Harvie stood on the rooftop of the Rivenfold dorms. The wind was cold, brushing through his messy hair. The stars above were quiet tonight, like they knew something had changed. His heart beat slow, steady—but he knew it wasn't normal. He had died again. This time, it was an assassin.
He closed his eyes.
Reset.
He remembered the pain. The sharp blade through his chest. The way his blood soaked into the floor. And Edna's voice screaming his name.
Harvie touched his chest. It was fine now, but his mind remembered.
He had to find out who did it.
---
The next morning, Rivenfold was calm. The bells rang for morning training, and students ran toward the central yard. Harvie didn't join them. Instead, he walked toward the east wing—where the old archives were kept.
He passed by Edna, who waved to him. Her hair was tied up, her armor light. She smiled.
"You're skipping drills?" she asked.
Harvie nodded. "Need to check something."
"Don't go too far alone," she said. "Strange things are happening lately."
"I know."
He walked away before she could ask more.
---
The east wing was dusty and quiet. Broken shelves, old scrolls, and forgotten rooms. Harvie searched for a hidden stairway he saw during one of his resets.
He found it behind a statue of the First Seal-bearer.
Going down the stone steps, he reached a cold chamber. Inside, he found old weapons, sealed containers, and something strange—a broken dagger with red patterns.
When he touched it, the system pinged.
> [WARNING: Weapon contains corrupted essence.]
[Skill eligible for copy: Memory Pierce]
Harvie closed his eyes.
Copy Skill: Memory Pierce
His head spun. Then he saw something.
A face.
A girl—burning.
Screams. Over and over. The same face. The same fire. Her small hands, trying to hold her heart as flames consumed her.
"Stop," Harvie whispered, breathing hard. "That's… Edna."
It was her memory. Her pain.
The dagger had her memory inside.
---
Suddenly, a noise.
Harvie turned.
A figure appeared from the shadows. Red mask. Long black coat. Twin blades.
"You weren't supposed to find that," the masked man said. "Now you die."
Harvie jumped back, activating [Crimson Barrier]. A wave of red energy shielded him from the first attack.
But the enemy was fast.
Steel clashed. Harvie fought, but the man was trained—each strike was aimed to kill.
Harvie rolled to the side and used the new skill.
Memory Pierce!
His dagger flashed. It stabbed the masked man's arm.
And then—Harvie saw the man's memory.
---
A red room. Dozens of children lined up.
"You will kill the Seal-bearers," a voice said. "You are the Crimson Agents. There is no mercy."
The man, just a boy then, nodded with fear in his eyes.
---
Harvie pulled back. "You're being used," he said.
But the man didn't stop.
"I chose this," he whispered. "To stop monsters like you."
Harvie stabbed him through the heart.
The man fell.
> [Skill copied: Shadow Slice]
Harvie was breathing hard. Blood on his hands again.
His mind was quiet.
But his heart was shaking.
---
He carried the broken dagger to his room. Sat on the bed. Looked at it for a long time.
Edna's memory. Her screams. Her pain.
He didn't know how much more he could carry.
Then he looked at the window. Edna was outside, training, fire swirling around her.
Beautiful. Strong. Still smiling.
He closed the curtain.
"I'll protect you," he said. "Even if it means becoming a monster."
The dagger glowed faintly red.