A heavy silence blanketed the underground chambers.
The stone walls—etched with faint, glowing symbols—seemed to breathe with a life of their own, pulsing dimly as if responding to some unseen heartbeat. Aayu sat cross-legged in the farthest corner of the cell, his back straight, eyes half-lidded. Celene, across from him, paced like a caged wolf. Her usually sharp, composed demeanor had frayed at the edges, replaced with a restless fury that danced in her eyes like flickering flame.
For three days, they'd been prisoners beneath the earth. There were no clocks, no windows, only the distant sound of rushing water and the rhythmic beat of footsteps above. Time was a cruel blur.
"I hate this," Celene whispered, breaking the stillness. Her voice cracked. "I hate being trapped like this."
Aayu opened his eyes slowly. "Pacing won't change anything."
She rounded on him. "And meditating will?!"
He didn't respond immediately. Instead, he studied the flickering magical runes carved into the wall. Containment magic. Ancient. Powerful. And yet... familiar.
"It might," he finally said. "Because I'm starting to understand the pattern."
Celene blinked. "What?"
Aayu stood, brushing dust from his coat. "The magic on these walls. I've seen it in the Abyssal Library in Velaria's lower district. The runes are archaic, pre-System era. But they leak—slowly."
She frowned, stepping closer. "You mean... we can break out?"
"Not yet. But yes, eventually. If we time it right."
---
Far Above – The Grand Estate of Duke Thalorin
The storm outside mirrored the chaos within.
Duke Thalorin stood at the war table in his command room, eyes blazing with a fury rarely seen in his cold, calculative face. The map of the eastern valleys was littered with red pins, each marking a potential location where his daughter might have been taken.
His butler, an elderly elf named Saelir, entered quietly. "My Lord. The Veyran Seers have confirmed your suspicions. The signature of the teleportation matches an Architect pattern."
Thalorin's jaw clenched.
"And?"
"They say... the trail leads south. Toward the Shadow Vale."
The Duke slammed his fist on the table. "Prepare my knights. Mobilize the Iron Talons and the Spellbreaker unit. And contact the Royal Capital. If this is the work of the Architects, we'll need more than blades."
Saelir bowed. "As you wish, my lord."
But the Duke barely heard him. In his mind, the screams of Celene as she was taken echoed like a broken record.
"I'm coming for you, daughter. Gods help anyone in my path."
---
Back Underground – Day Four
The meals were always the same—grey, tasteless mush delivered through a slot in the door. But Aayu wasn't interested in the food. He was focused on the tray itself. Each one left behind a residue, a trace of silver dust that reeked faintly of sulfur.
Celene watched him scrape it up and study it. "What is it?"
"Runestone ash," he murmured. "It's being used to mask the scent of the barrier. Someone's scared of detection."
"So the hideout isn't as secure as they want us to believe."
"Exactly."
---
POV: Throne of Chains
Within a grand obsidian chamber far from both captives and the Duke, the Throne of Chains, one of the seven seats of the Architects, sat cross-legged in a floating web of magical strings. Dozens of puppets—living people—twitched across the web's surface as he manipulated their movements across the continent.
"They'll begin moving soon," he said to no one in particular. "The Duke. The Church. The others."
A shadow emerged from the darkness. "Shall we eliminate the boy?"
The Throne of Chains' lips curled in a smile. "No. The boy is interesting. He hides something. Power... not yet bloomed. And the girl—she's royalty. This panic is useful."
"But what if they escape?"
"Then let them. We do not cage rats forever. We only watch how they run."
---
Back Underground – Nightfall
Celene sat near Aayu, her voice lower now. "When we get out… what will you do?"
Aayu stared at the ceiling. "Survive. Get stronger. Find out why I was targeted. You?"
She hesitated. "Expose them. All of them. The Architects. The noble families that know but stay quiet. I'll burn it all down."
Aayu turned to her, seeing the fire in her. "You might just manage that."
They shared a rare moment of silence.
Then a sound—a click.
The door opened. Not for food. But a man.
He was tall, robed, with half his face hidden behind a porcelain mask. "You. Boy. Come."
Aayu stepped forward slowly. "Why?"
The masked figure chuckled. "A test."
---
POV Shift: Celene
Celene gritted her teeth as the door shut behind Aayu. She was alone now, and the silence returned, heavier than ever.
She pressed her hand to the barrier and whispered, "You better come back."
Then she sat and began counting her breaths. Because if she couldn't break the magic with force, she'd endure it with patience.
Just like he taught her.
---
POV Shift: Aayu
They led him down winding halls filled with runes and silent watchers. Some of the guards had tattoos that pulsed with energy. Others... had no eyes at all.
He was taken into a ritual chamber. In the center was a stone dais, atop which lay a glowing orb.
"Touch it," the masked man ordered.
Aayu looked at the orb. His system flared in warning:
> [Dangerous Artifact Detected: Soul Mirror] Effect: Reveals true nature to observers. May trigger hostile response.
He looked at the masked man.
"What happens if I refuse?"
"You die."
Aayu exhaled and reached forward.
The moment he touched the orb, it pulsed red.
His memories flashed—blood, war, the blade of the Warden, the voice of the Store.
Then a word appeared in the air: "Potential."
The masked man froze. "What…?"
Then another word. "Chosen."
Aayu opened his eyes. And smiled.
---
POV Shift: Outside World – Royal Capital
Archbishop Elra of the Holy Church sat in silent contemplation as a letter arrived.
He opened it. His eyes widened.
"Duke Thalorin has invoked the Covenant of Fire."
He stood. "So it begins again."
The war drums of the continent, silent for years, began to echo.
---
Back Underground
Aayu was thrown back into the cell. Blood trickled from his lip, but his eyes shone with something new—knowledge.
Celene rushed to him. "What did they do?"
He smirked. "They're scared of me."
She frowned. "Why?"
He leaned back. "Because I'm not who they think I am."
She stared at him, confused. But Aayu just closed his eyes.
The game had changed.
And next time... he would not play by their rules.