### **Chapter 8: Shadows of Truth**
Kaela's revelation hovered in Kaden's mind like a persistent shadow. The missing pages of the book of the Founding Heroes, the secret that the Towers wanted to hide, and the link with his three gifts... All this was looping around in his head, preventing him from sleeping. He knew he had to know more, but he didn't know where to start.
The next morning, Kaden went to the archives room before the sun even rose. He was waiting for her there, a bunch of books and scrolls already spread out on a table.
"I spent the night thinking," she said, handing him a cup of smoking tea. "If anyone has ripped off those pages, there's a reason. And if we can't find them, maybe we can find clues elsewhere."
Kaden sat down, taking the cup with gratitude." Do you have any idea where to look?"
Lira nodded, her eyes shining with excitement." The artifacts. The Academy has hundreds of them, and some of them date from the time of the Founding Heroes. Maybe they contain information that the books don't mention."
Kaden felt a thrill of hope running through his back." So where do we start?"
Lira smiled. "Follow me."
The artifact room was a place Kaden had never visited before. Located in the basement of the Academy, it was guarded by reinforced steel doors and protective runes engraved in the walls. Lira had gotten special permission from Kaela to access it, but even so, Kaden felt a tension in the air.
The room was huge, filled with metal shelves on which were laid objects of all kinds: ancient weapons, glittering jewels, fragments of stone engraved with strange symbols. Each artifact seemed to emit subtle energy, as if it were alive.
"Where do we start?" asked Kaden, his eyes running down the shelves.
Lira took a scroll from her pocket, unfolding a handwritten list." I did some research. Some of these artifacts were recovered from the battlefields where the Founding Heroes fell. If we want answers, this is where we'll find them."
They began to scour the shelves, examining each artifact carefully. Kaden felt his gifts react to certain objects, as if they were attracted by their energy.
"Look at this," he said at last, drawing Lira's attention to a gold bracelet engraved with intricate runes.
Lira took the object carefully, her eyes scanning the inscriptions." It's... it's an artifact of Osiris. He belonged to one of the Founding Heroes."
Kaden felt a shiver running through his back." What is he doing?"
Lira shook her head." I don't know. But maybe you can find out."
Kaden took the bracelet, feeling a warm energy flowing in his hand. He put it around his wrist, and immediately, a vision assailed him.
Kaden found himself on a battlefield, the sky glowing as if it were on fire. Monsters of all sizes were fighting Awakened Ones, their cries echoing in the air. In the center of the fray, a man wearing the same bracelet as Kaden raised his arms, summoning a golden light that healed the wounds of his allies.
But as the battle seemed to turn in their favor, something happened. The Towers, in the distance, began to tremble, and an immense shadow rose in the sky. The man with the bracelet shouted something, but Kaden couldn't hear his words.
Then everything went black.
Kaden opened his eyes, panting, and found himself again in the artifact room. Lira was by his side, her face full of concern.
"What happened?" she asked.
Kaden shook his head, trying to gather his thoughts." I saw... I saw a Founding Hero. He used this bracelet to heal his allies. But there was something else... a shadow."
Lira frowned." A shadow?"
Kaden nodded." I don't know what it was, but it was related to the Tours. And it was powerful."
Lira took a notebook and a pen, quickly noting what Kaden had just said." It's a start. If we can find other artifacts related to the Founding Heroes, maybe we can reconstruct what they discovered."
Kaden felt a new determination in him. He didn't know what to expect, but he knew he couldn't back down.
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