The Sanctum's library stood like a cathedral of ancient knowledge, its vaulted ceilings stretching high above rows of aged tomes and crystal-lit scrolls. Kaien sat slouched over a manuscript, his brow furrowed. Each page contained symbols and references he could barely understand, yet something kept him searching, as if an answer lingered just beyond his reach.
Across the table, Eira quietly turned the pages of another book, her finger tracing lines with gentle precision. "You're distracted," she said without looking up.
Kaien let out a long breath, sitting back. "Just trying to figure out what the hell is happening to me. Everyone keeps saying I shouldn't be alive… but here I am."
She paused, finally glancing up. "You disintegrated a Wretch with your bare hand. That's not something Null Veyl should do—at least, not from the records."
Kaien's expression darkened. "Then what is it?"
Before she could respond, the heavy doors creaked open. Master Rhain stepped in, a towering presence, his stone-colored robes trailing behind him. "You two. With me."
They followed in silence, exiting the library and moving into a corridor carved from obsidian-veined marble. Master Rhain's footsteps echoed with unwavering rhythm.
"You're not being punished," he said, as if reading Kaien's thoughts. "But it's time you see something."
He led them deep into the Sanctum's underbelly, where the air grew thick with dust and silence. They entered a vault-like chamber lit by hovering crystals. In the center stood a sealed pedestal inscribed with runes.
"This," Rhain said solemnly, "is what remains of the Veilfracture's echo."
Eira stepped closer. "An echo?"
Rhain nodded. "Centuries ago, the last wielder of Null Veyl shattered the boundary between Veyl and Blight. The Sanctum calls it Veilfracture. This relic is… what was left behind when the barrier sealed again. A scar."
Kaien stared. The energy radiating from it was chilling—not like Blight, but emptier. Like standing at the edge of a great void.
"It resonates with you," Rhain noted. "Why?"
"I don't know," Kaien murmured. "But it feels like it's… calling me."
Rhain placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Then we must proceed carefully. Some echoes are better left unheard."