The vault was buried beneath stone and time. Kael, Eira, and Ashenfang descended into darkness lit only by flickering torchlight and Kael's inner flame.
"Do you feel that?" Eira asked, halting.
Kael nodded. "Echoes. Of pain."
The walls whispered names—long-dead warriors, forgotten oaths. At the heart of the vault stood a door sealed with flame-blood runes. Only Kael's touch opened it.
Inside was a relic—a mirror of shadow and fire. As Kael approached, it shimmered… and Varyn's face appeared within it.
"You've changed, brother," the image said. "Good. Now come find me, if you dare."
The mirror shattered.