Alex sat on a glowing crystal slab inside the heart of the Echo Caverns. Veyra stood opposite him, arms crossed, the fractured side of her face glittering faintly under the dim blue light. The cave itself was eerily silent now—no echoes, no whispers. Like even the cavern itself was listening.
"You said you'd tell me the truth," Alex said. "So tell me. What did the Guardians hide?"
Veyra took a slow breath. "Do you know where the Guardians originally came from?"
Alex hesitated. "They were chosen by the Source. Blessed protectors of balance."
She gave a sad smile. "That's what the world was told. But it's a lie passed down like scripture."
She raised a hand and placed it against the crystal wall. A ripple surged through it—and images formed.
Old. Cracked. Flickering like old memories.
A large group of men and women stood in a vast chamber of light, bound by glowing chains. A voice echoed—"You will protect this world, whether you want to or not."
"These," Veyra whispered, "were the first Guardians. They weren't chosen. They were forced."
Alex stood up. "That's not possible."
"It is. The Source didn't bless us… it cursed us. Each Guardian was bound to a shard of Source energy—yes, it gave them power, but it also tethered them to an eternal purpose. No choice. No rest. Just duty. Forever."
Alex took a step back. "You're saying the Guardians were prisoners?"
"Soldiers in golden chains," she confirmed. "Some accepted it. Some resisted. The ones who resisted became the Forsaken. My father was one of them."
A tremor passed through the cave.
"And your father?" Alex asked carefully.
Veyra looked away. "His name was Lioren. He believed Guardians could evolve. That they shouldn't be eternal slaves. He tried to break the bond. Tried to free them."
"And?"
"The First Guardian killed him." Her voice was a blade—cold, steady, final.
Alex froze. "Are you saying…?"
"Yes. The 'hero' whose legacy you carry executed him as a traitor. He buried the rebellion, wiped their names from history, and twisted the story to protect his rule."
The air felt heavier.
Alex felt a storm of emotions churning inside. Anger. Doubt. Guilt. But one question burned brighter than the rest.
"Why tell me this?"
Veyra walked toward him, steps slow, deliberate.
"Because you're not him. But you carry his soul. His echo. If there's even a chance you can fix what he broke… I'll help you."
Alex studied her, trying to sense deceit—but all he saw was pain. Years, maybe centuries, of it.
A truth so deeply buried, it had begun to rot the world from within.
"But Kael—he's trying to destroy everything."
"He's a symptom," she said. "Not the disease."
Then, a rumble shook the cavern. Dust fell from the ceiling. Crystals cracked.
Veyra's expression shifted. "They've found us."
"Who?"
She looked toward the mouth of the cave. "Those who serve the Echo Crown."
Alex stood, gripping his spear. "I've never heard of them."
"You will," she muttered. "Because they're the ones who still serve the First Guardian's will. Even in death."
Outside the Caverns
Eira and Kairo crouched in the trees outside the cliff. They'd heard the rumble. Felt the shift in the air.
"Something's wrong," Eira said, already drawing an arrow.
A moment later, the treetops trembled.
Three figures in dark white robes emerged from the forest—faces hidden, their bodies emitting a faint gold glow. They didn't walk. They glided.
"They're not human," Kairo whispered.
"No," Eira said, aiming at the center one. "They're something worse."
Inside the Caverns
A spear of golden flame burst through the wall, nearly slicing Veyra in half.
She dove behind a crystal pillar. "They're Echo Wraiths—souls of Guardians who gave themselves fully to the Source!"
Alex charged forward, deflecting a second spear with his blue aura. "How do we stop them?"
"You don't," she said, gritting her teeth. "You survive."
An Echo Wraith phased through the wall like mist, swinging a sword made of crystallized time. It clashed with Alex's spear, and the impact shattered a column beside them.
System Notification:
New Threat Detected – [Echo Wraith – Rank: ???]
Warning: Attacks drain memory integrity. Mental corruption possible.
Alex winced as a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into his head. Names he didn't recognize. Battles he hadn't fought. Tears he hadn't cried.
The Wraith was rewriting him.
Veyra yelled from across the room, "Don't let it touch your core! If it merges with your memory, you'll lose who you are!"
With a scream, Alex pushed the Wraith back using a burst of his blue aura. Unlike before, this energy recoiled the Wraith.
"They're weak to this," Alex muttered, narrowing his eyes.
The other Wraiths circled—but one of them paused, turning its gaze on Veyra.
She stared at it, and for a second… her eyes widened.
"Father?"
The Wraith froze.
Alex saw it too—beneath the mask of light… was Lioren.
Veyra took a trembling step forward. "It's me. Veyra."
The Wraith shook—but then raised its blade again.
"NO!" she shouted, tears streaming. "I'm not your enemy!"
But he advanced.
Alex stood between them, raising his spear.
"Then I'll protect her," he said quietly. "Even if I have to fight the past itself."
End of Chapter 32