept the burden of both."

The shard glowed brighter, then snapped downward, embedding itself into his second sigil.

A pulse of energy slammed outward, rattling the stairwell. Dust fell from the ceiling.

When the light faded, the shard was gone—and in its place a thorned root of crystal and ember had formed around his wrist.

He flexed his fingers. "I got it."

They climbed back to daylight, carrying the remainder of the liquid fragments with care.

At the surface, the sky was clearing—and for a moment, the sun peeked between the clouds, as though congratulating them.

Camellya let out a soft laugh. "Another step done."

Shen nodded. "Two down, five to go."

Su smiled tiredly. "And a world still turning."

Xue looked at Jin Mu, admiration soft in her eyes. "You did it."

He met her gaze. "We did it."

They stood together on Velthram's ridge, battered but unbroken—five souls bound by choice, sacrifice, and the promise of reclamation.

And above them, the sky finally sighed open, letting the sun fall on all the broken bits they were determined to rebuild.