Ashara was quiet now, but its silence was not peace. The city hummed beneath Zafira's feet, memories pulsing faintly through streets and walls, carrying secrets older than even the Sultan had imagined.
Zafira and Arman walked through the eastern district, where the oldest buildings still stood. The blue glow of the ring traced the outlines of hidden runes and faded inscriptions, revealing messages meant only for those who could truly see.
"The city is trying to tell us something," Zafira said, hand brushing along a crumbling wall. "Something about its origin… about the Covenant itself."
Arman nodded, eyes scanning the shadows. "There's power here older than anything we've faced. And enemies—hidden, patient, and waiting for a single misstep."
Ahead, a staircase spiraled downward into the depths beneath the district. Runes flared faintly as they descended, guiding them toward a chamber long forgotten. The air grew colder, heavier with ancient energy.
At the bottom, the chamber opened into a vast hall, walls lined with crystalline tablets that shimmered with memories frozen in time. The Covenant hummed, vibrating with intensity. Each tablet depicted a fragment of Ashara's hidden history—cities that rose and fell, rulers who betrayed, and protectors who had wielded the Covenant before Zafira.
"This… is incredible," Arman whispered. "The city has kept its secrets for centuries."
Zafira stepped forward, the ring glowing. Blue light spread across the hall, touching each tablet. Voices whispered from the crystals, fragments of the past speaking directly into her mind. They spoke of a hidden power within the Covenant, one that could reshape not only the city but the very essence of memory itself.
Suddenly, shadows moved at the edges of the chamber. Figures cloaked in dark robes emerged, eyes glowing with malevolent light. "You should not have come here," one hissed. "The truths you seek are not for mortals. They will destroy you if revealed too soon."
Zafira lifted the ring, blue fire flaring. "We are not afraid of truth. Ashara's history belongs to the city—and to those who protect it."
The cloaked figures advanced, summoning tendrils of dark magic. The Covenant surged in response, intertwining with Zafira's will. The chamber trembled as ancient power clashed with the present, shadows twisted, and shards of crystal shattered, releasing flashes of memory that illuminated both allies and enemies alike.
One figure stepped closer, revealing a face that seemed almost familiar. "The guardian of Ashara… chosen by the city," he said, voice echoing unnaturally. "Do you even understand the full weight of what you wield? The Covenant is not just a weapon—it is a responsibility. One wrong choice, and all memory collapses."
Zafira steadied herself. "Then I will choose wisely. Not for power, not for vengeance… but for Ashara."
Blue fire surged through the hall, reaching every crystal, binding the shadows, and illuminating hidden truths. The ancient whispers guided her, revealing weaknesses in her foes, hidden corridors, and long-lost knowledge about the Covenant's origins.
Arman watched her, awe-struck. "You're not just a guardian… you're becoming the city itself."
Zafira's gaze swept across the chamber. The whispers of the past, the pulse of the present, and the possibilities of the future converged. "Then we continue," she said. "There is more to uncover, more to protect—and the city will guide us every step of the way."
Outside, Ashara pulsed faintly in the dawn light, alive with memory, aware of its guardian, and ready for the battles yet to come.