The Vault trembled still, an uneasy hush replacing the chaos that had engulfed it mere moments ago. The remnants of the Forgotten One's presence clung to the chamber like lingering smoke, faint whispers of power drifting like ash through the air.
Chen remained at the center of it all, breathing heavily, Soulflame pulsing in rhythm with his heart. Around him, Lanmei and Ye Yue stood close, their bodies shimmering with residual energy. Mei wiped sweat from her brow, while Sarina silently checked her staff, ensuring no damage had been taken. Each of them bore marks of the battle, but they stood tall, united by the ordeal they'd just survived.
"We can't stay here long," Sarina warned, her voice subdued. "The Courts will feel that surge. They'll come."
Chen nodded, then turned his eyes to the Vault's shattered heart—the place where the Forgotten One had once slept. In its place now lay a new chamber, revealed only after the collapse. Carved with runes too ancient for the system to translate, it pulsed with a light that felt oddly warm.
"Another layer," Lanmei murmured. "One the Courts must never find."
They approached the chamber cautiously. Inside was a dais of obsidian and crystal, and resting atop it: a relic. A mirror.
No ordinary reflection greeted them. When Chen peered into it, he saw a world twisted with divine paradox—where laws folded into themselves, where gods bowed to forces unseen. More than a vision. A warning. Or a path?
"It's not just showing us something," Ye Yue whispered. "It's inviting us."
Suddenly, the system chimed softly.
[Hidden Relic Discovered: The Mirror of Silent Prophecy. Unique Quest Unlocked: "Echoes of the Rewritten Thread"]
A brief silence settled over them again.
"We can't rush this," Mei said gently, looking at Chen. "But we can't turn away either. Whatever's in there... it's connected to what we're becoming."
Chen slowly reached toward the mirror. The moment his fingers touched the edge, a pulse rippled out. Not of danger, but resonance. The Vault's lights dimmed, and the mirror shimmered before fading into a translucent arc of energy.
A portal.
Behind them, Sarina stepped back. "We're crossing into a domain the Courts buried on purpose. I doubt even the Choir dares tread here."
"Which makes it perfect for our next strike," Chen said.
One by one, they passed through.
What waited beyond was not a battlefield. Not yet. It was a place outside of time—a realm stitched from memories, forgotten truths, and divine mistakes. Landscapes folded upon themselves. Ruins floated midair. And in the distance, the silhouettes of chained thrones, each empty, yet crackling with restrained power.
Lanmei took Chen's hand. "We're not just fighting the Courts now. We're stepping into something older."
Ye Yue nodded, her expression calm but alert. "Something that's been waiting for us."
Chen glanced around at his companions, every one of them bearing fire in their eyes.
The silence that followed was not empty.
It was expectant.