A disturbing thought occurred to Merial. What if the current authorities didn't fully believe the ancient accounts? What if, over the centuries, the knowledge had been dismissed as superstition or exaggeration? Or worse, what if different factions within the power structures of the seven races had different agendas regarding the cycle?
She needed to speak with Master Archivist Thelian. As one of the oldest and most knowledgeable Sylarei at the University, he might have insights that weren't recorded in these texts.
Gathering her notes and the most relevant volumes, Merial left the Restricted Archives, her mind so preoccupied with what she had learned that she almost collided with a figure waiting just outside the door.
"Careful, researcher," said a familiar voice, tinged with amusement. "The pursuit of knowledge shouldn't result in physical injury."
Merial looked up, startled to find Master Thelian himself standing before her, as if summoned by her thoughts. The ancient Sylarei's skin was covered in complex runic patterns that shifted subtly as he moved, indicating both his advanced age and his mastery of verbal magic.
"Master Thelian," she said, recovering quickly. "I was just coming to find you. These texts in the Restricted Archives — they contain information about the Dome that contradicts everything we're taught. They speak of a cycle, of an entity called the First, of three individuals who — "
"Yes," Thelian interrupted gently. "The Bearer, the Word, and the Broken Bond. I am familiar with the accounts."
Merial stared at him, momentarily speechless. "You know? But then why — "
"Why didn't I tell you?" he finished for her. "Why didn't the Council warn you about what you might discover in your research?" He sighed, suddenly looking every one of his considerable years. "Walk with me, Merial. This conversation requires both privacy and context."
Still clutching her notes and borrowed texts, Merial fell into step beside the Master Archivist as he led her through the Archives toward a small door she had never noticed before — concealed behind a bookshelf that swung silently outward at Thelian's touch.
Beyond lay a narrow staircase that spiraled upward, eventually opening onto a small, circular chamber at the very top of one of the University's crystal towers. Windows surrounded them on all sides, offering a breathtaking view of Ny'theras and the surrounding landscape, with the Dome visible as a faint iridescence high above.
"My private study," Thelian explained, gesturing to the comfortable furnishings and walls lined with personal books and artifacts. "One of the privileges of being Master Archivist for over a century."
He settled into a chair and motioned for Merial to do the same. "Now, to answer your questions. Yes, I know about the cycle, about the three roles, about the choice between strengthening the First's prison or allowing its liberation. I know because I am one of the few who still believe the ancient accounts."
"One of the few?" Merial repeated, confused. "But surely the University Council — "
"The Council is divided," Thelian said, his expression grave. "As are the ruling bodies of all seven races. Over the centuries, as the memory of the previous cycle faded and no new crisis emerged, many came to view the ancient warnings as exaggerations or metaphors rather than literal truth. Some even suggested that the texts were deliberately falsified by power-hungry ancestors seeking to control the population through fear."
"But the Dead Zones," Merial protested. "The increasing frequency of Dome anomalies. Surely these support the ancient accounts?"
"They do, to those of us who remember to look," Thelian agreed. "But such phenomena are easily rationalized by those who prefer not to see the pattern. Natural fluctuations in the Dome's energy, temporary weaknesses that will self-correct, isolated incidents rather than connected events — I've heard all these explanations from my colleagues over the years."
He leaned forward, his ancient eyes intense. "But I have lived long enough to observe the changes myself, to compare current readings with those from decades past. The Dome is weakening, Merial. The cycle described in the ancient texts is real, and it is happening now."
"Then why didn't you warn me?" she asked, unable to keep a note of accusation from her voice. "Why send me to research Dead Zones without telling me what I might find?"
Thelian's expression softened. "Because warnings can become expectations, and expectations can influence perceptions. I needed you to observe and report without preconceived notions. And..." He hesitated, then continued more quietly. "And because I suspected, based on your unique abilities, that you might be the Word mentioned in the prophecies. I needed to be certain before burdening you with that knowledge."
Merial felt a chill at this confirmation of what she had already begun to suspect. "And now? Are you certain?"
"Your experience in Olkaris leaves little doubt," Thelian replied. "Your ability to perceive corrupted runic patterns in Dead Zones — patterns that you describe as fragments of communication rather than random energy fluctuations. Your unexpected meeting with Prince Karel, who has manifested all seven gifts and appears to be the Bearer. And now this Naruun exile, Ithor, whose broken bond with his Anirû companion persists beyond death — a clear candidate for the Broken Bond."
He spread his hands in a gesture that encompassed the view of Ny'theras below them. "The three have met, just as the prophecy foretold. The cycle advances. The choice approaches."
Merial absorbed this in silence, her mind racing with implications. If she truly was the Word, if Karel was the Bearer and Ithor the Broken Bond, then they faced a monumental responsibility — a choice that would affect not just their own lives but the future of all Inhevaen.
"What happened in the previous cycle?" she asked finally. "The journal I found mentioned a catastrophe, a betrayal by the Broken Bond. But many pages were missing."
Thelian nodded, as if he had expected this question. "The full account is not recorded in any single text, deliberately so. But pieces exist in various restricted documents, and oral traditions preserved by the oldest members of each race. From these, we can reconstruct a general picture."
He rose and moved to a cabinet, retrieving a crystal memory matrix — a device used by the Sylarei to store complex information that couldn't be adequately captured in written form. Placing it on a small pedestal in the center of the room, he activated it with a gesture.
The air above the crystal filled with a three-dimensional image — a map of Inhevaen as it had existed two thousand years ago, with settlements and geographical features labeled in ancient script.
"Two millennia ago, the Dome began showing signs of weakening, just as it is now," Thelian began, his voice taking on the cadence of a formal historical recitation. "Dead Zones appeared with increasing frequency. Strange communications were received by sensitive individuals. And eventually, three emerged who matched the descriptions in the oldest prophecies: a Zhyren prince who could channel the Dome's energy, a Verithil scholar who could interpret the First's communications, and a Sangor warrior whose bond with the land had been broken through tragedy yet persisted in altered form."
The image above the crystal shifted, showing three figures that matched Thelian's descriptions.
"Initially, they worked together to understand what was happening, to interpret the First's communications and determine the best course of action. But as the cycle progressed, they began to disagree about the choice they faced."
The image shifted again, showing the three figures in what appeared to be heated debate.
"The Bearer feared the consequences of the First's freedom, arguing that an entity powerful enough to create Inhevaen could easily destroy it if released. The Word advocated for a middle path — maintaining the imprisonment but establishing clearer communication with the entity, perhaps negotiating better terms. And the Broken Bond..."
Thelian paused, his expression troubled. "The Broken Bond became convinced that the First's imprisonment was unjust, that its liberation would elevate all seven races to a new level of consciousness and power. But this conviction did not arise naturally. It was planted, nurtured, and manipulated by an outside force."
"The Lady of Shadows," Merial guessed, remembering Nora's references to her mysterious superior.