Eternal Threads: The Cursed Requiem The Eternal Echo

Weeks have passed since the events at the cathedral. Lila sits in her study, surrounded by research papers📑, artifacts, and the now-dormant journal. The ache of Kian’s absence lingers, but her determination has only grown.

A knock on the door breaks the silence. Lila looks up, startled😯. Standing there is Daryn Voss, her tech-savvy best friend, holding a tablet.

Daryn Voss

Lila, you’re not going to believe this.

Lila Rivers (FL)

(tiredly) What now, Daryn?

Daryn Voss

(placing the tablet on the desk) Remember that crest you asked me to look into👁️? It’s been spotted. On an artifact. In Romania.

Lila’s heart skips💞 a beat. She glances at the tablet, which displays an image of an ancient pendant bearing the same intertwined swords crest from the journal.

Lila Rivers (FL)

That’s it. That’s Kian’s crest.

Daryn Voss

(grinning) 😏And guess what? It’s up for auction in two days.

Determined, Lila begins packing her things. The next scene cuts to an opulent auction house in Romania. Lila, dressed elegantly, mingles among the wealthy and mysterious attendees. She feels out of place but keeps her focus on the prize—the pendant encased in glass at the center of the room.

As the auction begins, a man catches Lila’s eye—a tall, rugged figure with a dangerous air. It’s Captain Alden Thorne, now a mercenary hired by a mysterious benefactor. He gives her a sly smirk as he approaches.

Captain Alden Thorne (ML 2)

(low voice) Fancy seeing you here, Miss Rivers. Still chasing ghosts?

Lila Rivers (FL)

(coolly) 😒What are you doing here, Alden?

Captain Alden Thorne (ML 2)

Same as you, I’d guess. That pendant is worth a fortune. And it’s more than just a pretty trinket, isn’t it?

Lila Rivers (FL)

It’s not for sale.😒

Alden chuckles😂 but says nothing more. As the bidding begins, Lila quickly realizes she’s outmatched financially. The pendant is sold to an anonymous buyer. Frustrated, she tails Alden, suspecting his involvement.

A shadowy alley behind the auction house. Lila confronts Alden as he exits the building with a briefcase.

Lila Rivers (FL)

(angrily) 😠You bought it, didn’t you?

Captain Alden Thorne (ML 2)

(raising an eyebrow) Do I look like I have that kind of money🤑? No, but I might know who did.

Before Lila can respond, shadowy figures emerge from the darkness—more of Seraphina’s wraiths. Alden draws a gun, and Lila clutches the journal, which begins to glow faintly again.

Captain Alden Thorne (ML 2)

(grimly) Friends of yours?

Lila Rivers (FL)

Not exactly. Run!😨

The two fight their way out of the alley, Alden using his gun and Lila instinctively wielding the journal’s power to repel the wraiths. They escape to a safe house, where Alden reluctantly agrees to help her.

Inside the safe house, Alden retrieves the pendant from his contact. As Lila holds it, she feels a surge of energy. A vision overtakes her, showing Kian imprisoned in a spectral realm, surrounded by chains forged from Seraphina’s magic.

Kian Solis (ML 1)

(his voice echoing in her mind) Lila… find the shards of the crest. Only then can the curse truly be broken.

Lila snaps back to reality, breathless. Alden watches her with concern.😨

Captain Alden Thorne (ML 2)

What did you see?

Lila Rivers (FL)

Kian. He’s still out there. And he needs me.🥺

Determined, Lila examines the pendant more closely. She realizes it’s one of several pieces of a shattered artifact—the key to freeing Kian and stopping Seraphina once and for all.

Lila Rivers (FL)

We have to find the other shards.

Captain Alden Thorne (ML 2)

(smirking) Sounds like a suicide mission. But I’ve done worse. Count me in.

The act ends with Lila and Alden embarking on their quest to retrieve the shards, unaware that Seraphina watches them from the shadows, her power growing with each passing moment.

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