Point of View: Lyriana
Like almost every other day, I was working at the hospital.
The routine was usually monotonous—stable patients, common injuries, the same treatments repeated over and over again. There was no excitement, only consistency and silence.
But that day was different.
Sylvanas lay unconscious on the bed, inside an isolated room, far from prying eyes.
Her breathing was steady. Her pulse was strong. At a glance, anyone would have said she was out of danger.
And yet, I couldn't relax.
The wound on her right arm had already closed almost completely. The skin had regenerated without leaving visible scars. It wasn't deep. It shouldn't have been a problem.
But it was.
—It's not the wound that worries me…—I murmured to myself as I cleaned the instruments—it's what was inside it.
When they brought her in, still unconscious, I felt the anomaly immediately. The energy lingering within the wound was abnormal. It resembled origin energy, yes… but it was twisted, distorted, as if it had passed through something impure.
When I tried to heal her for the first time, I understood it clearly.
My origin energy was being repelled.
Not weakened.
Not absorbed.
Rejected.
I had to stop immediately.
If I had forced it, I could have caused irreversible damage to her body.
The purge was delicate. Without knowing the exact nature of that energy, I had no choice but to proceed with extreme caution—isolating it, separating it from the surrounding tissue, expelling it without allowing it to spread through the rest of her body.
The entire process took hours.
Hours of sweat, absolute concentration, and an unease I couldn't shake off.
—If this came from an abomination…—I whispered—then we're in trouble.
The door opened silently.
Eldrin entered with calm steps. His expression was controlled, as always, but his eyes betrayed him. He stopped beside the bed, watching Sylvanas with a concern he rarely allowed himself to show.
—How is she?—he asked quietly.
—Stable. Out of danger,—I replied.—The wound has healed.
I didn't add anything else.
He looked at me, instantly understanding that wasn't the whole truth.
—But…
—There was something in the wound,—I continued.—An energy similar to origin energy, but different. It felt… corrupted.
Eldrin frowned.
—Were you able to remove it?
—Yes. I had to purge it completely before I could truly heal her. If I hadn't… the wound would never have closed.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Before either of us could speak again, Sylvanas moved.
A slight twitch of her hand. A deeper breath.
Then she opened her eyes.
—…Lyriana?
I moved closer immediately.
—Easy. You're in the hospital. Everything is fine.
She blinked several times, focusing her vision. Then she turned her head slightly and saw Eldrin.
—Hah…—she murmured.—I guess I failed to come back unscathed.
—You're alive,—he replied.—That's what matters.
Sylvanas gave a tired smile.
—What happened?—she asked.
She didn't go into details.
She didn't speak directly about the wound.
She only told us what was necessary.
About the abominations she encountered.
The servants.
The one that managed to injure her—the voracious abomination.
The dungeon and the resources it contained.
And she mentioned something that deeply unsettled me: she couldn't cultivate properly. Her cultivation seemed to be partially sealed.
Finally, she spoke about the fruits she had gathered.
—I had them with me when I left…—she said, looking around.—Or at least, I thought I did.
Without a word, I stood up and brought her backpack.
Sylvanas opened it and revealed its contents.
Eldrin was the first to react.
—I had Thistram reinforce security immediately,—he said firmly.—Double patrols. Shorter shifts. No one enters or leaves without authorization.
Sylvanas nodded slowly.
—And the city…?
—They know nothing about your injury,—he replied.—I blocked that information. It would only cause panic. Everyone who saw you wounded has strict orders to remain silent.
She let out a relieved sigh.
—Thank you.
Eldrin crossed his arms.
—Now then… what I will make public is your ascension.
Sylvanas looked at him in surprise.
—Now?
—Yes. The city needs a symbol,—he said.—But it also needs to understand the truth, just like we agreed in the previous meeting.
He paused.
—If what you say about abominations and dungeons is true, then we may no longer see them as mere threats… but as resources.
That caught my attention.
—Resources?—I asked.
—We're running short on them,—he explained.—We can't sustain the city's growth. But if Sylvanas is right…
I understood immediately.
This could be exactly what we needed.
—I'll prepare an expedition,—he continued.—Controlled. Organized. And if the other structures are also dungeons… we'll explore them.
Then his tone softened.
—But you won't go. Not yet, Sylvanas.
—Eldrin…
—You need to recover,—he interrupted.—And train. You're a level one ascended, but you still haven't chosen your soul beast. That new ability you obtained… you can't afford to ignore it.
Sylvanas lowered her gaze, thoughtful.
—I understand.
Eldrin headed for the door.
—The scouts' reports should arrive tonight. If everything turns out as I expect, I'll make the announcement tomorrow at dawn.
When he left, silence returned to the infirmary.
Sylvanas closed her eyes, breathing calmly.
I watched her for a few more seconds.
The wound had healed.
But the energy I had felt… still disturbed me.
And I had a feeling this was only the beginning.
If I didn't study that energy—if we didn't understand it in time…
many of our people could die.