The air inside the sealed Vance Anchor Point was tense but purposeful. With the immediate threat contained and a new, more dangerous enemy identified, Elias moved swiftly to leverage his captured assets. The objective was the Dredge Core—the immense cache of ancient Echo Cores beneath the East Dock, Pier 7.
Elias, still running on fumes but bolstered by the Anchor Stabilizer's effects on Silus, supervised the extraction.
Elder Thorne, cold and resentful, and The Collector, analytical and intrigued, were bound with specialized, consecrated manacles that neutralized their spiritual abilities—a precaution Elias found in Volume II. They were transported, along with Silus (still recovering, but conscious), in the back of the Lodge's beat-up pickup truck.
The Cartographer's Terms
Elias parked the truck just outside the golden, shimmering boundary of the Anchor Seal. He deactivated the seal just enough to allow the vehicle to pass, causing a brief, localized flicker that sent a phantom spiritual shockwave through the ground.
"You need me, Vance," Thorne stated, his voice a low sneer as they drove toward the East Dock. "The Dredge Cores are protected by three levels of Cartographer defense: physical security, a kinetic dampening field, and the Rite of Contemplative Static. Only my vocal patterns and retinal scans can initiate the deactivation sequence."
"And you need the Dredge Core to remain stabilized and in our hands, so the Scythers don't weaponize the balance," Elias countered. "Your compliance is mandatory, Thorne."
"What are the Scythers?" Silus murmured from the back seat, nursing a weak cup of tea.
"They are the radical evolutionists," The Collector explained, their voice flat. "They believe the Veil should not be maintained, but controlled. They seek to weaponize the Echoes, not contain them. The Dredge Cores—thousands of years of condensed, stabilized Echo energy—are their ultimate prize."
The East Dock was far more industrial than the Halloway family's pier. Pier 7 was a massive, concrete structure guarded by rusting chain-link fences and old surveillance cameras. Beneath the dock, the tidal currents churned violently.
The Physical and Kinetic Locks
The truck stopped at the perimeter fence. Thorne immediately pointed to a small, hidden access panel.
"Physical security," Thorne announced. "My retina scan."
Elias released Thorne's manacles just long enough for him to press his face to the scanner. A low chime sounded, and the gate slid open.
The next barrier was a low, constant hum that made the metal railings of the pier vibrate—the Kinetic Dampening Field.
"This prevents any movement or use of force near the Dredge Cores," Thorne explained. "Any kinetic impulse—a jump, a throw, or even the snap of a twig—will trigger a sonic deterrent that immobilizes all living tissue."
"How do we turn it off?" Elias asked.
"Volume II contains a Counter-Frequency Rite, but you don't have time," The Collector interjected, their eyes scanning the pier structure. "The field's power source is the large, rusted generator on the far side of the dock. We need a targeted magical disruption to short the frequency without causing a kinetic spike."
Elias looked at the Silver Watch. He was still drained, but Lila's filter provided excellent precision.
He took a small vial of consecrated oil from his pocket. He focused his will, using the Watch to channel a precise, low-frequency pulse into the oil, turning it into a viscous, spiritual lubricant.
"Silus, can you throw this perfectly onto that generator's main cable?"
Silus, despite his weakness, slowly rose. He took the vial, sighted the generator, and flicked the oil. It traveled in a perfect arc, hitting the cable. The consecrated oil immediately began to seep into the wiring.
A moment later, the low hum of the dampening field vanished.
The Rite of Contemplative Static
They proceeded down the pier, toward a large, heavily reinforced metal hatch set into the concrete floor. This was the final lock.
"The Rite of Contemplative Static is a psychic lock," Thorne explained. "It requires the Cartographer to enter a state of absolute stillness and meditate on the structure of the Veil's containment. Any emotional aberration—doubt, fear, or anger—will instantly lock the hatch permanently."
Thorne placed his hands on the hatch. "This requires my total focus. You must maintain absolute silence and stability around me, or the Dredge Cores are sealed forever."
Elias understood the subtext: Thorne was forcing Elias to act as his security team, preventing any disturbance that might hinder his concentration—a deliberate, humbling act of control.
Suddenly, a high-pitched, electronic beep echoed from the dark understructure of the pier.
"Intrusion detected," The Collector murmured, pointing toward the murky water. "The Scythers are here. They bypassed the fence and the dampening field through the water. They are already attempting to reach the Cores."
Thorne's eyes flickered, his composure wavering. "Silence, Collector! Focus!"
Elias knew the intrusion would disrupt the Rite of Contemplative Static. He needed to eliminate the threat without making a sound.
He looked over the edge. Three figures in specialized, dark diving gear were climbing the barnacle-covered pillars beneath the pier, carrying powerful cutting tools.
"Silus, guard Thorne," Elias ordered. "I'm going down."
The Scyther Intervention
Elias grabbed a heavy piece of chain—one of the remnants from the Dread Echo capture—and, using the consecrated oil for grip, descended silently beneath the pier.
He dropped onto the narrow, wet catwalk just as the first Scyther operative reached the support beams. The Scyther was lean and fast, wearing a mask that obscured their face. They carried a tool that glowed with a malignant, disruptive energy.
The Scyther immediately spotted Elias and lunged. The Dredge Core's location was so sensitive that any noise would lock Thorne's Rite.
Elias didn't use noise. He used the consecrated chain. He wrapped the chain around the Scyther's arms, then drove his elbow into the Scyther's temple. The Scyther went limp instantly.
He turned to the second Scyther, who had activated their cutting tool—a low, grinding buzz starting to vibrate the pier structure.
Elias had to neutralize the noise. He grabbed a handful of the thick, freezing mud and water mix from the struts and focused his remaining spiritual energy into it.
He flung the saturated mud directly at the glowing, buzzing tool. The consecrated mud instantly fused the moving parts. The Scyther operative yelled in frustration, but the sound was too muffled to disrupt Thorne.
As Elias prepared to deal with the third Scyther, he felt a powerful, familiar psychic blast hit him. It wasn't the raw despair of the Dread Echo, but a focused, cold intelligence.
The third Scyther pulled off their mask, revealing a striking, pale face and eyes that glowed with an unsettling, organized intensity.
"You are the Gatekeeper who sealed the Keystone," the Scyther said, their voice projecting directly into Elias's mind. "My name is Operative Vex. We do not seek to destroy the Veil; we seek to evolve it. And the Dredge Cores belong to the future."
Vex raised their hands, and the water beneath the pier began to churn violently, not from the tide, but from pure, destructive kinetic magic.
The Veil-Breaker
Vex focused the churning water, creating a pressurized jet of violent water aimed directly at the support beam holding Elias.
Elias realized Vex was using a Veil-Breaker technique—a way to force raw, chaotic energy through a medium.
Elias had no time for Rites. He only had the Silver Watch. He held it out, aiming it at the pressurized jet of water.
He slammed his thumb down on the Watch, pushing all remaining energy into the device. The Watch screamed, overriding Lila's filter, forcing Elias to withstand the full, unfiltered power of the Veil.
Elias pushed back with a pure, focused thought: "STOP."
The chaotic, pressurized jet of water suddenly solidified—not into ice, but into a translucent, crystalline pillar mid-air.
Vex stared at the crystalline stasis, their psychic voice filled with confusion. "Impossible! That is an Absolute Stasis field!"
Elias couldn't hold the stasis forever, but it had bought him the crucial moment. He kicked the nearest support beam, and the reverberation snapped the crystalline pillar, sending sharp shards of frozen water scattering.
The sound, however, was enough.
CRACK!
The faint sound of the shattering crystal reached the surface.
Thorne screamed in frustration.
"The Rite is broken! The hatch is sealed! Permanently!" Thorne shrieked from above.
Elias had neutralized the Scythers, but the final, necessary artifact was sealed forever beneath the sea. The Keystone Anchor's resources were permanently cut off.
Elias climbed back onto the pier, breathing heavily. Operative Vex had already disappeared back into the murky depths. Thorne stood over the sealed hatch, his face a picture of absolute, terrifying rage.
"You fool! You have condemned us all!" Thorne roared, turning on Elias.