[Location: Camelot – Throne Hall, Morning]
The hall was colder than usual that morning. The sunlight through the stained glass felt pale, filtered — like even the castle itself was uneasy.
King Uther sat on his throne, jaw tense, eyes sharp as the guards knelt before him. "You're certain of what you saw?"
The lead guard hesitated. "A surge of blue light, my lord. The walls trembled. We traced it to the lower chambers. No sign of intruders."
Uther's gaze shifted to Gaius, who stood off to the side, his face neutral. "And you, physician — what do you make of it?"
Gaius bowed slightly. "My lord, it may have been residual energy from one of the court mages—"
"Enough," Uther cut him off. "There are no mages in Camelot. Magic is forbidden." His voice carried across the hall, silencing every whisper.
From behind one of the marble pillars, Merlin watched silently. His pulse quickened. Ren's experiment from the night before — the energy spike — had drawn attention faster than either of them had feared.
Uther stood slowly, his cloak falling in clean, heavy folds. "Find the source. Search every corner if you must. I will not have another sorcerer hiding in my city."
The guards bowed and left. The echo of their boots faded into the stone corridors.
Gaius remained still, his expression troubled. He met Merlin's eyes for a brief second — a silent warning: Be careful.
[Location: Camelot – Lower Chambers, Later That Day]
Ren was already cleaning up the remnants of the burned-out circle when Merlin returned. The air still smelled faintly of scorched ozone.
"Uther's ordered a full search," Merlin said quickly. "He felt the surge himself."
Ren sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. "That's fast, even for him."
"You need to stop experimenting here," Merlin snapped. "You're going to get yourself caught — or worse."
Ren looked up, calm but firm. "If I don't keep testing, I'll lose control. My energy is destabilizing, Merlin. Every day it's harder to hold back."
Merlin's tone softened. "Then we need to find another way. Maybe the druids—"
"No," Ren interrupted. "Aglain already taught me everything he could. This isn't just mana imbalance. It's dimensional strain. My body isn't syncing with this world anymore."
Merlin froze. "You mean…"
Ren nodded. "I think I'm being pulled back — to where I came from."
[Location: Camelot – Morgana's Quarters, Afternoon]
Morgana sat at her desk, a parchment half-written before her. The quill in her hand trembled. She'd felt the same disturbance again that morning — faint, but distinct.
She closed her eyes and focused, letting her druidic sensitivity flow outward. She could feel Ren's energy still lingering beneath the castle, wild and restless.
"Whatever you're doing," she whispered, "it's tearing you apart."
Her vision shimmered — brief flashes of two overlapping images. Camelot… and another place. Metallic walls, cold light, a symbol she didn't recognize: GENESIS.
She gasped and gripped the desk. The vision faded as fast as it came.
She knew now that Ren's energy wasn't just magic. It was something older — or newer — than anything this world had ever seen.
[Location: Camelot – Lower Corridors, Dusk]
Ren and Merlin slipped through the torch-lit passageways, their steps careful, their voices low.
Merlin whispered, "You can't leave the city. The gates are sealed."
Ren adjusted his hood. "Then I'll go through the walls."
Merlin stopped. "That's not—"
Ren smirked faintly. "You've done worse."
They reached a service tunnel that led beneath the city's outer ring. It smelled of old water and stone.
Ren paused, looking back toward the castle spires. "You know," he said quietly, "this world isn't bad. It's just… not mine."
Merlin didn't answer. He just nodded once. "Then go before they find you."
Ren clasped his shoulder briefly. "Thank you, Merlin. For everything."
As he disappeared into the shadows of the tunnel, a faint hum filled the air — like the world itself exhaling.
[Location: Camelot – Throne Hall, Night]
Uther paced before the throne, his patience wearing thin. "Report."
The captain knelt. "No intruders, my lord. But we found scorch marks in the lower chambers. The symbols burned into the floor — they were not natural."
Uther's eyes narrowed. "Then someone here is practicing magic."
He turned sharply. "Search every room. And bring me the foreigner. The one they call Ren."
[Location: Forest Edge, Near Camelot – Midnight]
Ren emerged from the tunnel, the night air biting against his skin. The forest loomed ahead, vast and dark. His hand glowed faintly as he touched the ground — feeling the vibration of the ley lines beneath.
He could sense it again. The pull. The same energy that had brought him here was now calling him back.
But not yet.
He had to make sure the resonance was stable first. If he left now, the portal could collapse mid-transition — and tear him apart.
For now, he would wait. Train. Hide.
And when the moment came, he'd return — on his terms.
[End of Chapter 34]
Author's Note:
Ren's situation grows more dangerous as Uther's suspicion spreads and his quantum energy begins destabilizing Camelot's mana field. The closing arc will now move toward Ren's forced departure from this world and his return to The Invisible World.
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