The journey down the mountains took two days.
By the time Lyrius, Elira, and Kael reached the valley, the forests had grown thick with moss-covered oaks and deep shadows. The road forked at an old statue—a crumbling knight whose sword pointed eastward. At its base, worn words barely remained:
"To Stoneveil – where truth hides behind smiles."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a friendly place."
Lyrius studied the moss-covered sword. "We'll find what we need there. I can feel the pull."
The gauntlet had begun to tug ever so faintly eastward, a low pulse like a heartbeat leading them toward something unseen.
Stoneveil Village
The village was surrounded by high wooden walls and strange charms strung along the gates—runes, bones, feathers. A pale mist clung to the ground even under midday light.
They were met by a watchful eye through a slitted gate.
"You're not locals," a woman's voice rasped.
Lyrius stepped forward. "We seek rest and information."
The gate opened slowly, revealing an old woman in layers of red cloth, one eye covered with a black silk band. Her remaining eye glinted with sharp intelligence.
"Elira of Lyswen," she said suddenly. "And Kael of the Burning Cliffs… And you." Her gaze landed on Lyrius. "The boy with a storm on his back."
Elira froze. "How do you know us?"
The woman only smiled. "You carry the Arc Veil. The trees whisper your presence. Come."
That Evening...
They sat in a firelit hut, sipping bitter root tea while the woman—who called herself Nara of the Veil-Keepers—spoke.
"The Gauntlet is one of seven. Each bound to a Seal. And each Seal guards a memory… of Velmora's truth."
Lyrius leaned forward. "Memory?"
"Velmora has been rewritten many times. Kings erase kings. Empires bury empires. But the Seals remember. The First Seal gave you the Gauntlet of Echoes. The Second…"
She stood, brushing aside a hanging tapestry. Behind it was a crude map etched into the wall.
"…is beneath Stoneveil."
Kael nearly choked. "Seriously? Here?"
"Yes. Below the village lies the Hall of Hollow Voices. Sealed long ago."
Elira frowned. "Why haven't you opened it?"
Nara's voice dropped. "Because only one chosen by the Arc Veil can survive what waits inside."
Later That Night
Lyrius walked alone through the village's outer edge, torch in hand. The mist had grown thicker.
Children's laughter echoed faintly… but there were no children in sight.
The gauntlet thrummed.
He turned sharply toward an old well. A symbol was carved into its stones—the same one that had glowed in the Sanctum of Echoes.
He touched it.
And the ground gave way.