Raen stumbled back from the stone altar, heart pounding. The ring, now snug on his finger, pulsed with a strange heat that refused to fade. It didn't hurt anymore—not exactly. It felt alive, like a heartbeat echoing against his skin.
He raised his hand. The blood-red gem glowed faintly. His surroundings—ruins, once dead and forgotten—now hummed with hidden whispers. The air itself thickened.
> [Dormant Echo Activated]
[Linking soul signature… complete.]
[Warning: Host body unfit. Synchronization unstable.]
A surge of dizziness hit him. He collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest. The world twisted, then exploded into visions again.
He saw a battlefield, scorched black and littered with corpses. Shadows walked like men, their eyes glowing silver. And standing in the center—someone wearing the same ring.
Who was he?
Then, a voice spoke—not from outside, but within.
"You are not ready, Raen Liora. But the world no longer has time to wait."
He gasped, yanked back into reality. The glow faded. The ruins fell silent again.
Raen looked around. He felt different. Stronger… and yet fragile, like holding fire in bare hands. He didn't understand what had just happened, but one thing was clear: something ancient had chosen him.
The ring had chosen him.
He didn't sleep that night. Not with the ring whispering fragments of words in languages he didn't know. Not with the strange presence watching from deep inside the band—silent but awake.
By dawn, he had made a decision.
Back at the academy, chaos had broken out.
The Head Warden of Relic Security, an imposing woman clad in obsidian armor, barked orders. A section of the academy's seal grid had been broken. Ancient wards flickered weakly in the testing hall.
Whispers filled the air. Something powerful had awakened.
No one suspected Raen.
No one noticed the quiet servant boy slipping past the guards, his cloak hooded, eyes sharper than yesterday.
He returned to his quarters only to find his few belongings tossed, broken. A warning from Veylan, no doubt. His books torn. His blanket scorched.
Raen said nothing.
Instead, he sat cross-legged on the floor. Closed his eyes.
> [Initiating Resonance Pulse]
[Searching for… matching echoes…]
[1 Result: Sealed Chamber Detected – Deep Below Academy Grounds]
[Warning: Entry Forbidden by Royal Edict]
Raen opened his eyes, heart racing. A hidden chamber?
He didn't know what the ring wanted, but he could feel the pull. A path laid before him.
Whatever was hidden beneath the academy… it was calling him.
And somewhere far away, across storm-covered lands, a cloaked figure stared into a mirror of black crystal. The image of Raen shimmered in the glass.
"He's awakened," the figure said softly. "Too soon."
Behind him, a second voice rumbled like thunder.
"Then the hunt begins."
[End of Chapter 2]