Chapter 34
Three days later, Astern found himself staring into the mouth of the Hollow Quarter—the northern ruins beneath Sanctum Astrae that even upperclassmen avoided.
It wasn't marked on maps.
It wasn't discussed in class.
But it was there. Always had been.
The letter's message echoed in his thoughts: Follow the ash to where the sun does not rise.
The Hollow Quarter was carved into the side of the academy's lowest ring, hidden behind a collapsed observatory. A place that saw no sunrise, only the cold press of dusk. When he arrived, Whispersteel vibrated faintly at his side.
He wasn't alone.
Kaela stepped from the shadows. "Did you really think we wouldn't follow you?"
Lunaria emerged next. "You're predictable in your secrecy."
Astern hesitated, but said nothing. Then nodded once.
They moved as a unit.
The descent was steep, stone giving way to fractured metal and moss-lined crystal. It wasn't a cave. It was a forgotten part of the academy—older than its official founding. Hallways carved with glyphs worn nearly smooth.
"Look at this," Lunaria whispered, touching a symbol with her fingers. "These are pre-archangel sigils. Ancient angelic dialect."
"Language of the First Watchers," Kaela said. "Didn't think they still existed anywhere."
They moved deeper, until the passage opened into a low chamber with a half-collapsed ceiling and a central altar. Upon it lay a circle of ash—cold, but unbroken. Inside the ash sat a ring of stone feathers.
Astern stepped closer.
As his foot touched the circle's edge, the room pulsed.
A projection ignited.
A tall figure formed—draped in ceremonial robes, wings torn and one eye sealed with light. It was a memory fragment.
"I am Vaelorn, Keeper of the Bind. If you are hearing this, then the seals have weakened beyond our measure. And the one we feared has begun to awaken."
Kaela and Lunaria stood frozen.
"This place," Vaelorn's voice continued, "was once the Sanctuary of Echoes—built to guard the relic that should never have been forged. A blade that severs the divine tether. A weapon of silence."
Astern's heart skipped.
Was Whispersteel that blade?
"No," Vaelorn said, as if answering the thought. "Whispersteel was born of it—but it is not the silence. That blade still sleeps... hidden deeper, beneath even this forgotten hollow."
The projection flickered.
"If the heir of twilight has come to hear this… then your choice has already begun to shape the end."
The vision faded.
Astern stood in silence, jaw clenched.
Lunaria turned slowly. "Heir of twilight?"
Kaela nodded grimly. "That's you."
Astern lowered his gaze. "There's more down here. And I need to find it before they do."
Kaela placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then we go together. No more secrets."
He didn't smile.
But for once, he didn't walk ahead alone.