The sky burned.
Not with fire.
With memory.
Across the kingdom, people looked upward as strange lights spread through the clouds. Images flickered among them—cities of crystal, armies of gold, and towers that touched the stars.
Visions.
The past was waking.
Haken followed Aurelia through the ruins of the chapel.
Around them, the earth continued to tremble.
"Tell me the truth," Haken said.
"The whole truth."
Aurelia stopped.
For a moment, she looked less like a queen and more like a tired woman carrying centuries of regret.
"You deserve it."
She touched one of the broken stones.
Light spread across its surface.
The vision began.
A kingdom appeared.
Not the current one.
Something older.
Greater.
A city built from white stone and silver flame.
People walked freely through streets glowing with magic.
Children laughed.
No monsters.
No curses.
No fear.
"The First Kingdom," Aurelia whispered.
"The world before darkness ruled men's hearts."
Haken watched silently.
"What happened?"
A shadow crossed her face.
"We became afraid."
The vision changed.
Kings argued.
Priests demanded power.
Armies marched.
The people who once protected one another began fighting for control.
"The First Flame was created to unite them."
Golden fire erupted across the vision.
Beautiful.
Warm.
Hope itself given form.
"But hope is difficult."
Aurelia's voice grew quiet.
"Power is easier."
Far below the earth...
Vivi stood before Ruin.
Another chain shattered.
CLANG.
The sound rolled through the darkness.
"You were there," Vivi said.
"When the First Kingdom fell."
Ruin chuckled.
"I was there before it existed."
His eyes burned brighter.
"They created the Flame because they feared me."
"And then they fed me."
"What does that mean?"
The creature leaned forward.
"They gave me their anger."
"Their greed."
"Their hatred."
"Their despair."
His chains rattled.
"I am not a monster, child."
"I am what people become when they stop believing."
For the first time...
Vivi felt fear.
Not because of his power.
Because part of what he said sounded true.
The vision continued.
The First Kingdom burned.
Cities fell.
Friends turned against friends.
Brother fought brother.
And at the center of it all stood a young Aurelia.
Crying.
Holding the First Flame.
"I couldn't save them," she whispered.
"I could only save what remained."
Haken watched as she and others performed a ritual.
A prison formed.
Massive chains of light wrapped around a dark figure.
Ruin.
"You imprisoned him."
"We sacrificed everything."
Aurelia's eyes filled with sorrow.
"The kingdom."
"The crown."
"Our future."
Everything vanished into darkness.
Then Haken noticed something.
Someone else stood beside Aurelia during the ritual.
A man.
His face hidden.
His hand resting on the chains.
"Who's that?"
Aurelia froze.
For the first time...
She looked afraid.
"He was my greatest friend."
Her voice cracked.
"And my greatest mistake."
Haken frowned.
"What happened to him?"
Aurelia slowly closed her eyes.
"He became Viper."
Silence.
Deep underground, Vivi staggered backward.
Another chain broke.
Only a few remained now.
CLANG.
CLANG.
CLANG.
Ruin smiled.
"Aurelia told you the story of the kingdom."
"But she never told you mine."
Darkness gathered around him.
The chamber shook.
"You think I was imprisoned because I am evil."
His burning eyes locked onto hers.
"No."
His voice became a whisper.
A terrible whisper.
"I was imprisoned because I was right."
Suddenly the chamber exploded with black light.
And Vivi saw something impossible.
The final moments of the First Kingdom.
Not from Aurelia's eyes.
From Ruin's.
And what she saw made her blood run cold.
Because someone had lied.
For centuries.