Far away in the mist-shrouded Sanctum of Aethelgard, Kairen sat at the base of the great, slumbering crystal, his eyes closed, his frustration a sour taste in his mouth. He was anchored deep within his 'Inner Sanctum', his mental fortress strong and still, but the world beyond the mists was nothing but noise.
He followed Vanamali's instructions, expanding his senses, trying to listen beneath the mists, to feel the 'Essence Web' of the outside world.
He felt... nothing.
Just the deep, quiet, life-filled thrum of the Sanctum—the pulse of the crystal, the energy of the waterfall, the ancient life in the trees. And beyond that, a muffled, distant, chaotic static. It was the roar of a billion souls, a million energies, a world of noise impossible to decipher.
"It's impossible," he said, opening his eyes, the frustration returning. "It's just... noise. It's all just static. How am I supposed to find four people in... in that?"
