Chapter 29: The Garden of Forgotten Bonds

Chapter 29: Chapter 29: The Garden of Forgotten Bonds ???? Previously: With Ursa’s broken smile restored and Floor 3 conquered, the team ascends to the Fourth Floor—only to find that this time, they are not the ones being tested. Instead, the Tower itself is asking a question: "What do you do with love that was left behind?" ???? Welcome to the Garden The moment they stepped into the new floor, the sky overhead dimmed. Flowers bloomed along a path that twisted endlessly in every direction—some radiant, some wilted. Jemil took one step forward and felt something shift. A scent—familiar. A voice—softer than memory. "Jemil..." He turned. And saw her. A woman with hair like autumn flame. The one who’d died before all this began. His first bond. His first loss. ???? System Notification [Floor 4 Trial: The Garden of Forgotten Bonds] [Status: Intimacy Echo Level 1 – Suppressed Emotion Detected] [Objective: Confront the bond you buried to make room for others] The others froze. Mira’s eyes narrowed. "That’s not a dream projection. That’s... a memory made flesh." "It’s pulling our pasts into the present," Aerialra murmured. Lyra glanced at Jemil. "You never told us you had a bond before." "I didn’t think it mattered anymore," he said. But the Tower had decided it did. ????‍????‍???? Her Name Was Kaela The red-haired woman walked toward him barefoot, flowers blooming where she stepped. Kaela. She had been a gentle beast tamer, known not for power, but peace. She and Jemil had planned to build a sanctuary for abandoned beasts—before the corruption took her during a raid gone wrong. "You forgot me," she said. "I buried you," Jemil whispered. "Because remembering... hurt." "You replaced me." "I grew." ???? Tower Challenge: Emotional Confrontation [Trial Type: Unresolved Bond Confrontation] [Your beasts cannot assist you] [You must speak truth, or be consumed by regret] Kaela’s form shimmered—too perfect, too nostalgic. She stepped closer. "Do you love them more than you loved me?" Jemil breathed in, then out. "No. I don’t love them more. I love them differently. Because of what I lost with you." The memory fractured slightly. "You promised me a home." "I built one in your name." "You said I was your only." "I meant it. At the time." ???? Internal Monologue: The Weight of Moving On He could feel it now. The guilt he hadn’t processed. The fear that if he loved again, it would mean Kaela never mattered. But she had. She always would. And that was the point. Moving on didn’t erase her. It honored her. ???? Trial Completion Kaela’s form began to fade—not in pain, but with peace. "Don’t forget me again," she whispered. "I won’t," he said. "But I’ll keep moving forward." [Bond Resolved: Forgotten Love – Stabilized] [New Trait Gained: Heartroom – Jemil can now bond with a 7th beast without emotional overload] [Emotional Core Resilience +20%] [Tower Progress: 4/10 Floors Cleared] ???? Reaction Time The girls said nothing as Kaela vanished. Instead, Ursa stepped forward and hugged him. Then Mira. Then Lyra—awkwardly, but real. Sylfa handed him a flower. "You can keep this one for the garden you never finished." ✅ CTA – Not All Bonds Are Meant to Last Some relationships are meant to be forever. Others teach us how to survive. Kaela may be gone, but her memory is now part of Jemil’s strength—and his heart just made room for more. ???? What would you do if your past love showed up in front of your current partner? ???? Add to Library, tap a Power Stone, and get ready for one of the biggest surprises yet... Next: Chapter 30 – "A Beast Without a Tamer" ????