The forest had calmed, but the echoes of destruction remained. Trees, snapped and charred, leaned like broken soldiers in a battlefield frozen in time. The faint pulse of the Second Seal beneath the earth thrummed, an almost sentient heartbeat, warning Rayon that its power would not wait forever.
Rayon stretched his shoulders, feeling the faint tug of Hollow Strings that lingered in the air like ghosts of his fight. Vorthalaxis coiled lazily around his arm, the black markings on its scales pulsing faintly, resonating with his own energy. Erethon's voice drifted in his mind, sardonic as always.
"You realize that thing won't just sit there for long, right? Once it notices the core of the Architect missing, it'll come hunting."
Rayon smirked, dark amusement in his pale eyes. "Relax. The Second Seal can wait for today. I need time… to train. I'm not walking in there half-cooked."
"Bold," Erethon muttered, almost impressed. "Most mortals would have jumped in headfirst. You, apparently, have the patience of a demon."
Rayon glanced around the ruined clearing. The Hollow Strings twitched along his fingers as if anticipating their next assignment. "Call it strategy. Or arrogance. Maybe a little bit of both. Anyway…" He let out a breath and flexed, feeling the combined essence of Vorynth and the Architect's core thrumming in his veins. "We've got work to do."
Over the next few days, Rayon worked quietly. Using Hollow Strings, he reinforced the ruins into a hidden fortress. Black wood and stone wove together, almost organic in appearance, lines twisting like veins and branches. Hollow Strings subtly anchored each structure, giving them durability far beyond mortal comprehension.
Vorthalaxis occasionally slithered through the emerging corridors, inspecting with a predator's instinct. Erethon floated nearby, lounging in a nonchalant haze.
"You're really making this look like an art project," Erethon commented, smirking.
Rayon chuckled darkly. "You're lucky I didn't decide to make it more dramatic. I wanted it functional. Comfortable. And intimidating. It's all about appearances… especially when people start asking questions."
By the end of the week, Rayon had a home that was part fortress, part laboratory, and entirely his own. Hidden deep within the forest, reinforced by Hollow Strings and spiritually attuned to Vorthalaxis, it was undetectable to casual observers and the majority of the Awakened Circle.
With the base prepared, Rayon set his sights on the city beyond the forest. He moved silently, blending with the shadows, Vorthalaxis curled around his arm as they traveled. Erethon hovered beside him in the mental plane, commenting occasionally with dark humor.
"So, you're actually going to the city?" Erethon asked. "You realize that's like stepping into a nest of vipers. Entire families of the Awakened live there. And they know someone went after the Third Seal."
Rayon's grin widened. "Then it'll be interesting to see who's bold enough to greet me."
As they approached the city, the air grew thick with tension. Streets were crowded, yet the people here moved with careful precision. Strong, capable, aware of dangers unseen. This was the sort of place that housed secrets, power, and threats Rayon could feel before he even saw them.
Then, in the central plaza, he saw him.
A man stood casually, arms crossed, black coat fluttering in the breeze. His aura was unmistakable. Strong. Precise. Dangerous. He was a member of the Awakened Circle—a herald of the sealed powers Rayon had been chasing.
The man's eyes narrowed as he took in Rayon. "So… you're the one who's been tearing through the forest," he said, voice low and dangerous. "I've heard stories. Letharion's Remnant absorbed? And you survived the Executor?"
Rayon smirked, dark amusement lacing his words. "Stories tend to exaggerate. But yeah… I had some fun."
The man stepped closer, the faint glint of power radiating from him. Every step was deliberate, measured, like a predator circling prey. "Fun? You realize what you've done, don't you? The Seals aren't toys. The Second Seal will awaken… and when it does, there won't be anyone to save you."
Rayon shrugged casually, hands still in his pockets. "Relax. It's off for today. I have work to do. Besides…" He tilted his head, a dark grin crossing his lips. "…I like seeing how far people are willing to go just to stand in my way."
Erethon's shadow chuckled faintly. "And there it is. Your arrogance never fails."
The man's lips twitched into a faint smirk. "Bold… very bold. I'll remember your face, outsider. Don't think this ends with you walking out of the forest alive."
Rayon's grin widened. "Good. I like being remembered."
As the man vanished into the city streets, Rayon and Erethon watched him go.
"You know," Erethon said dryly, "that one's not just powerful. He's dangerous. And he knows enough to make a headache for us later."
Rayon adjusted his coat, dark fabric falling in sleek folds around him. "Then let him chase. It'll be fun."
Vorthalaxis hissed faintly, coils tightening. "I smell the Seal's echo. The Second Seal stirs even now. Patience, master. You can't delay forever."
Rayon's violet eyes glimmered. "I know. But it's my rules for now. Train, build, prepare… then I go back and rip that thing open myself. And if anyone's in the way?" His smirk darkened. "They won't like it."
Erethon, ever sardonic, muttered: "You have a terrifying sense of fun. And patience. Terrifying and arrogant. You know that, right?"
Rayon laughed, low and dark. "That's the point."
The sun dipped behind the city's towering walls, shadows stretching long across streets and alleyways. Rayon's presence had already stirred whispers among the Awakened. One member had sensed Vorynth's pulse, another faint traces of the Third Seal's residue.
Far above, someone—or something—watched, analyzing the newcomer with predatory patience.
"Interesting," a voice hissed from the rooftops. "So he's the one who survived the Executor… and captured Vorynth. He's bold… maybe too bold."
Rayon didn't notice yet, but the city was already awakening to his presence. And the Second Seal, deep beneath the forest, pulsed faintly, as if anticipating the chaos that would soon follow.
The game had begun.
Rayon smirked to himself, dark and dangerous. "Good. Let's see who moves first."