Chapter 7: Shadows of the Past
Days passed, and Kaden sank deeper and deeper into the Academy's archives. Every book, every scroll, every artifact seemed to contain a piece of the puzzle, but the more he learned, the more he realized how complex and mysterious the Towers were.
One evening, as sunlight filtered through the stained glass windows of the archive room, Kaden stumbled upon a particular book. It was older than the others, its leather blanket worn and its pages yellowed by time. The title, engraved in gold letters, read: *The Chronicles of the Founding Heroes*.
"What is this?" he asked Lira, who was sitting next to him.
"Lira looked up from her own book, her green eyes shining with interest." This is the story of the seven Founding Heroes, the first Awakened to face the Towers. They were the most powerful of their time... and the first to fall."
Kaden carefully opened the book, his fingers touching the fragile pages. The illustrations were beautiful, depicting epic battles, terrifying monsters, and heroes with incredible powers.
"Look," he said, pointing to a page in Lira. "They had gifts like mine."
Lira bent down to look, her black hair falling on her shoulders." Yes, but they only had one each. You have three. That's what makes you unique."
Kaden felt a shiver of excitement running through his back. He turned the pages, absorbing every detail, every story. But as he reached the end of the book, something caught his attention.
"Wait," he said, stopping on a particular page. "Something is missing."
Lira frowned." What do you mean?"
Kaden showed a series of torn pages, the edges still visible in the binding." Someone ripped off pages. Why? "
Lira took the book, examining the torn pages carefully." It's strange. These archives are supposed to be protected. No one should be able to get anything out of it."
Kaden felt a weight on his shoulders. He didn't know what those pages contained, but he knew it was important.
"We need to talk to Kaela about it," he said at last.
Lira nodded." Yes, but be careful. There are things the Academy prefers to keep secret."
Kaela received them in her office, a spacious room filled with books and artifacts. She listened attentively to their discovery, her face impassive but her eyes betraying a subtle anxiety.
"The missing pages," she said at last. "It's an old story. Someone tried to hide information about the Founding Heroes."
"Why?" asked Kaden, feeling a frustration rising in him.
Kaela hesitated, as if she weighed her words." Because the Founding Heroes didn't just fail. They discovered something... something the Towers didn't want us to know."
Kaden felt a shiver running through his back." What did they discover?"
Kaela shook her head." I don't know. But I know it's related to your donations. That's why you're here, Kaden. Not just to learn how to fight, but to find out the truth."
Kaden nodded, feeling a new determination in him. He didn't know what to expect, but he knew he couldn't back down.
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