The next morning, the Vale Guild headquarters was alive with motion — the hum of mana circuits weaving through the halls, shimmering holograms updating mission boards, and teams preparing for expeditions beyond the city walls.
Arlen stood at the far end of the observation deck, the wind tugging at his coat as he stared down at the bustle below. The skyline stretched endlessly — a fusion of steel and light.
He had only been back for three days, yet the unease inside him hadn't settled. Every whisper, every glance in the corridor carried a weight. Something beneath the surface of the guild had shifted since their mission.
> "You're awake early again," a voice came from behind.
Lira approached, holding two steaming cups of mana-coffee. Her eyes were tired but steady, the faint glow of her mana crystal pendant reflecting the morning light.
> "Couldn't sleep," Arlen admitted. "The same dream again."
> "The one with the black void and the voice calling your name?"
He nodded. "It's getting clearer. This time, I saw… a sigil. Like the one on the humanoid we fought."
Lira frowned, handing him the cup. "You think they're connected?"
> "I don't think," he replied grimly. "I know."
---
They didn't have time to continue — the guild's main alarm pulsed through the halls, deep and resonant. Red lights flared along the ceilings as holographic text scrolled across the air.
> "Priority summons: Team Frost-Vale. Guild Hall — immediately."
Arlen and Lira exchanged a glance before breaking into a sprint.
---
The Guild Hall was already filled when they arrived. Dozens of members lined the circular chamber, their uniforms gleaming with rank sigils. At the center stood Guild Master Ren Vale, Lira's father — a tall, imposing man with silver hair and a gaze that could silence a storm.
Behind him, a holographic projection flickered to life, displaying distorted images — the humanoid creature, its form shifting between light and shadow.
> "This was recovered from your mission," Ren began, his tone grave. "Our analysts isolated fragments of its energy residue — and what we found is alarming."
The crowd murmured.
> "The energy signature matches an old archive," he continued. "One classified under Celestial Anomalies. Records show that thousands of years ago, a similar reading appeared during the fall of the old world."
Lira stiffened. "The Celestial Era? But that's a myth."
> "So we believed," Ren replied. "Until now."
The Guild Hall fell into silence. Arlen's heart pounded. The words Celestial Era felt… familiar. Too familiar.
> "Arlen Frost," Ren said suddenly, turning his gaze to him. "During your confrontation, your energy output matched that of the anomaly itself. Explain."
Arlen hesitated, his throat dry. "I… don't know what happened. It wasn't intentional."
Ren's eyes narrowed. "Your mana spiked beyond human thresholds. If I didn't know better, I'd say you resonated with it."
Lira stepped forward defensively. "He saved my life! Without that surge, neither of us would've returned."
Ren studied them both, then sighed. "Perhaps. But understand this — the Guild cannot afford unchecked power. Especially when it resembles something we don't understand."
His voice softened slightly as he looked at his daughter. "Lira, I want him monitored. Closely."
She blinked. "You mean—"
> "You will be his anchor," Ren said. "Until we know what's inside him."
Arlen opened his mouth to protest, but Lira's hand on his arm stopped him. Her touch said what words couldn't — I'll handle it.
---
Later, in the quiet of the training hall, Arlen unleashed a bolt of lightning that cracked against the reinforced walls. The impact echoed through the room like thunder.
> "You don't have to take what he said so personally," Lira said from behind him.
> "He basically called me a weapon," Arlen muttered, fists clenched. "Not a person."
> "He's cautious. That's how he's always been," she said softly. "You scare him — not because you're dangerous, but because he can't control you."
He exhaled slowly, turning to face her. "And you? Do I scare you?"
She smiled faintly. "You? Never."
A silence hung between them — heavy, charged, alive.
Then, as if sensing the shift, Arlen took a step closer. "Lira… that day, when you confessed—"
Her eyes widened. "Arlen, you don't—"
> "I didn't answer then because I didn't understand myself," he continued. "But that moment — it's been echoing in my head ever since."
She turned away, flustered. "You shouldn't talk like that when we're in the middle of—"
> "I mean it."
His voice was quiet, but certain. "You matter to me. More than I realized."
Lira's heart skipped. For a moment, the world outside the hall ceased to exist — just the two of them, the faint hum of mana lights around them.
Before she could respond, the guild's intercom blared again.
> "Team Frost-Vale. New mission assignment. Briefing Room 7."
Lira exhaled shakily. "Perfect timing," she muttered.
Arlen smiled faintly. "Story of our lives."
---
Briefing Room 7 was dim, lit only by blue holographic light. Jay, their ever-smirking teammate, lounged against a console, spinning a data knife between his fingers.
> "Well, look who's back from near-death," he teased. "Didn't think you'd wake up so soon, Frost."
> "Missed me already?" Arlen shot back.
Jay grinned. "Only your dramatic entrances."
The hologram flickered, projecting a map of the Outer Ruins — a forbidden region once believed to be remnants of pre-Cataclysm civilization.
> "Scouting team went dark here," said the holographic voice of Guild Analyst Vera. "We lost signal 48 hours ago. Last recorded transmission mentioned… something glowing beneath the ruins."
Lira frowned. "Celestial energy again?"
> "Possibly," Vera replied. "Your task is reconnaissance — recover data, avoid engagement."
Jay smirked. "Avoid engagement. Sure. That always works out."
---
Hours later, the team descended into the Outer Ruins aboard a hover transport. The night sky shimmered with faint auroras — beautiful, but unnatural.
The ruins stretched endlessly, broken towers half-buried in dust, glowing runes etched into the stone. It felt like stepping into another world.
> "This place…" Lira whispered. "It's like it remembers."
> "Stay sharp," Arlen warned. "Something's off."
As they moved deeper, the air grew heavier. Strange whispers brushed against their minds — faint, like echoes from another dimension.
Jay's voice crackled through the comms. "You guys hearing that too?"
Before anyone could answer, the ground beneath them trembled. Ancient glyphs ignited in blinding light.
> "MOVE!" Arlen shouted.
A surge of energy exploded outward, flinging them apart. The world dissolved into chaos — dust, light, roaring sound.
When Arlen opened his eyes again, he was alone.
---
He staggered to his feet, the ruins eerily silent. Then, in the distance, a shadow moved — tall, humanoid, and covered in shifting celestial markings.
> "You again," Arlen muttered, lightning flickering along his arm.
But this one was different. Its form was clearer — and its voice, when it spoke, wasn't distorted.
> "You bear the fragment," it said calmly. "The code awakens within you."
Arlen froze. "What are you talking about?"
> "The seal has weakened. When it breaks, your world will fall — just as ours did."
Lightning arced violently from Arlen's palm. "Then maybe you should start explaining!"
> "Not yet," the figure said, stepping closer. "You are not ready."
And before Arlen could strike, the being dissolved into light — leaving behind only a burning sigil etched into the air.
---
By the time Lira and Jay reached him, the sigil was already fading.
> "What the hell happened?" Jay demanded.
> "Another one," Arlen said, still staring at the air. "But this one… it knew me."
Lira looked at him, worry etched across her face. "Arlen, what if this isn't about them attacking us? What if it's about you?"
He met her gaze silently — lightning still crackling faintly in his eyes.
> "Then," he said quietly, "we're already running out of time."
---
That night, as the ruins pulsed faintly with celestial light, unseen eyes watched from the shadows — and far above, within the Vale Guild's tower, Ren Vale stood before a sealed chamber glowing with the same sigil Arlen had just seen.
> "So… the code reawakens after all," he murmured. "Just as she predicted."
---