Kael stood on the precipice of the Vault, the weight of his victory settling over him like an unyielding fog. The Eternal Watcher was no more, its ashes scattering on the winds that howled through the mountainside. But the taste of triumph was bittersweet. He had won, but at what cost?
The burn in his chest was not just from physical exhaustion. It was the sense of impending change, the kind that stirred deep within him. The Ashen Aura, for all its power, had taken a toll. He could feel it—the strain of pushing his limits, of tapping into a force he wasn't fully in control of. He had barely kept it together during the battle, and now, he wondered if he could continue this path much longer without breaking.
"You did it," Lyra's voice broke through his thoughts, soft and full of admiration. She stood beside him, her Sunveil Feather glowing faintly in the light of the setting sun. There was a look of awe in her eyes, but also a quiet concern.
Kael gave a faint smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah… I did."
She didn't press further, though Kael could feel her gaze lingering on him. She was the first person to see past his victory—she saw the exhaustion, the doubt. But Kael couldn't afford to show weakness now, not when the battle had only just begun.
Drayke stepped forward, his usual fire in his eyes, but there was something more subdued about him now. "So the Watcher's gone. That's a win." He cracked his knuckles, his eyes scanning the area. "But I don't think that was the end of it, Kael."
Kael nodded, his gaze drifting to the horizon. "No, it wasn't."
There was an uncomfortable silence between them, broken only by the soft whispers of the wind. Lyra's quiet voice brought their attention back to the present.
"We need to leave the Vault," she said. "This place... it's unstable. The fight has shaken something deeper within it. I'm sensing a surge of power beneath the surface."
Kael's eyes hardened. "What do you mean by 'beneath the surface'?"
Lyra swallowed, her brow furrowing. "I don't know yet, but it's ancient. Older than the Vault itself. And it's awakening."
At her words, Kael felt a chill creep up his spine. If there was one thing he had learned on this journey, it was that nothing ever came without a price. And whatever was stirring beneath the Vault could very well be the catalyst for the next stage of his destiny.
"We'll figure it out," Kael said, though doubt lingered in his words. "For now, let's move. We need to regroup."
Drayke scoffed but didn't argue. "Lead the way, boss. But I don't trust this place. Whatever's under there, it doesn't seem like it's just waiting for us to walk away."
Lyra turned toward Kael, her expression softening. "We have to trust that whatever comes next, we face it together."
Kael nodded. He knew she was right. He wasn't alone in this.
But that didn't stop the weight in his chest from growing heavier.
The journey down the mountain was long and exhausting, but they couldn't afford to rest—not when they had no idea what was lurking beneath the surface. The Vault had been a place of power, but now it felt hollow, like a wound that had been left open and was slowly starting to fester.
As they reached the base of the mountain, Kael's thoughts wandered to the next step. The Watcher was dead, but that only brought more questions. Why had the Watcher been there in the first place? What had it been guarding, and why had it been so determined to stop him? These questions gnawed at him, but the answers weren't something he could find on the wind.
They reached a small, secluded village by nightfall, and Kael found himself sitting in a modest tavern, nursing a mug of lukewarm ale. The others had gone off to rest or gather supplies, but Kael couldn't relax. His mind was still racing, thoughts spiraling in a way that wouldn't let him settle.
A figure approached him at the bar. Kael didn't need to look up to recognize the silhouette. It was Zera.
"Not resting?" Zera's voice was quiet, but there was an edge to it, like she knew something Kael didn't.
Kael glanced up at her, his face impassive. "I can't afford to."
Zera took the seat beside him, her eyes scanning the room before settling back on him. "You did well today. Better than I expected."
Kael didn't reply, his gaze fixed on his mug. He could feel Zera's piercing stare, but he wasn't in the mood for her usual games.
"I've been meaning to talk to you, Kael," Zera continued, her voice lower now, almost conspiratorial. "What you did back there with the Ashen Aura—that wasn't just you tapping into your power."
Kael's expression shifted, and his eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at?"
Zera didn't respond immediately, her fingers tapping lightly on the bar. When she finally spoke, her voice held an undertone of something like fear—or was it caution?
"The Eternals are more than just a threat," she said softly. "They're part of something larger. You've seen it. You've felt it. The Watcher wasn't guarding just any old vault. It was a prison. And what's locked away... it's more than just a relic or treasure. It's an entire realm."
Kael leaned forward, his interest piqued despite himself. "A realm? What do you mean?"
Zera looked around one more time, then met Kael's eyes directly. "The Eternals are the gatekeepers of the Abyssal Realm. It's the true source of their power. And if what's locked in that Vault is ever released..."
Her voice trailed off, but Kael didn't need her to finish the sentence. He already knew.
If the Abyssal Realm was ever opened, the world as they knew it would be consumed.
"You're saying there's more out there than just the Eternals?" Kael asked, trying to process the enormity of the information.
Zera nodded gravely. "Much more. And if you think the Watcher was the end of it, Kael... you're wrong."
A silence stretched between them, thick with the weight of the knowledge Zera had just dropped on him.
Kael's mind was spinning, but one thing was clear: the war wasn't over. It had just begun.