The rooftops stretched endlessly before them, slick with rain and shimmering under the faint glow of the artifact's blue path. Kael's heart pounded with every step, his shoes slipping dangerously on the tiles. Lyra followed close behind, her breaths uneven.
Lyra: "Kael, this is insane… we're going to break our necks!"
Kael: "If we turn back now, we'll lose the trail. The vision led us here for a reason."
The wind howled between the buildings, carrying the echo of that whisper again—low, cold, and unmistakably human.
Voice: "Belong… to me…"
Lyra froze, her eyes wide.
Lyra: "Kael… did you hear that?"
Kael didn't answer. The artifact trembled in his hand, its glow pulsing like a frantic heartbeat. Each pulse lit up fragments of another vision: shattered glass, a collapsing tower, blood on the stones. He stumbled, clutching his head.
Kael: "It's too much… the visions—they're overlapping—"
Before Lyra could steady him, a shadow detached itself from the darkness of the rooftop ahead. A tall figure in a black cloak, its face hidden behind a smooth, silver mask. The same one from the alley.
The figure's voice was calm, almost mocking.
Masked Figure: "You should have ignored it, boy. Curiosity kills faster than fate."
Kael raised the artifact, light spilling across the rooftop like liquid fire. The figure didn't flinch. Instead, it stepped closer, the air around it distorting with unnatural force.
Lyra clutched Kael's arm.
Lyra: "Kael… we can't fight that!"
Kael's grip tightened on the artifact.
Kael: "Then we run—"
But the moment he turned, the rooftops behind them had changed. The path of blue light was gone. The city below twisted and warped into endless shadows. They were trapped.
Cliffhanger: The masked figure extended a gloved hand, and the artifact tore itself free from Kael's grip, floating toward the figure as it whispered—
"You don't own it. It owns you."