Kael brought The Emberwing down on a narrow ledge overlooking the Ridge. Wind howled through the sharp stones, and every gust carried strange sounds—like whispers.
"Why does it sound like… voices?" Kael asked, tightening his scarf.
Lira looked uneasy. "They say the Ridge remembers. Everything said here echoes forever. Some say it even speaks back."
Kael chuckled nervously. "Creepy."
They grabbed their gear—goggles, ropes, flashlights, and a scanning tool Lira had brought. The orb stayed close, floating just above Kael's shoulder, pulsing slowly with light.
They climbed down into a narrow path between the cliffs. Strange markings lined the rock walls. Some were glowing. Others seemed freshly carved… but no one had been here in months.
Lira scanned a symbol with her tool. "This is the mark of the Sky Council. Pre-Fall era. We're close."
Suddenly, Kael paused. "Did you hear that?"
A voice echoed faintly.
"Stroud…"
He turned. Nothing. Just wind.
"You alright?" Lira asked.
He shook his head. "Yeah… just the ridge messing with me."
But inside, he wasn't sure.
An hour deeper, they found a hidden door carved into the cliffside. Kael brushed away dust, revealing a pattern.
The same one on the orb.
Lira placed her hand on it. "This is it. The second core."
The orb floated forward, glowing brighter. The pattern lit up, and the stone door slowly opened with a deep groan.
Inside was a chamber filled with floating crystals. In the center was a pedestal, and on it—another orb, golden and calm.
They stepped inside carefully.
But just as Kael reached for the second core, the air shifted.
A blast of light hit the wall behind them.
The Watcher had found them.
It floated through the stone like a ghost—its body made of metal and mist, its eyes glowing white.
Kael grabbed the second orb.
The Watcher spoke in a cold, hollow voice:
"Two cores united. The Sky must not rise again."
Lira shouted, "Run!"
They turned and bolted—two cores glowing, wind screaming behind them, and a guardian of the old world chasing them through the echoes of the past.