The Tide's Crest camped in the shallow ravine outside the Abyssal Caldera, the ground still warm from the basin's molten heat, the fire sparked by Xerion's breath casting flickering shadows across the cracked stone.
Kelvin knelt beside it, his chest and leg wounds were throbbing beneath bandages from the riftfiend and riftbeast battles, the sting of each movement a reminder of the Abyssal Caldera's brutal trials.
The coded scroll's revelation, "The Sovereign is Master Veyra. The traitor is Master Torin" burned in his mind, a betrayal that shattered his trust in the Sanctum's leadership.
The Veil codex was heavy in his pack which had unmasked Master Veyra as the Sovereign and Master Torin as the traitor tied to Zack's manipulation and Cindy's schemes, their betrayal was a blade that cut deeper than any wound.
