The Vault's heavy doors sealed shut behind them, leaving Eliar and Selene alone in the winding, misty corridors of Cyralis Academy's underground network.
Neither spoke for a while.
The echoes of the ancient specter's words —
"You are early. The Heir is not yet ready."
still rang in Eliar's mind.
Finally, Selene broke the silence, her voice cautious.
"Eliar... What if this is just the beginning?"
He tightened his grip on his gauntleted arm, feeling the steady pulse of energy beneath the metal.
"I don't know," he muttered. "But whatever it is, it's been waiting for me. For us."
---
When they emerged, the world outside seemed too normal. Students milled about, unaware that ancient forces had just stirred beneath their feet.
Selene pulled up the hood of her cloak.
"We shouldn't talk here. Meet me tonight. Observatory Tower."
Eliar nodded without hesitation.
Tonight... they would dig deeper.
---
Nightfall at Cyralis
The Academy turned silent as night rolled over Elyndor's skies.
Under the cold light of twin moons, Eliar slipped out of his dormitory, avoiding patrols and curious eyes.
When he reached the Observatory Tower, Selene was already waiting.
She had changed — wearing a light armor beneath her robes, an old family insignia stitched onto her collar: a silver hawk over black.
"You're ready for war," Eliar joked, but there was little humor in his voice.
Selene smiled grimly.
"If we're dealing with bloodlines, forgotten Vaults, and sky cities... I'd rather be cautious."
She pulled out a leather-bound book from her satchel — a journal, frayed and worn.
"My family has guarded secrets of the Varis bloodline for generations," she said. "We were never meant to rule kingdoms... but to remember."
Eliar leaned closer.
Selene flipped through the pages, revealing old diagrams: a map of Elyndor, sketches of floating ruins, blueprints of artifacts similar to the gauntlet Eliar now wore.
Then, she stopped at a page titled:
The Fifth Quadrant
There was no map.
Only a single sentence written in ancient tongue:
"Where light fractures and the forgotten rise, the Fifth Quadrant breathes."
Eliar frowned.
"This... means nothing."
Selene shook her head.
"It means everything. The Fifth Quadrant isn't a place you find on a map. It's hidden... sealed... maybe even outside the known world."
She closed the book.
"And I think," she said slowly, "the Vault we found is just the first step. If the Fifth Quadrant is real... that's where the real secrets are buried."
---
Suddenly —
A loud crash echoed through the tower.
Both Eliar and Selene jumped to their feet.
Footsteps. Dozens of them. Closing in.
Selene's face paled.
"They're here."
Before Eliar could ask who, the door exploded inward.
Masked figures, cloaked in black, stormed into the Observatory, blades drawn and spells charged.
Without hesitation, Eliar summoned a shield of force from the gauntlet, blocking the first wave of spells.
Selene retaliated with a barrage of sharp wind magic, sending two assailants flying.
But they kept coming.
One of them barked,
"Seize the boy! Break the Varis girl! The Fifth must not awaken!"
Eliar's blood boiled.
So it was true — someone did know about them.
And they were willing to kill for it.
---
The battle raged.
Eliar fought with instincts he didn't even know he had — every movement of the gauntlet guiding his strikes, parrying attacks with almost precognitive precision.
Selene fought like a tempest, blades of air slicing through the night.
But the masked figures were coordinated, relentless.
"Go!" Selene shouted between spells.
"There's a hidden tunnel behind the telescope!"
Eliar hesitated. He didn't want to leave her.
"Now, Eliar!" she barked. "You have to survive!"
---
Heart pounding, he sprinted toward the telescope.
Sure enough, tucked behind it was a narrow spiral passage, winding down into darkness.
As he dashed into it, he heard Selene's voice call out one last time:
"Find the Gatekeeper! Seek the Sky Ruins!"
The tunnel swallowed him whole.
---
Deeper Underground
The passage twisted for what felt like forever.
Old, forgotten parts of the Academy — ruins, sealed corridors, broken magical lights flickering weakly.
At last, Eliar stumbled into a small chamber.
In the center stood an old, battered machine — something between a portal and a beacon — humming faintly with power.
Above it, ancient words inscribed in stone:
"Only the Heir of Blood and Void may proceed."
Before he could even process it, the gauntlet on his arm reacted — glowing bright blue.
The machine activated.
A holographic figure flickered to life — a man in ancient armor, face hidden beneath a hood.
He spoke:
"Eliar Thorne. The world you know is a lie. The Fifth Quadrant calls to you. The Bloodlines were created for one purpose: to seal away the ancient threat."
The figure's voice grew darker.
"But now... the Seal weakens."
The chamber shook violently, dust raining from the ceiling.
The figure pointed toward a portal forming behind him — unstable, crackling with energy.
"Step through... or watch the world burn."
---
Eliar stared at the portal, heart hammering.
Behind him — danger. Ahead — the unknown.
And he knew:
This was just the beginning.
Taking a deep breath, Eliar stepped forward — into the unknown.
---
[To be continued...]
Chapter 13 Teaser: The Portal Beyond
As Eliar stepped through the portal, he was swallowed by a maelstrom of stars and broken memories.
Visions flickered around him —
A burning sky.
Towering titans of old, locked in battle.
A throne... empty, yet radiating terrifying power.
His own reflection... with eyes not his own.
When he finally landed, gasping for breath —
he found himself standing on floating islands, tethered by massive chains to an unseen core.
Above him:
Fragments of Elyndor drifted through an endless, stormy void.
And in the distance, an ancient city hung upside-down, bathed in ghostly blue light.
The Fifth Quadrant was not dead.
It was waiting.
And somewhere, something else was stirring —
something that had recognized Eliar's arrival.
From the shadows beyond the broken pillars, a figure watched him.
Its voice, ancient and heavy with sorrow, whispered across the wind:
"Welcome, Heir of Blood and Void.
You are too late."
CHAPTER - 13 COMING SOON