The words echoed through the ruined city.
"AELION HAS AWAKENED."
Rin stood completely still. For a few seconds, he couldn't hear anything else.
Not the wind. Not the crumbling stone. Not even the voices of the gods descending from the white light above. Only his own heartbeat.
Aelion. The name felt different now. Before, it had been nothing more than a strange piece of information.
A forgotten name. A fragment of another identity.
But now—
it felt like something inside him had answered.
Not completely. Not enough to remember everything but enough to know that the name belonged to him.
Rin slowly looked at his hands. They were trembling. Kaelith noticed immediately.
"Rin."
Rin looked up.
Kaelith was standing beside him. His expression was calm, but Rin could see the tension in his eyes.
"They know..."
Rin nodded.
"They do."
"They know your name."
"Yes."
"They know you're here."
"Yes."
Kaelith stepped closer.
"Then stay behind me."
Rin almost smiled.
