Chapter 24: Warnings in the Dark
Elias wasn't pleased.
Adrian and Leah had barely finished recounting what they'd seen beneath the abandoned hall when Elias's expression hardened. He stood in the warehouse, arms crossed, eyes sharp, the silence between them heavy.
"You went down there," he said flatly. "Without me."
Adrian swallowed. "The pendant led us. It whispered. We couldn't ignore it."
Elias shook his head. "Relics don't whisper without reason. They don't reveal themselves unless something is stirring. And when they stir, hunters follow."
Leah stepped forward, unflinching. "We found a cavern. Symbols, fragments, a pedestal. It wasn't just ruins. It was connected to cultivation. To history."
Elias's jaw tightened. "Connected, yes. But dangerous. Sites like that aren't just remnants. They're anchors. Triggers. You touch them, and you wake things better left sleeping."
Adrian clenched his fists, pendant glowing faintly against his chest. "Then what are we supposed to do? Ignore it? Pretend it doesn't exist? This relic chose me. It's binding me to something bigger. I need to understand it."
Elias's gaze softened slightly, but his voice remained firm. "Understanding comes with cost. Every answer you dig up will draw more eyes. Hunters aren't just chasing power — they're chasing relics. And if they know you've touched a site, they'll come harder, faster, hungrier."
Leah's eyes narrowed. "Then let them come. We're not helpless."
Elias studied her, silent for a long moment. Then he sighed. "You're bold. That's good. But boldness without caution is suicide."
The warehouse fell quiet. Adrian sat on the floor, pendant glowing faintly in his hand. He thought of the cavern, of the fragments humming with energy, of the voice that had echoed in his mind: Chosen vessel. Guardian of roots. Defy fate.
He whispered to himself, voice hoarse. "It's not just survival anymore. It's destiny."
Elias shook his head. "Destiny is a dangerous word. It blinds you. Makes you reckless. If you believe you're chosen, you'll stop listening. And if you stop listening, you'll die."
Adrian looked up, meeting his gaze. "Then teach me. Don't just warn me. Show me how to survive this. Show me how to carry it."
Silence stretched. Finally, Elias nodded. "Fine. But understand this — relics aren't gifts. They're burdens. If you carry one, you carry its history. Its enemies. Its weight. And that weight will crush you if you're not ready."
Leah stepped closer, her voice steady. "Then we'll be ready. Together."
The pendant pulsed brighter, flooding the warehouse with emerald light. Elias frowned, Leah stared, and Adrian felt the warmth spread through his chest.
It wasn't just a relic. It was binding them.
Elias exhaled, his voice quieter now. "Then we move carefully. No more reckless dives into ruins. If the pendant whispers again, you tell me first. We plan. We prepare. Because if you wake something else down there, it won't just be hunters you're fighting. It'll be history itself."
Adrian nodded, determination burning in his chest. He clenched his fists, whispering to himself. "I'll rise. I'll uncover the truth. And I'll survive."
The warehouse smelled of dust and sweat, the echoes of battle still clinging to its walls. Adrian sat there, battered but unbroken, realizing that every step forward wasn't just about cultivation. It was about carrying a legacy that stretched deeper than he could imagine.
And for the first time, he understood Elias's warning: relics didn't just choose. They demanded.