Chapter 30 – Shards of Betrayal

Yin Yue's breath came in quick, shallow bursts as she stepped further into the ancient chamber. The walls pulsed faintly, the glowing symbols illuminating the carved surfaces in waves that felt almost alive. The voice that had called her name lingered in the air, an intangible presence that both unnerved and pulled her forward.

At the center of the chamber, raised on a low stone altar, was a pedestal cradling a small object covered in dust and faintly glowing. Yin Yue moved closer, her boots scraping softly against the stone floor. Up close, the object appeared to be a shard—a twisted, jagged piece of crystal that shimmered with an iridescent light, though its color constantly shifted, evading description.

Her heart raced. She had confronted mysteries before, but nothing prepared her for this. The shard pulsed faintly in sync with the symbols on the walls, as if they shared a connection. Slowly, she extended her hand toward it.

The moment her fingers brushed the shard's surface, a sharp jolt of energy surged through her body. The light within the shard flared, and the chamber responded—faint vibrations coursed through the stone beneath her feet as the symbols around her brightened.

Then the visions began.

The chamber dissolved around her. Or perhaps she dissolved, her surroundings melting into swirls of light and shadow, the world reassembling into fragments of a distant memory.

She stood in a grand hall, the air thick with tension. Figures draped in flowing robes filled the space, their faces hidden by hoods, their voices sharp and accusing. At the center of the hall stood a man whose presence exuded strength and fearlessness. His robes bore an insignia that Yin Yue now recognized—the ancient sigil from the parchment.

The figures shouted—words fragmented and disjointed, but clear enough to piece meaning together. Betrayal. Power. Control.

The man with the sigil was defiant, challenging the assembly as they stood in judgment. But something shifted. Behind him, unnoticed by the defiant figure, another presence drifted closer—a shadowed figure whose face shimmered and morphed, as if refusing to be remembered.

A blade, silent and sharp, struck from the shadow. The scene fragmented, dissolving into chaos. Moments later, Yin Yue was plunged into darkness. Now the grand hall was gone, replaced with the image of a rising structure—the academy as it was being built. Walls of stone were etched with sigils, locks, and barriers, as people worked tirelessly to carve a new order from the remnants of the conflict.

But layered beneath the construction was something else. A web of control, placed meticulously, hidden under the guise of balance and unity. The divisions, Yin Yue realized, weren't just a means of organization—they were a means of power, consolidation, protection... and suppression.

The figure bearing the sigil appeared again, faint and spectral. His lips moved, though no sound followed. A single image remained vivid—a glowing shard, held aloft by this man, its light engulfing his form.

And then she was back.

The dizzying whirl of visions faded as reality returned with a rush. She found herself crouched on the chamber floor, the shard still glowing faintly in her grasp. Sweat dotted her brow, her hands trembling as she pressed the artifact to her chest. The visions hadn't been complete—they were fractured, fragmented, like a mirror shattered into too many pieces to see the full picture.

But one truth was clear. The academy's founding wasn't as noble as the histories claimed. Power, betrayal, and hidden agendas had stained its origins, leaving behind secrets buried deep within its walls.

Secrets that Li Tian seemed to know. And what role did the Earth Division—and by extension, she herself—play in this dangerous inheritance?

Far above, in his quarters, Li Tian sat perfectly still. The system hummed and shifted within his mind, its guidance sharp and incessant.

System Notification:

Item activation detected – "Founder's Rend" energy signature stabilized. Subject Yin Yue attuned without catastrophic failure. No immediate lethal consequences projected.

Li Tian's hand clenched into a fist, resting against the desk. A wave of frustration and relief swept through him as the system continued its steady stream of notifications. The shard had been awakened, its dormant power stirring for the first time since it had been hidden away. The system had ensured Yin Yue's safety, subtly guiding her movements within the chamber, preventing her from triggering the unstable mechanisms that surrounded the artifact.

But that didn't erase the consequences of its activation. This wasn't just a secret he had been charged with guarding—this was the key to everything he'd worked to protect and conceal.

At the same time, the academy leadership's suspicions coiled tighter around him. Within one of the academy's council halls, several elders exchanged clipped whispers, their expressions dark.

"Li Tian grows too bold," Elder Meng said, his voice low but firm. "His influence over the Earth Division has crossed the boundaries of what is acceptable."

"We've allowed this for far too long," another elder replied. "If his ambitions remain unchecked, the balance among the divisions will break. We cannot afford instability given…"

She trailed off, but the implication was clear enough. The ongoing unrest across the divisions, the cracks beginning to show—it all pointed to a brewing storm that none of them could wholly control.

"A spy has already been placed," Meng reassured them. "Soon, we'll have confirmation of his true intentions."

Yin Yue climbed the winding passage back toward the archives. Her grip on the shard tightened as if afraid it might vanish entirely if she loosened her hold. She had taken great care not to disturb anything as she left the chamber, but the weight of what she carried now settled heavily in her chest.

The shard pulsed faintly, its light dimmed but not extinguished. Though it rested silent in her grasp, Yin Yue knew it held more secrets, more truths buried within layers of memory and history.

And though she didn't know why, she felt certain—this wasn't the end of her questions. It was just the beginning.

Li Tian pressed a hand to his forehead, the system's voice filling the silence.

System Risk Update:

Artifact activation detected by external mechanisms. Probability of council intervention increasing.

He sighed deeply, his mind calculating the next steps. The activation of the shard had sent ripple effects far beyond the walls of the chamber. The academy would sense its presence. Others would feel its power. Worse, other forces might exploit it.

For years, he had walked a narrow line, guarding the Earth Division, safeguarding its rise while avoiding the scrutiny of those above. Now, he realized, the balance was tipping against him. The shard's activation was a flame in a house of shadows, and the light it cast would be impossible to contain.

The academy's true secrets—the ones hidden even from most of its leadership—were stirring.

And Yin Yue, unknowingly, had become the flame.