The air in Whispering Hollow changed.
It started with flickering spirit lanterns in the lower halls. Servants heard whispers at night. Veins of crystal within the keep dimmed, their light growing pale and uncertain.
Qingsai, sensing a disturbance, descended into the Old Catacombs, long sealed off beneath the keep.
There, hidden behind a veil-inscribed door only Lucentia could reveal, he discovered a forgotten shrine—its stone floor engraved with the Soulkindled sigil of flame wrapped in light.
In the center, a pedestal held a single artifact:
> A broken mask of polished white stone, carved to resemble a serene, almost celestial face.
When Qingsai touched it, visions flooded his mind.
> He saw a past life—a woman cloaked in golden light, wielding Lucentia and Void in perfect harmony. She was called Aurexia the Lightbinder, the Soulkindled of Balance.
And she died in this place… protecting something still hidden.