Chapter 4: The Veil of Forgotten Names

The tunnel stretched before them, twisting and uneven, carved by hands long forgotten. The air was thick with dust and something else—a presence, lingering just beyond the edges of perception.

Elliot's breathing slowed as he forced himself to focus. His legs still ached from running, his mind still reeling from what had just happened. But above all, he couldn't ignore the way Seris kept glancing at him—like she was trying to solve a puzzle she hadn't expected to find.

"You're quiet," he said, breaking the silence.

Seris didn't look at him. "I'm thinking."

"About?"

She hesitated. "The shard responded to you. That shouldn't have happened."

Elliot frowned, glancing at the fragment in his hand. Its glow had faded, but when he ran his fingers along its smooth surface, he could still feel the faint pulse beneath his touch. "Maybe it just likes me."

Seris finally met his gaze. "Or maybe it recognizes you."

Elliot's pulse quickened. "Meaning?"

Seris turned away. "We'll find out soon enough."

The Forgotten Hall

They walked in silence for what felt like hours, the tunnel leading them ever downward. Eventually, the narrow path opened into a vast chamber, its ceiling lost to darkness.

Elliot's breath caught.

This was no ordinary cave. It was a hall—a throne room, by the look of it. Massive pillars lined the walls, each etched with strange symbols, glowing faintly with pale blue light. At the far end, a broken throne sat upon a raised platform, its stone cracked, its presence still imposing despite the ruin.

But it was the statues that unsettled him the most.

Dozens of them, arranged in rows leading toward the throne. They were tall, their features eroded by time, yet Elliot could still make out hollowed eyes, expressions frozen in what almost looked like… despair.

A chill ran down his spine.

"This place feels… wrong," he muttered.

Seris stepped forward, scanning the room. "It should. This is the last remnant of the Feyndral Court."

Elliot blinked. "The what now?"

She gave him a sharp look. "How much do you actually know about this world?"

Elliot threw up his hands. "I don't even know what this world is called!"

Seris exhaled through her nose. "This was once the realm of Veyndor, a kingdom that stood before the Sundering."

"The Sundering?"

"The event that shattered this world."

Elliot processed that, glancing again at the ruins around them. "And this… Court?"

Seris walked toward the throne, running her fingers along its fractured surface. "The Feyndral were the last rulers of Veyndor. They tried to stop the Sundering. They failed."

Elliot shivered, glancing at the statues again. "And these guys?"

Seris hesitated. "Not statues."

A pause.

Elliot's stomach dropped.

"You mean—"

"They were once alive," Seris confirmed, her voice quieter now. "Turned to stone when the world began to break apart."

Elliot took a step back. He suddenly felt very aware of how many of them there were. "Okay. Great. That's horrifying."

Seris nodded, though she didn't seem disturbed. "The Sundering was not a simple event, Elliot. It was an unraveling. Magic broke apart. Time fractured. Whole cities vanished. Those who resisted its pull—" She gestured to the statues. "—were left like this."

Elliot swallowed hard. "And what caused it?"

Seris looked at him.

Then, to his surprise, she reached out and touched the shard in his hand.

Elliot felt a sudden jolt, like static electricity snapping through his fingers. The shard hummed, its glow flickering faintly at her touch—but it didn't react the way it had before.

Seris withdrew her hand.

"This did," she said.

Elliot's blood ran cold. "You're saying… the Sundering happened because of the shard?"

Seris's gaze darkened. "Not that shard. The whole."

Elliot's mind raced. "Wait. You're telling me this came from something bigger?"

Seris nodded. "The Celestial Fragment—a relic that once held this world together. When it shattered, so did Veyndor."

Elliot felt lightheaded. "And I just happen to be carrying a piece of it?"

Seris studied him carefully. "No. The fact that you have it means something brought you here for a reason."

Elliot exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair. This was too much. He had been a history professor less than a day ago—now he was standing in a ruined kingdom, holding a fragment of a godly artifact, being told he might be part of the reason an entire world fell apart.

His thoughts were spiraling when something shifted in the air.

Seris tensed.

"You feel that?" she murmured.

Elliot did. The air had grown thicker, charged like the moments before a thunderstorm. The statues… they felt closer.

Then—

One of them moved.

Elliot barely had time to react before a low, grinding sound filled the chamber.

The statues were turning toward them.

Their hollow eyes now glowed with pale blue light.

The first one stepped forward.

Seris grabbed her sword. "Run."

Elliot cursed. "Again?!"

The statues lunged.

Seris slashed at the nearest one, her blade sparking against stone as the creature barely flinched. Elliot stumbled backward as another reached for him, its stone fingers scraping against his arm.

The shard in his hand flared to life.

A surge of heat raced through his body, and before he could think, Elliot thrust the shard forward.

Light exploded outward.

The statues recoiled, their glowing eyes flickering as cracks spread through their stone bodies. The force sent Elliot stumbling back, his vision spinning, but Seris caught him before he could fall.

She was staring at him now, something unreadable in her expression.

"You just wielded its power," she said, voice hushed.

Elliot panted, his grip tightening around the shard. "Yeah. Didn't mean to."

The statues remained frozen, their light dimming. The entire room shuddered, as if sensing something had changed.

Seris exhaled. "We need to leave. Now."

Elliot nodded, not needing to be told twice.

As they turned toward the exit, he cast one last look at the throne.

For a second, just a second, he thought he saw something sitting there. A shadowed figure—watching.

Then it was gone.

He shivered and hurried after Seris, deeper into the unknown.