Spirit Academy – One Week Later
Whispers filled the halls like smoke.
"Did you hear? He survived the Frostvale Graveyard."
"They say he saw Vaelen Sol himself."
"No one just sees Vaelen Sol. He's tied to something dark… something old."
Christian walked the corridor, shoulders heavy. Students parted for him—not with admiration, but uncertainty.
Kien walked beside him, eyes sharp.
"They're scared."
"Wouldn't you be?" he murmured. "If you saw someone carry the same mark as the thing that nearly ended the world?"
"They don't see you," Kien said. "They see your Core."
He paused. "What if they're right to?"
---
Library of Forbidden Echoes – Spirit History Vault
Deep beneath the academy, Garran unlocked a sealed vault. The metal door was lined with sigils lost to modern script.
Inside were only four scrolls, each wrapped in chains.
He handed one to Christian.
"Vaelen's warning… it matches something I once read as a student. A myth. A sealed god that predates the Abyss itself."
Christian opened the scroll.
> "From the First Sin was born the Abyss… and beneath it, the Heartless Flame waits, neither alive nor dead, but dreaming in ash. One day, the Gate will fail. One day, the Eye will turn inward."
"The First Sin," Christian said slowly. "Is that what he meant by older than the Abyss?"
Garran nodded grimly. "Some say the Abyss was born to contain it. Others… that the Abyss is its shadow."
"Either way," Kien said, "something's waking up."
---
Back in the Academy – Eyes Watching
Christian's sparring matches drew crowds now. Not out of curiosity—but wariness.
He moved faster. Hit harder. His spirit energy was sharper, more aggressive, always flirting with collapse.
Even teachers were watching. Quietly. Carefully.
One elite student—Liora Vale, the Bladed Star prodigy—finally stepped into the ring.
"You think you're the only one with power?" she said coldly.
Christian raised a brow. "No. But I know what mine can do."
Their clash was brutal. Blades singing, auras colliding.
But Christian didn't win. He held back.
And that terrified everyone more than if he'd gone full-force.
---
Far South – Infernal Legion Citadel
In the volcanic canyons of the south, the Infernal Legion stirred. Their General, Talon, knelt before a burning pool—one that pulsed with a rhythm older than time.
"Vaelen's Warden is awakening," Talon muttered. "The Eye grows clearer."
A second figure stepped from the smoke.
Lady Nyra, high seer of the Legion, face masked in molten gold.
"It doesn't matter. He's already on the path. The Gatekeeper cannot stop what's coming."
Behind her, a crack appeared in the air—thin, black, and hissing.
Something on the other side… was breathing.
---
Academy Rooftop – Nightfall
Christian stood under the stars. The Void inside him felt restless.
"I'm being pulled somewhere," he said quietly.
Kien joined him, holding two spirit crystals. "Then let's go willingly. Before someone else pulls you first."
He looked at her.
"Even if I become something you're afraid of?"
Kien didn't hesitate. "If you do… then I'll be the one who reminds you who you are."
---
To Be Continued…