Chapter 44: The Whispering City
The air shimmered with heat and magic as Elias and his companions stepped through the arched gateway. The sky above them twisted with hues of violet and amber, casting surreal light on the sprawling city that floated gently above the jagged cliffs. It looked like it belonged in a dream—a realm suspended between time and space.
"Welcome to Aegrith," the voice in Elias's mind spoke again, softer this time. "The Whispering City."
The name felt right. Ancient. Heavy. As if the city itself had been waiting for someone to say it aloud once more.
Buildings of white stone and crystalline towers stretched high into the sky, their reflections dancing across hovering platforms and ethereal bridges. Luminous energy pulsed through the veins of the city—blue threads of magic running along streets like lifeblood.
"This is insane..." murmured Kael, his dark hair stirring in the warm breeze. "How does something like this even exist?"
Seris, ever composed, knelt beside a glowing sigil carved into the stone pathway. "These markings... They're Elaran. But older than anything in the Lexicon."
Iria stepped closer to a towering obelisk etched with symbols that glowed faintly beneath her touch. "I think it knows we're here."
Before Elias could respond, the mark on his hand flared. Light arced across the palms of each of the four chosen. A voice echoed around them, no longer just in Elias's mind.
"From this moment, you shall be known as the Keepers of the Echo."
The words struck like a bell in the soul. The mark pulsed once, then dimmed, leaving an imprint—a shared bond between them.
A gentle hum surrounded them as part of the city awakened. Pathways that once lay dormant lit up with ghostly white light, showing them where to walk. Statues whispered ancient truths as they passed, though the words were hard to grasp—like dreams remembered upon waking.
They walked in silence for a while, each lost in thought.
Elias couldn't shake the weight of responsibility. The city had known him. Chosen him. But why? What was he meant to do?
Kael kept glancing over his shoulder. "I don't like this. It feels like we're being watched."
Iria placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "We are. But not with malice. This place... it mourns. It hopes."
Seris finally spoke, her eyes tracing constellations in a massive map etched into a floating dome. "This city isn't just floating. It's orbiting something. A sealed chamber beneath it. That's where the power is coming from."
Elias nodded. "Then that's where we go."
But as they approached the heart of Aegrith, things began to change.
The skies darkened.
The whispers turned to wails.
The obelisks began to flicker, showing brief images—scenes from the past. Cities burning. The sky cracked open. Beings with no eyes tearing through time.
Then a voice. Not from the mark. Not from the city. But from something buried deep beneath it.
"You are late, Keeper... and the price has already begun to be paid."
Elias staggered. Visions seared into his mind.
A glimpse of a friend—bloodied, alone.
A flash of Kael, chained in shadow.
Seris, standing over ruins, her eyes cold.
Iria, fading into the light.
He screamed and collapsed.
When he awoke, they were in a different part of the city. The walls were darker here, closer. The air was heavier.
"We're in the Echo Vaults," Seris whispered. "And something's hunting us."
End of Chapter 44