The cloaked figure stood motionless, its form obscured in the shifting light, as though it existed in a space outside of time. Kael's heart raced as he scrutinized the figure before him. The presence felt unnatural, as if it were both part of the world and something entirely alien. His grip tightened on the energy swirling through his hands, though he held back from fully summoning the Sigils. Something told him that unleashing their power would have consequences he couldn't yet predict.
The figure's voice was soft, but each word seemed to press against Kael's chest like a weight. "The Sigils are not the only force you must reckon with, Kael. They are but one side of a coin, and the other side is already turning."
Kael's brow furrowed. "Who are you? What do you know about the Sigils?"
The figure's lips parted in a slight, knowing smile, but there was no warmth in it. "I am a Messenger—an entity born of the old world, before the Sigils fractured reality into what it is today. But I am not here to explain my nature. I am here to warn you. The path you walk will lead to a choice, and that choice will bring with it consequences far greater than you can yet fathom."
Riven stepped forward, his sword still in hand, but his posture was more defensive than aggressive. "If you've come to help, speak plainly. If you've come to hinder us, then we won't hesitate."
The Messenger's eyes—if they could be called eyes—shifted toward Riven. They were not human, not even the eyes of a creature. They were dark, swirling depths, like the space between stars. A faint glow pulsed from within them, cold and unfathomable. "You are brave," the Messenger mused. "But you are not the one in danger here. He is."
Kael clenched his fists, his pulse quickening. "What do you mean? What danger?"
The Messenger turned its gaze back to Kael, the intensity in its presence growing as the air seemed to shift and hum around them. "Kael, you are more than the Sigils. You are their inheritor, but you are also something else, something older. The Sigils have bound themselves to you because of your connection to chaos—the same chaos that the Sigil Master seeks to unleash. But it is not the only force that seeks to remake the world."
Riven looked between Kael and the Messenger, clearly confused. "What does this mean? Is Kael some kind of… prophecy?"
The Messenger remained silent for a moment, its form flickering like a candle in the wind, as though its very presence was not fully anchored in the physical realm. "A prophecy?" it repeated, almost amused. "You could call it that, if you wish. But it is far more complicated. The Sigils are merely tools. They are meant to shape reality, but they have been used, misused, and fractured. The forces that are rising now are not simply the Echoes or the Sigil Master. They are part of something much larger."
Kael's mind raced as the Messenger's words settled into him like weights. Something larger? What could be larger than the Sigil Master and the chaos he represented?
"Tell me what you mean," Kael demanded, stepping closer despite the unease building in his chest. "Who or what is behind this?"
The Messenger took a long breath, if such a thing was even possible. "The Sigils are not just relics of the past, Kael. They are the remnants of an ancient order, a force that precedes even the world itself. The chaos you feel—the corruption of reality—was not born of the Sigil Master. It is something far older, and it has been awakening."
The Messenger's voice deepened, becoming almost melodic, resonating in Kael's chest like a forgotten tune. "You, Kael, are the key. The Sigils were always meant to choose an inheritor, but that was not the only reason they were created. They were the counterbalance to something darker, something that has slept beneath the fabric of reality for eons. And now it stirs."
Riven shifted uncomfortably, his sword no longer raised but gripped tightly. "So, what do you want from us?"
The Messenger's head tilted, as though it were considering the question. "I want nothing, except for Kael to understand the truth. The Sigil Master believes he is the ultimate force in the world, but he is blind. The true power lies not in the Sigils, nor in any one being. It lies in what they guard—the Darkening, the force that the Sigils were meant to keep at bay. The Sigil Master is awakening it, but he cannot control it. And neither can you."
The air crackled with energy as the Messenger's words hung in the silence. Kael's heart was pounding in his chest. The Darkening—he'd never heard of such a thing, but the way the Messenger spoke, with such weight, made it sound as if it were inevitable, like a storm on the horizon that could not be avoided.
"You're telling me that the Sigils weren't meant to just control reality?" Kael's voice trembled with disbelief. "They were meant to guard it? Guard it from what?"
The Messenger sighed, a sound that was both deep and ancient. "They were meant to protect the world from the Darkening, the force that brings all things to decay. What you see as chaos is only a glimpse of the true destruction it would bring. If the Sigil Master succeeds in awakening it fully, everything you know—everything you are—will be consumed by it."
Kael's breath caught in his throat as the magnitude of the Messenger's words crashed over him. "And what can I do? If the Sigils were meant to guard against this… how do I stop it?"
The Messenger's form flickered again, like a shadow caught in the light. "You must find the heart of the Sigils. But understand this—if you seek it, you will be forced to face the truth of who you are and what you are meant to become. You cannot turn back from the path you have started. The choice you make will determine the fate of everything."
Before Kael could respond, the Messenger's figure blurred, and with a final, eerie whisper, it was gone, leaving only the chilling silence in its wake.