The Emberwing soared once more, now with two aboard. Kael sat in the pilot seat, steady hands on the controls. Lira sat beside him, eyes scanning the horizon, a small satchel of star maps open in her lap.
"Where are we heading exactly?" Kael asked.
Lira pointed. "There. The Ridge of Echoes. My team tracked a Skycore signature there last month—but we lost contact. I came back to find out why."
Kael nodded. "You fly solo often?"
She smirked. "Only when I don't trust people."
He raised a brow. "But you trust me?"
"No," she said simply. "But you saved me. That earns a little risk."
They shared a small laugh. The tension in the cockpit softened for a moment.
Then Kael's smile faded.
The orb began to glow again, brighter than before. The hum it made grew louder, and the sky outside began to change—clouds turning darker, shadows slipping between them.
Kael glanced at Lira. "You seeing this?"
Lira nodded slowly. "We're being followed."
Kael adjusted the mirrors—there, far behind them, something moved. Not a ship. Not a plane.
Something silent. Floating.
It disappeared behind the clouds before Kael could get a better look.
Lira whispered, "That's no pirate. That's a Watcher."
Kael frowned. "What's a Watcher?"
Lira lowered her voice. "They're guardians. Left over from the Sky Cities. They protect the cores. And they destroy anyone who gets too close."
The air grew heavier. The orb began to shake slightly in its slot.
"We must be getting close," Kael said.
Lira leaned forward, her voice firm. "Then let's not waste time. We find the core, and we run like the sky's falling."
Kael pulled his goggles down. "That's my kind of plan."
Below, the Ridge of Echoes waited—sharp cliffs, glowing stones, and something ancient buried deep inside.
And above, hidden in the clouds…
A silent Watcher watched.