Chapter 6: The Man Who Knew Too Much

Kai's fingers tightened around his phone. The voice on the other end was deep, unsettlingly calm, as if the person had been expecting this moment for a long time.

"Who is this?" Kai demanded, his heartbeat hammering in his ears.

A brief pause. Then

"Meet me at the old clock tower. Midnight." The call ended.

Kai stared at his phone, unease creeping down his spine. The old clock tower… It was a landmark on the outskirts of town, abandoned for years. Something about it made his stomach churn, but he knew he had no choice.

The Celestial Echo hummed softly as he placed it in its case. He wasn't going there unarmed.

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Midnight arrived too soon.

The clock tower loomed in the darkness, its ancient gears frozen in time. The air smelled of rust and forgotten memories. Kai took a cautious step forward, his breath visible in the cold night air.

A shadow shifted near the entrance.

"You came."

The figure stepped into the dim moonlight a man in his late thirties, dressed in a long coat. His sharp eyes glimmered with something between amusement and calculation.

Kai clenched his fists. "Who are you?"

The man ignored the question. Instead, his gaze fell to the instrument case slung over Kai's shoulder.

"You've played it, haven't you?" His voice was almost reverent. "The Celestial Echo."

Kai tensed. "What do you know about it?"

The man exhaled slowly. "Everything. More than you're ready to hear."

Kai took a step closer. "Then tell me."

The man studied him for a long moment before finally speaking.

"There's a reason why that instrument found you. And if you don't uncover the truth soon…" He hesitated, then said in a low voice, "You'll lose her again."

Kai's stomach dropped. Again?

The wind howled through the empty tower, carrying with it the distant sound of a familiar melody one only Kai could hear.

The Celestial Echo was singing again.