At dawn, the palace bell tolled—not for death, but for devotion.
A summon had arrived under royal seal: Ashara was expected at the Temple of the Silent Flame by midmorning. The High Priest had requested her presence personally.
Which meant they were testing her.
"You're certain it's not a trap?" Ezekiel asked as she descended the eastern colonnade. He was armored again, no longer the war hound in exile—but the shadow at her side.
"It's definitely a trap," Ashara said with a faint smile. "But I no longer intend to walk around them. Let them see me walk through."
System Alert – Location: Sacred Ground Detected
Passive Divine Pressure Enabled
All unaligned Users suffer -10% System Efficiency in Temple Radius
⚠️ Loyalty Divergence Risk: All Followers with unresolved faith status
Ashara felt it before she saw it.
As they passed the colonnaded archway into the temple complex, an invisible weight settled on her shoulders. The Sacred Flame, kept burning for over six centuries, flared blue as she approached—an unnatural shade, a reaction to her essence.
A priestess gasped. One acolyte dropped his censer.
Ezekiel's hand went to his sword hilt reflexively.
The High Priest emerged, draped in layers of ivory and bronze-threaded robes, his face painted in accordance with the Divine Tribunal rites.
His voice was silk over steel. "Your Majesty honors the gods with her presence."
"I'm surprised they still allow mine," Ashara said, stepping fully into the sanctum.
The Silent Flame leapt higher.
System Notification – Divine Alignment at Conflict
Influence Detected: [Primordial Remnant – Ashara]
Influence Detected: [Celestial Law – Temple]
System Dialogue Initiated...
"I've come not to pay homage," she continued, "but to ask a question."
The priest narrowed his eyes. "You do not kneel before the Flame."
"I was the flame. Before they tried to snuff me out."
Gasps echoed through the marble halls.
"Blasphemy," someone whispered. "Or… truth?"
Ashara moved closer to the flame, her hand extended.
It should have burned her.
It didn't.
Instead, it curled toward her fingers like a tamed creature, blue turning violet in its core.
Divine Reaction: Unique Trait Identified
➤ Emberbound: You possess partial immunity to Celestial Authority.
Effect: You may bend minor rites, invert divine locks, and command lower sacred entities.
Ashara turned to the priest. "This court kneels before your prophecies, but I have seen what lies beyond them. I have bled from the hands of fate. And I have returned to rewrite its scripture."
The priest's face paled beneath his ceremonial paint.
"You have allied yourself with the Remnant," he said tightly. "The old force. The sealed one."
"No," she said. "It allied with me."
In the chamber of sacred discourse—a relic-carved dome beneath the sanctum—the meeting shifted behind closed doors. No acolytes. No guards. Only Ezekiel remained, standing like a silent sentinel.
"You seek war with the Tribunal," the High Priest said. "That path leads only to calamity."
Ashara sat at the obsidian table across from him.
"I seek balance. For centuries, the divine laws have dictated succession, war, and judgment. You even sanctioned my execution."
He didn't deny it. "The Tribunal only confirms what is written in fate."
Ashara leaned forward. "Then you admit it was written."
"Yes."
"And what happens when a woman with ink and fire rewrites the page?"
The silence was total.
System Prompt – Divine Doctrine Rebuttal Attempt Detected
Initiating Rhetorical Trial...
Success Probability: 47%
Passive Bonus from [Voice of the Undying] +15%
Final Probability: 62%
Outcome: Partial Rebuttal Success
Result: The High Priest is now Neutralized – Watchful Doubt
Hidden Consequence: Faction Shift in 1 Divine Seat
The High Priest exhaled slowly. "We will observe. But understand—there are other forces who do not welcome your defiance."
Ashara stood. "They are welcome to try."
As they exited the temple, Ashara paused beneath a mural that spanned the ceiling—depicting the legendary Seven Heralds, divine messengers who once ruled during the Age of Silver. One of the faces now seemed clearer than before—her own.
A warning. Or a memory.
Ezekiel caught her expression. "What did you see?"
"I think the gods remember me," she murmured. "Even if they buried the proof."
That evening, she locked herself in her study. The system had been quiet since the temple—too quiet.
She reached toward the Divine Codex embedded within her palm.
System Tutorial Unlocked – Loyalty Mechanics & Divine Threat Scaling
Initiating Download…
[LOYALTY SYSTEM – ADVANCED MECHANICS]
Overview:
Your power as a system-bound entity is tied to the loyalty of key allies. Loyalty is not linear—it fluctuates based on emotional proximity, past-life entanglements, current actions, and external manipulation by divine entities.
Mechanics Breakdown:
Loyalty Tier Thresholds:
0–29%: Rebellious / Unreliable
30–59%: Neutral / Susceptible to external influence
60–79%: Loyal / Conditional trust
80–100%: Bound / Sacrificially loyal
Critical Trait: BLOOD OATHED Allies
➤ They take System Backlash damage in your stead.
➤ Their memories may unlock during Crisis Events.
Divine Threat Scaling:
The Tribunal (Celestial Authority) adapts dynamically to your growing presence. Your defiance accelerates threat spawns in both mortal and metaphysical realms.
Current Threat Level: Ascending – Tier II
Projected Manifestation: Hostile Prophets, Sanctified Assassins, Relic Corruption
Next Boss Entity: The Herald of Purity (ETA: 3–5 chapters)
Ashara's eyes narrowed.
She needed more allies. And faster.
The divine war was no longer theoretical.
It was approaching.