Chapter Ten: Whispers of the Past

The air in the refuge felt heavier that evening, thick with tension and the faint hum of residual Echo energy that seemed to pulse through the ancient stone walls. Lyra sat cross-legged in the dim light of the central hall, her gaze fixed on the smooth stone the elder had given her. She turned it over in her hand, its cool surface grounding her in a way little else could.

Around her, the camp buzzed with quiet activity as the rogues prepared for the days ahead. Supplies were counted, weapons sharpened, and hushed conversations filled the space. Rowan sat nearby, carefully mending a tear in her cloak, while Kieran leaned against a pillar, absently tossing a dagger in the air.

The elder entered the hall, her presence commanding attention. She stopped near the central fire and swept her gaze over the group.

"We've secured the refuge for now," she began, her voice steady but low. "But the Echo remnants are becoming more active. This place was once a stronghold for the Shardkeepers, and the echoes of their power linger still. We'll need to understand this energy if we're to survive here."

Lyra's ears pricked at the mention of the Shardkeepers. She'd heard the name before in fragments of old stories, but the details were always vague, as if the truth had been buried with time.

One of the rogues, a man with a jagged lightning-shaped birthmark on his arm, spoke up. "What does that mean for us? Are we staying or moving on?"

"For now, we stay," the elder replied. "The Harmonium is too close for us to risk another move. But this place holds secrets that may help us. We'll need to uncover them."

She turned to Lyra. "You'll begin your training tomorrow."

Lyra stiffened. "Training for what?"

"To understand your Echo," the elder said. "This refuge may provide the answers you seek, but only if you're willing to look for them."

That night, Lyra found herself unable to sleep. The weight of the day hung heavy in her mind, and the strange energy of the ruins seemed to buzz beneath her skin.

Quietly, she slipped out of her tent and wandered into the shadows of the hall. The faint light of the moon filtered through cracks in the stone ceiling, casting jagged patterns across the floor.

She stopped near one of the walls, drawn to the intricate carvings etched into the stone. They were unlike anything she'd ever seen—spirals, symbols, and shapes that seemed to shift when viewed from different angles.

"What are you doing?"

Lyra jumped, spinning around to see Kieran standing a few feet away, his arms crossed. His crescent-shaped birthmark glowed faintly in the dim light.

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted. "This place feels… strange."

Kieran raised an eyebrow. "Strange doesn't even begin to cover it. These ruins are older than anything we've ever known. The Shardkeepers were the first to understand Echoes—maybe the only ones who truly did. Everything we know now is just a pale imitation of what they built."

Lyra frowned, her fingers brushing the carvings. "Why do you think their knowledge was lost?"

"Because it scared people," Kieran said simply. "Too much power, not enough control. Same reason the Harmonium does what it does. They're afraid of what they don't understand."

Lyra hesitated. "Do you think they were right to be afraid?"

Kieran's smirk faded, replaced by a more thoughtful expression. "I think fear is what keeps people from looking too closely at the truth. And the truth…" He gestured to the carvings. "It's never as simple as we want it to be."

Before Lyra could respond, a low rumble echoed through the hall, and the ground beneath them trembled faintly.

"What was that?" she asked, her heart racing.

"Echo remnant," Kieran said grimly. He grabbed her arm, pulling her back toward the center of the hall. "Come on. We need to wake the others."

By the time they reached the central fire, the other rogues were already stirring. The elder stood near the fire, her expression sharp and alert.

"The remnants are growing stronger," she said as Kieran and Lyra approached. "We'll need to investigate the deeper ruins before this energy destabilizes further."

"Deeper ruins?" Rowan asked, appearing at Lyra's side.

The elder nodded. "The structures beneath this hall hold the heart of the Shardkeepers' power. If the remnants are reacting to us, it's likely because we've disturbed something buried there."

Kieran frowned. "You're saying we caused this?"

"I'm saying we may have awakened something," the elder replied.

The tension in the room was palpable. Lyra felt the stone in her pocket grow warm, as if resonating with the energy around her.

"I'll go," Lyra said suddenly.

The words surprised even her, but she straightened her shoulders, meeting the elder's gaze. "If this is about Echoes, then I need to understand what's happening. Maybe this place can help me figure out what I am."

The elder studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "Very well. You'll take Kieran and Rowan with you. The rest of us will secure the upper levels."

Rowan's eyes widened. "You're sending us down there alone?"

"I'm trusting you to bring back answers," the elder said.

Kieran sighed, muttering something under his breath, but he didn't argue.

Lyra's pulse quickened as the elder handed her a small lantern, its flickering light casting long shadows across the hall.

"Be careful," the elder said. "The deeper you go, the stronger the remnants will be. Trust your instincts—and each other."

Lyra nodded, gripping the lantern tightly as she followed Kieran and Rowan toward the spiraling staircase that descended into the darkness below.

Her heart pounded with every step, the weight of the unknown pressing heavily on her chest. But as they disappeared into the shadows, a flicker of determination burned in her mind.

Whatever lay ahead, she would face it.