The map was alive.
Kat Levi stared at it, spread across Sage Ethan's desk like a living thing. The ink shimmered faintly, pulsing in rhythm with the scroll tucked away in the satchel beside her. It wasn't just a diagram—it was a guide, etched with runes that responded to touch, glowing brighter when her fingers brushed the parchment.
Sage leaned over her shoulder. "It's reacting to you again."
James Williams, sprawled on the couch with a half-eaten apple, muttered, "Of course it is. Everything reacts to Kat now. Scrolls, mirrors, fog, vending machines…"
Aria Norman gave him a look. "You're deflecting."
"I'm surviving," James replied. "Big difference."
Junior Sebastian stood by the window, watching the fog roll across the courtyard. "The map's showing us something new. Look—here." He pointed to a section near the bottom, where the ink had shifted, revealing a spiral symbol surrounded by jagged lines.
Sage frowned. "That's the seal fracture. The place where the original containment began to fail."
Kat traced the spiral. "It's beneath the city. Deeper than the cathedral vault."
Aria's voice was soft. "Then that's where we go."
---
They waited until nightfall.
The streets of Virelia were silent, the fog thicker than ever. It clung to buildings, curled around lampposts, and whispered through alleyways. Kat felt it pressing against her skin, like fingers searching for a way in.
They moved quickly, dressed in dark clothes, carrying charms and runes. Sage led the way, the map tucked into his coat. Junior stayed close to Kat, his presence steady, grounding.
James carried a flashlight and a crowbar. "Just in case the ancient magical vault has a rusty door."
Aria held a candle, its flame flickering violet.
They reached the edge of the city, where the old train station stood abandoned. Sage led them through a broken gate, down a flight of stairs that smelled of rust and memory.
At the bottom was a tunnel.
Kat felt the scroll pulse.
---
The tunnel was narrow, lined with cracked tiles and faded graffiti. The air was damp, and the silence was heavy. They moved slowly, flashlights sweeping across the walls.
Sage stopped suddenly. "Here."
He pressed his hand against a section of wall. The runes on the map glowed, and the wall shimmered—then dissolved.
Behind it was a chamber.
Kat stepped inside.
---
The chamber was circular, like the mirror vault—but older. The walls were covered in carvings, depicting scenes of war, sacrifice, and a figure holding a flame in one hand and a scroll in the other.
In the center was a pedestal.
But this one held no object.
Instead, it held a pool.
Kat approached slowly. The water shimmered, reflecting not her face—but her memories.
She saw herself as a child, laughing with her parents. Then she saw the mirror. The scroll. Junior's face. The moment she learned the truth.
The water rippled.
And then it spoke.
---
You are the flame. You are the memory. You are the bond. You are the map.
Kat gasped.
Sage stepped forward. "It's not just showing you memories. It's showing you paths."
Aria whispered, "The map isn't on paper. It's inside her."
James blinked. "Okay, that's new."
Junior looked at Kat. "You're the guide. The scroll chose you because you carry the path."
Kat touched the water again.
It rippled—and revealed a new image.
A door.
Etched with runes.
Hidden beneath the school.
---
They returned to Sage's house in silence.
The scroll pulsed steadily, like it was waiting.
Kat sat alone in the study, staring at the map. Her skin tingled, the runes from the chamber still echoing beneath her surface.
Junior entered quietly.
"You okay?"
Kat nodded. "Just overwhelmed."
He sat beside her. "You're not alone."
She looked at him. "I know."
He reached for her hand. "We'll find the door. We'll finish what they started."
Kat leaned against him. "And if the path leads to Vandal?"
Junior's voice was steady. "Then we fight."
---
That night, Kat dreamed again.
She was standing before the door.
It glowed faintly, the runes shifting like breath.
Behind it, she heard whispers.
Not threatening.
Not cruel.
Just… waiting.
She reached for the handle.
And the scroll pulsed.