Kael's throat was dry, his heart pounding against his ribs. He stared at the book that had suddenly "come alive," his fingertips still tingling from the faint electrical sensation when he touched its cover — not painful, but a resonance, as if every symbol within the pages was echoing with some power inside him.
"Who… who are you?" he finally managed to ask, though he didn't even know what he was asking.
"Names are burdens." The book's voice remained calm, yet carried a trace of unspoken weariness. "You may call me 'The Keeper.' Or 'The Codex.' Or whatever you like. I no longer care."
Kael took a step back, his back pressing against the glowing moss, cold sweat soaking his shirt. "You're not a book? You're… some kind of magical creature?"
"More complex than that, and simpler than that." The pages rustled softly, like a whisper. "I am the 'Codex of the Skyborn,' the original vessel that records all sky magic, ancient pacts, and star prophecies of the Aetherion world. I once belonged to the 'Skyborn Council,' the ancient race that guarded the world. Later, the council fell, and I was sealed beneath this floating island's tower, waiting… waiting for someone who could 'hear' me."
"Waiting for me?" Kael frowned. "Why me?"
"Because you are not 'Skyborn.'" The Keeper's tone sharpened, like a blade slicing metal. "Your bloodline is impure, exiled by your own people, and even you doubt whether you deserve the title 'Child of the Sky.' But it is precisely this 'impurity' that freed you from the shackles of the old era. You dare to question, to rebel, to gamble everything in a storm — instead of hiding safely on a floating island like those 'pure-blooded' nobles, calculating gains and losses."
Kael froze. ha Hed never imagined that a talking book could dissect him so precisely.
"How… how do you know these things?"
"The pages remember everything." The Keeper said softly. "I saw the look in your eyes when you first stole the black market map on the Wind Whisperer. I saw the stubbornness hidden behind your smile when Captain Rog scolded you. I saw the calmness in your eyes as you closed them before falling into the sea… I saw it all. Because I don't just record the world — I record the hearts of those who touch me."
Kael felt a chill, then a strange warmth. He crouched down, cautiously extending his hand again toward the glowing book.
This time, he didn't pull away.
"Good." The Keeper said. "The contract is sealed. From now on, you and I are bound. You gain my power; I gain my freedom. But there is one iron rule —"
"What rule?"
"You must not abuse my power." The Keeper's voice turned solemn. "The Codex's power comes from the will of the stars and the sky. If you use it for selfish gain, to harm the innocent, or to disrupt the balance of the world, the pages will turn against you. Your soul will be torn apart, imprisoned forever in the void rift."
Kael swallowed hard and nodded. "I… I'll remember."
"Good." The pages flipped to a blank sheet. "Now, begin Lesson One. Tell me — what do you want?"
Kael hesitated. He had never been asked such a direct question before.
"I… I want to survive." He said honestly. "I want to find my way home… or at least, figure out who I am."
"Too vague." The Keeper said flatly. "Magic requires precise will. Do you want 'to survive' — safety? Or freedom? Revenge? Or protection?"
Kael fell silent. He thought of Captain Rog's greedy face, the humiliation of being exiled by his clan, the fear and peace he felt as he fell into the sea.
"I want… power." He whispered. "Not to rule anyone, but to never be abandoned again. To protect those I care about — even if they're already gone."
"Good." The Keeper said. "Power is born from will. Now, close your eyes. Feel the wind."
Kael obeyed, closing his eyes. He felt a warm energy flow from the book's pages into his fingertips, spreading through his arms and body. Then, he "heard" the wind — not the roaring sound, but countless tiny, flowing, rhythmic "languages."
"The wind is moving. It seeks direction." The Keeper's voice whispered in his mind. "It remembers the name of every floating island, every current's path, every storm's origin. Now, command it."
Kael took a deep breath, focused his thoughts, and silently spoke in his mind:
"Take me to the highest floating island — the Sky City, 'Crown of Aetherion.'"
In an instant, he felt himself lifted by a gentle force. The wind was no longer wild — it wrapped around him like silk, lifting him gently into the air.
When he opened his eyes again, he was hovering hundreds of meters above the clouds. Below, the sea of clouds churned. In the distance, a massive city suspended in the starry sky loomed — spires rising, crystal domes refracting starlight, walls coiling like silver dragons, guarding countless flickering lights within.
"Welcome to the Crown of Aetherion." The Keeper's voice carried a hint of amusement. "Lesson One complete. You are no longer the one who fell. You are… the one chosen by the wind."