Chapter 33 – Vael'Tor, City of Silence
Wind scoured the landscape as Kael, Lys, and Sareth crossed the scorched plains toward the forgotten ruins of Vael'Tor. Once a jewel of knowledge and magic, the city now lay entombed beneath dust and shadows. Cracked towers jutted like broken teeth from the earth, and glass-smooth bones littered the ground—memories of the Obsidian War.
Sareth led the way, his stride easy despite the oppressive atmosphere. "Vael'Tor wasn't destroyed. It was erased. What you see now is just the surface."
Lys narrowed her eyes at the ruinous skyline. "And beneath?"
"Vaults," he said. "Sealed chambers. Ward-locked and forgotten. That's where the other half of your Sigil waits."
Kael said nothing. He could feel it now—deep below, a pulse that mirrored the fragment in his pack. The two halves called to each other. His Gracebound System flickered in his mind's eye, silently waiting for him to act.
They crossed a shattered plaza where obsidian statues stood headless, their inscriptions worn by time. A gust of wind moaned through the archways, low and mournful, like the city itself whispered warnings.
Kael stepped into the ruins proper. "Lys, stay sharp. There are wards here—still active."
"I feel them," she replied, her aura flickering in response. "They're… aggressive."
Sareth turned, gesturing toward a wide stair descending beneath a broken hall. "The Vault of Silence lies beneath the central sanctum. But the path is guarded. Not by living sentries, but by echoes—fragments of the city's last day."
Kael moved first, leading them into the gloom. The stairway spiraled downward, the walls glowing faintly with sigils that pulsed to Kael's presence. At the base, an arch sealed by ethereal flame barred their path.
Gracebound System Interface
Sealed Pathway Detected: Ward of Memory Flame
Condition: Ember Sigil Half-Core Required
Kael placed his palm against the flame. The Ember Sigil in his pack pulsed brightly, its light spreading into the runes.
The fire parted with a whisper.
They stepped through into a massive chamber that echoed with silence so complete it pressed against their ears. Empty weapon racks lined the walls. A massive mural depicted dragons circling a black sun, and beneath it—rows of script in ancient draconic.
Lys scanned the room. "I don't like this. Feels like a trap."
Kael stepped toward the mural. As he approached, the floor trembled. Sigils ignited around the room in blinding crimson.
Gracebound System Alert
Ward Reactivation: Echo of the Last Stand
Combat Protocol Initiated
The shadows around them twisted, forming humanoid figures wrapped in cracked armor and ash-fire eyes. Echoes. Dozens.
Kael drew his blade from his demiplane with a flick of thought. "Lys, right side. Sareth, back line."
She nodded, already moving. Sareth merely raised his hand, dark threads of null-light dancing across his fingers.
The first Echo charged Kael. He met it head-on, blade cleaving through the ephemeral armor, but it resisted more than expected. Pain lanced through his arm as the Echo's blade nicked him—real enough to bleed.
"They're solid!" he barked.
"I noticed!" Lys snapped, hurling a dagger into another. It struck, then burst into a flare of silver light. She followed, blades dancing.
Sareth remained eerily still, his voice a soft murmur. "Unravel."
The nearest Echo to him collapsed in a burst of static, dissolving into dust.
Kael pushed forward, fire wreathing his weapon. The Echoes fought like memories—repeating patterns, predictable. But they didn't tire.
Gracebound System Update
Temporary Skill Unlocked: Ember Surge
Duration: 5 minutes
Kael's body ignited with inner flame, his movements faster, his strikes heavier. He carved through the Echoes like wildfire.
Lys fought beside him, back-to-back. "Why do these things remember us?"
"They don't," Kael said. "They remember dying."
One final Echo lunged, its form flickering. Kael met it mid-strike, blade piercing through its heart. The chamber pulsed—and then silence.
Gracebound System Alert
Vault Access Granted
At the far end of the chamber, the floor split open, revealing a stair spiraling deeper into darkness.
Sareth walked toward it calmly. "You survived. Impressive."
Kael turned, panting. "You knew that would happen."
"I suspected. Vael'Tor guards its secrets."
Kael moved to the stairs. "Then let's go find them."
The stair led them to a chamber bathed in molten light. At its center, hovering above a plinth of obsidian, floated the second half of the Ember Sigil Core.
It pulsed in sync with the fragment Kael carried. When he stepped forward, they resonated, vibrating in harmony.
Gracebound System Update
Item Acquired: Ember Sigil Core (Full)
Legacy Access Unlocked: Emberwind
Kael's vision blurred. Heat flooded his veins—not painful, but overwhelming. Knowledge surged into him—memories not his own. A city of flame. A dragon's final cry. A betrayal carved in ash.
He dropped to one knee, gasping.
Lys caught his shoulder. "Kael!"
He blinked, the vision fading. The core was whole now—settled into the center of his chest like a second heart.
"I'm fine," he whispered. But the fire inside him had changed. It no longer burned—it called.
Sareth stepped back. "Your path just became more dangerous. Icarion won't let this go unanswered."
Kael stood tall. "Then let him come."
He turned toward the stair.
"We have what we came for. Now let's get out of here—before the city remembers we're still alive."