I had just crossed into the boundary where the outer convergence roads gave way to the central district when I felt it. A faint vibration in the air hit my senses. It came from my storage ring.
I stopped mid-step, my perception immediately shifting inward toward the source. Nothing within the city had changed. There was still no Essence anywhere in this place, no hidden presence stirring beneath the surface. The disturbance was not external.
It was mine. Surprised, I raised my hand and willed the object out. A book appeared in my palm.
The same book I had obtained in the chained realm.
Its surface was exactly as I remembered: crimson, dark, and cold, its cover bearing no title, no inscription, nothing to identify its origin. Yet I knew what it was. This was the artifact that had shown me the vision of the boy.
Theras.
Theras Prime.
For a moment, I simply stared at it.
