Chapter 5: The Web Beneath the Throne

The city of Velheim looked peaceful from the rooftops. Lamps flickered below, people wandered through the market district, and taverns spilled laughter into the streets. But from where Aether crouched, it all felt like a lie.

"The Herald's eye is still active," Viktor said, kneeling beside him. "We need to destroy it."

Aether stared at the estate below—House Moren. "If we break it without a purification seal, it'll send a beacon. The Herald will know exactly where we are."

"So what then?" Selene asked, arms folded. "We wait while it watches us?"

"No," Aether said. "We find the source. The core. Someone is helping the Herald anchor these eyes to our realm."

Lena crouched next to them, flicking a dagger in her fingers. "You think it's more than just Valen?"

"It always is."

---

Inside the Royal Library

By midday, they were back in the royal library. The high ceiling stretched like a cathedral above them, shelves of ancient tomes casting long shadows. Aether remembered this place from his past—where the records were kept, where the lies were hidden.

Viktor rolled out a scroll on the central table. "We traced a symbol from the altar. It's not just ruin script—it's binding magic. High-level. And very old."

"Old like… before the Ascended Age?" Lena asked.

Selene leaned over the table. "That's relic magic. Forbidden stuff. Only a handful of houses still know how to use it."

Aether pointed at the symbol. "House Marell. They were historians and seal-makers. Wiped out during the Third Civil Conflict… or so we thought."

"You think they survived?" Viktor asked.

"Or someone took their knowledge."

He looked around the table. "There's a hidden vault beneath the Marell ruins. I found it too late in the last timeline. It was already looted. But maybe… this time, we get there first."

---

Later – The Ruins of House Marell

Thunder rumbled in the distance as they approached the Marell estate, now reduced to crumbling stone and overgrown vines. The iron gate stood half open, rusted and forgotten.

Lena drew her blade. "Creepy place."

Selene nodded. "Perfect spot for dark magic."

They slipped inside. Rubble crunched underfoot. Moss covered once-beautiful carvings. Aether led them to what looked like a collapsed fountain.

"Help me move this."

Together, they pushed the stone aside. Beneath it—a circular hatch with glowing runes etched in gold.

Viktor whistled. "That's not old. Someone's been here recently."

Aether frowned. "Then we're not the only ones who know."

He pressed his palm against the center rune. The hatch hissed, then slowly opened with a faint metallic groan.

A staircase spiraled down into the dark.

---

The Vault Below

The air was thick and musty. Each step echoed like a whisper. The deeper they went, the colder it got.

Finally, they reached a chamber. Unlike the upper ruins, this place was untouched. Walls lined with runes. Shelves of sealed scrolls. And in the center—an orb resting on a pedestal.

Viktor stepped forward. "That's a Memory Orb. If it still works, we can see the past."

Aether nodded. "Do it."

Viktor touched the orb. Light flashed—and a scene unfolded like a ghostly play.

A woman stood in the center of the room, her robes marked with the Marell crest. She was panicked, voice trembling.

"They've awakened the Herald," she said. "Not fully… but enough to whisper through the veil. The court won't believe me. The nobles—some of them are already compromised. If you find this, whoever you are… don't trust the throne. Don't trust the High Seer."

The memory ended. Silence returned.

Selene turned. "The High Seer?"

"He's one of the king's most trusted advisors," Aether said. "Back then… he vanished when the war began. Now I know why."

Viktor grabbed a scroll from the shelf. "There's a sealing ritual here. It could close the Herald's eye safely."

"Good. Copy it," Aether said. "Then we find the Seer."

But before they could leave—footsteps echoed above them.

Lena cursed. "We've got company."

---

Ambush in the Ruins

They reached the top of the stairs just in time to see black-robed figures stepping into the courtyard. About six of them. Eyes glowing faint purple.

"Cultists," Selene hissed. "Real subtle."

Aether drew his daggers. "They knew we'd come. Protect Viktor—he has the scroll."

The cultists charged.

Blades clashed. Shadows danced. Lena flipped over a crumbling wall, throwing knives with deadly precision. Selene blocked a strike with her short blade, twisting and countering in a blur. Aether slipped through the chaos like smoke, striking low, fast, and silent.

One of the cultists reached Viktor.

Too close.

But a sharp whistle cut through the air.

A spear slammed into the cultist's chest, pinning him to the wall.

Darius stood at the gate, panting. "Thought you might need backup."

Aether grinned. "Perfect timing."

The last cultist fell.

Bodies scattered the courtyard. None of them spoke.

Lena crouched beside one. "Tongue's cut. They were silenced. Fanatics."

Selene wiped her blade. "This just keeps getting better."

Aether looked to Viktor. "You get the seal?"

Viktor held up the copied scroll. "Got it."

"Good. Next stop—the Temple of the Seers."

---

Meanwhile – Deep in the Royal Catacombs

Far beneath the castle, the High Seer stood in front of a black pool. His reflection was wrong—its eyes too wide, smile too sharp.

"The boy is moving faster than expected," he said.

A voice answered from the water.

"He remembers. The blood echoes still. But fate can be bent."

The Seer closed his eyes. "Then let it bend."

And the reflection… smiled wider.