Secrets at the Heart of the Lake quest in Phantom Blade Zero
Secrets at the Heart of the Lake is a mystery quest under the Mysteries tab in Phantom Blade Zero, set in Village of Lu, Crimson Manor, Forbidden Ruins & Meigu Lake. Follow the dying illusionist Firefly’s Memory Flowers to Dusk’s Refuge, defeat the four hidden Acolytes disguised as talisman scarecrows to enter the Forbidden Ruins, socket both Crystal Eyeballs into Puppet No. 99, and destroy the ritual at the Heart of the Lake.
From the launch game’s own quest log 29 Oct 2026 · objectives and journal notes verified in the release build
Secrets at the Heart of the Lake objectives and walkthrough
The quest has 10 recorded objectives in the game’s quest log, starting with “Find Firefly's Memory Flowers”. Follow the dying illusionist Firefly’s Memory Flowers to Dusk’s Refuge, defeat the four hidden Acolytes disguised as talisman scarecrows to enter the Forbidden Ruins, socket both Crystal Eyeballs into Puppet No. 99, and destroy the ritual at the Heart of the Lake.
“Still waters run deep, concealing the unspeakable”
In-game quest subtitle for Secrets at the Heart of the Lake, Phantom Blade Zero launch build
Secrets at the Heart of the Lake quest objectives and walkthrough steps in order
Step
In-game objective
How to complete & journal note
Step 1
Find Firefly's Memory Flowers
Examine the dying illusionist Firefly’s Memory Flowers, which ask a worthy fighter to help her senior brother Dusk reach the Heart of the Lake and stop an all-consuming catastrophe.
Step 2
Enter Dusk's Refuge
Follow the trail of Firefly’s illusion magic into the canyon behind a northern cottage in the Village of Lu to enter Dusk’s Refuge.
Step 3
Explore the canyon to find Dusk
Pass through the unsealed rear gate of the temple of blue fireflies and find Dusk deep in the canyon.
Step 4
Find a way to enter the Heart of the Lake
After Dusk burns his own life to reveal seven old illusionists maintaining the Rift, search for a way into the Heart of the Lake.
Step 5
Search the Crimson Manor for the Crystal Eyeball [Yang]
Puppet No. 99—the Herald’s favorite—requires a pair of crystal eyes; take Crystal Eyeball [Yin] from the three-eyed puppet in the Herald’s Illusion and recover Crystal Eyeball [Yang] inside the Crimson Manor.
Step 6
Collect the four Acolytes' masks and enter the Forbidden Ruins
Place all four Acolyte masks before the mirror seal so it reflects them simultaneously and opens the Forbidden Ruins.
Step 7
Socket the crystal eyeball into Puppet No. 99
Defeat the Blizzard Blademaster guarding the Forbidden Ruins prison and socket both Crystal Eyeballs into Puppet No. 99.
Step 8
Search for the ritual site at the Heart of the Lake!
Use Puppet No. 99 as the key to reach the underwater ritual site at the Heart of the Lake.
Step 9
Destroy the ‘ritual’ at the Heart of the Lake!
Destroy the seven illusionists’ ritual at the Heart of the Lake before the lake freezes over.
Step 10
Find the scarecrows bearing a talisman and defeat the hidden Acolytes
Find the talisman-marked scarecrows across the regions and defeat the four hidden Acolytes (Yanru, Guhe, Lei Ting, and Hansui) to take their masks.
Quest details, rewards and links
Completing Secrets at the Heart of the Lake counts toward the Forbidden Arts Beneath the Lake trophy and achievement (Complete Secrets at the Heart of the Lake). Required for the True Ending: complete the Forbidden Ruins and Heart of the Lake steps before finishing the late-game story. Use the 9-region Walkthrough and 178 Bell atlas to navigate between checkpoints in Village of Lu, Crimson Manor, Forbidden Ruins & Meigu Lake, and check Side quests and missables before fighting regional cutoff bosses.
Secrets at the Heart of the Lake summary and connected rewards
Where do you start Secrets at the Heart of the Lake in Phantom Blade Zero?
Secrets at the Heart of the Lake is a mystery quest under the Mysteries tab in Phantom Blade Zero, set in Village of Lu, Crimson Manor, Forbidden Ruins & Meigu Lake. Follow the dying illusionist Firefly’s Memory Flowers to Dusk’s Refuge, defeat the four hidden Acolytes disguised as talisman scarecrows to enter the Forbidden Ruins, socket both Crystal Eyeballs into Puppet No. 99, and destroy the ritual at the Heart of the Lake.
What are the steps for Secrets at the Heart of the Lake?
The quest has 10 recorded objectives in the game’s quest log, starting with “Find Firefly's Memory Flowers”. Follow the dying illusionist Firefly’s Memory Flowers to Dusk’s Refuge, defeat the four hidden Acolytes disguised as talisman scarecrows to enter the Forbidden Ruins, socket both Crystal Eyeballs into Puppet No. 99, and destroy the ritual at the Heart of the Lake.
Does Secrets at the Heart of the Lake unlock a trophy or weapon?
Completing Secrets at the Heart of the Lake counts toward the Forbidden Arts Beneath the Lake trophy and achievement (Complete Secrets at the Heart of the Lake). Required for the True Ending: complete the Forbidden Ruins and Heart of the Lake steps before finishing the late-game story.
