Fog over Edenfall
The entire city wakes up covered in a thick fog, red like diluted blood. The sky seems to have forgotten its original color. The bells of the Northern Sanctuary toll untouched. In the silence, the inhabitants of Edenfall feel an inner tension, a vibration that comes not from the air, but from memory.
Akihiko wakes up with a start. Not from a nightmare, but because his Void is throbbing, as if something is calling him from outside... or from within.
The Hidden Message in the Blood
Lirea analyzes the word "Zarek," which appeared on his arm as a spontaneous tattoo. He discovers that the letters are formed by microcracks in the skin that don't bleed, but vibrate. Using a resonance reader, he translates the pulse: it's not a name, it's a coordinate and a warning. A forbidden place: the Bloodline Grave , where traitors from all the mafias were buried more than three hundred years ago.
III. The Expedition of the Sleeping Blood
Akihiko, Lirea, Nasha, Sael, and a new ally named Dreiss —a tracker capable of detecting lies through scent—head toward the Bloodline Trench. The journey is riddled with ancient traps and memory-repelling fields. Every step makes them forget personal fragments. Sael forgets his name for half an hour. Dreiss forgets the reason for his hatred.
The Lineage Grave
The Pit is a colossal vertical structure made of living obsidian. As they descend, each wall reflects distorted versions of their faces. At the bottom, they find the Substitutes , failed fragments of former mobsters recreated by Noctheros in his experiments with voice and blood.
Combat against the Substitutes
Each must confront a corrupted version of themselves. Akihiko battles his doppelganger, wielding a Pure Black Void. Lirea faces an emotionless version who only follows orders. Nasha sees her self filled with pride and betrayal. The battles aren't just physical, but psychological. To win, they must forgive parts of their past.
The Reliquary of the Silenced Lineage
After defeating them, they discover an altar containing reliquaries from all the ancient mafias. Upon touching it, Dreiss has a vision: Zarek is not human, but a crystallized concept, a Voice of Extinction created by the accumulated hatred of the destroyed mafia bloodlines. His current form is merely a vessel.
VII. The Awakening of the Second Voice
On the surface, Edenfall is attacked by another emissary of Noctheros: Sovahr , the Silent Executioner. His ability, Inertia Mirror , allows him to return any physical or mental action with double the intensity. He battles Vareen, who barely survives after exploiting his partial self-destruct technique, Progressive Fragmentation .
VIII. The Decision of the Fractal Council
The remaining mafia clans call an urgent council. Some propose yielding to Noctheros to avoid extinction. Others want to join Akihiko in a final counterattack. The council ends up divided. A new clan emerges from the shadows: the Tharn . Their leader, Mezrek , offers his support to Akihiko, but in return demands full access to the Blood Archive.
The Pact of the Eternal Wound
Akihiko agrees under one condition: that Mezrek reveal the location of the Simile of the Original Voice , an ancient mask that allowed one to resist Zarek's influence. Mezrek agrees, but warns: whoever wears it will hear all the screams of the bloodline at once. The mask is buried in the Corridor of Broken Sorrow , a crypt sealed by seven curses.
The Prelude to the Final Scream
Akihiko and his team depart for the Corridor. Meanwhile, Zarek begins speaking through the dreams of the children of Edenfall. He teaches them strange songs that become codes to activate dormant structures. The streets begin to change shape, as if Edenfall no longer belongs to them.