Chapter 40: The Well's Whisper

Kael's exhaustion was palpable, but the group couldn't afford to rest. The echoes of entropy were spreading, and the multiverse's stability hung in the balance. As they prepared to track down the next echo, Kael began to notice something strange—a faint whisper in the back of his mind, a voice that wasn't his own.

At first, he dismissed it as fatigue, but the whisper grew louder, more insistent. It spoke in a language he didn't understand, its tone both soothing and unsettling. During a rare moment of respite, Kael confided in Lyra.

"Do you ever hear... voices?" he asked hesitantly.

Lyra's brow furrowed. "Voices? No. Why? Are you hearing something?"

Kael nodded, his expression troubled. "It's faint, but it's there. It's like the Well is... talking to me."

Eryndor's form shimmered as he joined the conversation. "**The Well's energy is tied to the fabric of reality itself. It is possible that it is trying to communicate with you, to guide you.**"

Aegis's mechanical voice rumbled. "**Or it could be a side effect of the strain on your body and mind. The Well's energy is not meant to be wielded by mortals.**"

Kael sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Either way, I need to figure out what it's saying. If it's trying to warn me about something, I can't ignore it."

As the group ventured into the next realm, the whisper grew louder, its tone more urgent. Kael could feel the Well's energy reacting to it, its pulses growing more erratic. The realm they entered was a place of endless twilight, its sky a swirling mass of purple and gold.

The echo was located at the heart of the realm, its form a swirling mass of shadow and light. But as the group approached, the whisper in Kael's mind became a deafening roar.

"**Beware,**" it said, its voice filled with urgency. "**This echo is not what it seems.**"