> System Notice
[Tracking Engaged: Sanctuary Point — 5.2 km Remaining]
[Environmental Status: Residual Mana Distortion — Intensifying]
[Warning: Anomaly Presence Confirmed — Tier Unknown]
---
The canyon narrowed into a corridor of jagged stone, the walls etched with claw-marks that glowed faintly in the dark. The air pressed heavier with every step, carrying the smell of burned iron and something far older—like the earth itself had been scarred.
Kael's boots scuffed against gravel. Each sound echoed too long, as though the canyon itself repeated it back in a mocking rhythm.
Dum-dum. Dum-dum.
His heartbeat merged with the echoes, steady yet loud, hammering against the silence.
Silna walked beside him, her eyes sharp, lips pressed into a line. She didn't speak, but her grip on the hilt of her sword tightened with every shift of the shadows.
Kael exhaled slowly, letting the fire pulse within him like a second rhythm. The Flamewake had grown restless since the Wraithborne clash. He could feel its flicker at the edge of control, waiting, urging him forward.
A whisper scraped across the stone.
Both froze.
From above, something shifted. A pebble dropped, striking the canyon floor with a sound far too loud for its size.
"...Not wind," Kael muttered.
Silna nodded. "No. They're circling."
Before Kael could reply, the air split.
A spear of obsidian whistled down from the cliffside, shattering against the ground where he had stood a breath before. Sparks flew, black smoke curling from the crack it left.
Figures descended.
Not human. Not quite beast.
Wraithborne again—yet different. Their bodies were bound in crude armor stitched with sinew, glowing sigils burned across their hollow faces. Unlike the feral ones before, these moved with formation, weapons raised, their steps deliberate.
Kael tightened his grip on his blade. "They're learning."
Silna smirked grimly. "Or someone's teaching."
They came fast.
Kael surged forward to meet them, his blade trailing fire. The first clash rang sharp, metal screaming against corrupted iron. He pivoted, cut through a chestplate, then spun to block a downward strike. The impact jolted his arm to the bone.
Silna struck with equal ferocity, her movements clean and vicious. Every swing was measured—deflect, pierce, silence. One fell, then another.
Still, the enemy pressed.
> System Alert
[Hostile Entities: Wraithborne Legionnaires]
[Threat Level: Tier III+ — Adaptive Behavior Detected]
Kael's vision blurred for a moment. The fire surged, begging to be released. He clenched his jaw, forcing control.
Not yet.
But one of the Legionnaires broke past his guard, spear driving toward his chest.
Kael twisted, too slow.
Steel met bone—only for Silna's blade to intercept, knocking the strike wide. Sparks cascaded between them.
"You're slipping," she said, her voice calm, but her eyes sharp.
Kael forced a grin through gritted teeth. "I'm adjusting."
He let the fire flow. Just enough.
His blade ignited, arcs of flame trailing with every swing. He cut wide, the heat forcing the nearest three back. Their hollow sockets flickered, confusion or fear—it didn't matter.
One fell, consumed by fire.
The others hesitated.
Then, just as suddenly as they had come, the survivors retreated into the cracks of the canyon, their movements sharp, orderly. Not a rout. A withdrawal.
Kael's breath came heavy, smoke curling from his blade.
Silna lowered her weapon slowly. "That wasn't random. They were testing you."
Kael stared at the blackened corpses, the lingering firelight painting their twisted armor. His heartbeat slowed, but the unease only grew.
"They weren't testing me," he said quietly. "They were measuring the Flamewake."
---
> System Log
[Observation Detected — Entity Class: Unknown]
[Warning: Crownless Resonance Levels Approaching Hazard Threshold]
[Journal Updated: Crimson Echoes II]
---
The canyon grew silent again.
But the silence no longer felt empty.
It felt like something was listening.
---
[End of Chapter 18]