Chapter 23: Beneath the City
The whisper hadn't left Adrian's mind. Find the roots. It echoed in his chest every time the pendant pulsed, every time he closed his eyes. He tried to ignore it, but the relic wouldn't let him. It was guiding him somewhere, and he knew he couldn't resist forever.
A week later, he and Leah stood outside an abandoned building in Diliman. The mural wasn't far from here, and the archives had mentioned this place once — a university hall condemned after a fire decades ago. Most people avoided it, claiming it was haunted. Adrian didn't believe in ghosts, but he believed in relics.
The pendant pulsed harder as they approached, its glow faint beneath his shirt. Leah glanced at him, golden aura flickering faintly in her eyes. "It's reacting again," she said quietly.
Adrian nodded. "This is the place."
The building loomed above them, windows shattered, walls cracked, vines crawling across its facade. The air smelled of dust and rust, heavy with silence. Adrian pushed the door open, the hinges groaning. Inside, the hall was dark, littered with broken chairs and scattered papers.
The pendant pulsed again, brighter this time. Adrian felt the warmth spread through his chest, guiding him deeper. Leah followed, her steps steady, her eyes sharp.
They moved through the ruined corridors, the relic's glow illuminating faint symbols etched into the walls. Adrian traced them with his fingers — faded, but familiar. They matched the markings on the focus stones Elias had given him.
"This isn't just a ruin," Adrian whispered. "It's connected."
Leah studied the symbols, her brow furrowing. "A cultivation site. Hidden in plain sight."
The pendant flared suddenly, flooding the hall with emerald light. Adrian gasped, clutching it. The glow revealed a staircase, half-collapsed, leading downward.
"Roots," Adrian murmured. "It wants us to go down."
They descended carefully, the air growing colder, heavier. The staircase opened into a cavern beneath the building — a place untouched by time. The walls shimmered faintly, etched with more symbols, glowing softly in response to the pendant.
At the center of the cavern stood a pedestal, cracked but steady. On it lay fragments of stone, faintly humming with energy. Adrian stepped closer, heart pounding. The pendant pulsed harder, frantic.
Leah placed a hand on his shoulder. "Careful. Relics don't reveal themselves without reason."
Adrian nodded, swallowing hard. He touched the fragments. The moment his fingers brushed them, the cavern seemed to breathe. The air shifted, the symbols glowed brighter, and a faint voice echoed in his mind.
Chosen vessel. Guardian of roots. Defy fate.
Adrian staggered, clutching his chest. The pendant burned against his skin, flooding his veins with warmth. Images flashed in his mind — figures standing where he stood, relics glowing in their hands, hunters falling in battle, cities burning and rebuilding.
He gasped, pulling his hand back. The cavern fell silent, the glow fading. Leah steadied him, her eyes wide. "What did you see?"
Adrian shook his head, breath ragged. "History. The pendant… it's been here before. Others carried it. Others fought with it. And now… it's me."
Leah's gaze hardened. "Then this isn't just about survival anymore. It's about legacy."
Adrian clenched his fists, pendant glowing faintly against his chest. He felt the weight of the relic pressing down, heavier than ever. It wasn't just guiding him. It was binding him.
He whispered to himself, voice hoarse. "I'll rise. I'll uncover the truth. And I'll carry this legacy."
The cavern pulsed faintly, as if agreeing.
And Adrian Reyes knew the path ahead wasn't just about cultivation or history. It was about destiny — buried beneath the city, waiting to be unearthed.