Echos

A few hours had passed since Ethan had claimed Eldranor. The dust of battle had already settled over the white marble, and the energy pulsing through the veins of the palace seemed to breathe at a calmer rhythm now, almost as if it truly accepted its new master.

Ethan walked through the corridors accompanied by Sinnon, who trailed behind with his hands tucked into his worn cloak, wearing an expression of boredom, as if this place were nothing more than an ordinary ruin. The Guardian followed them a few paces back, silent as a porcelain phantom.

Aeris and Sylfie had left the barrier to report both to the Guild and to the Church.

Ethan had asked Sylfie not to reveal the whole truth to the Guild, but to at least let them know they were still alive.

"You seem less impressed than I expected," Ethan remarked, a lopsided smile on his face.

"I've seen kingdoms older than your goddess, boy," Sinnon replied, in a tone mixing sarcasm with a strange melancholy. "But I'll admit this place… it has a nostalgic scent."

Ethan chose not to press on the "older than your goddess" part. He knew Sinnon was ancient, a primordial vampire bore that title because he was among the very first vampires to ever exist in this world. And the novel said vampires were almost as old as the planet itself.

"I figured as much. And that's exactly why… there's something I want from you," Ethan confessed, stopping before a door carved with runes.

Sinnon raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what does the great heir of Eldranor need from an old man like me?"

"The best mana manipulator in this world," Ethan answered without hesitation, looking straight into the vampire's cold eyes. "I want you to be my master."

Sinnon clicked his tongue, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips that was half amused, half irritated. "Bold brat. Do you know how many have begged for the same over the centuries?"

"Probably hundreds, maybe more." Ethan shrugged, maintaining his confidence. "But none of them were me."

The vampire let out a dry, rasping laugh. "Confidence isn't your problem, at least." He turned, gazing at one of the broken stained-glass windows through which moonlight streamed. "And why do you think I should? What do I gain from this?"

"Maybe… decent company?" Ethan teased, though his tone carried no mockery. "Someone who won't just flatter you, but who'll truly learn and put to use what you teach."

Sinnon didn't answer right away. He just stood there, staring into the moonlight, as if trying to recall something from a very distant past. For a moment, his expression seemed almost… empty.

The Guardian broke the silence, her voice echoing gently through the hall: "Heir, Eldranor's artifacts rest beyond these doors. They were stored here by the ancient leaders during the chaos the plague caused, so they wouldn't be stolen. All must be awakened by divine energy."

Ethan nodded. "Perfect."

With a motion of his hand, he let divine energy flow into the central engraving of the door. Ancient runes glowed, and the doors opened with a heavy creak, revealing a vast circular chamber, lined with white columns, empty pedestals, and a few objects that seemed to have resisted the passage of time.

"I must admit, I expected more artifacts." Ethan took a deep breath, glancing at Sinnon. "And I hope you'll at least watch. You'll see I'm worth investing in."

The vampire snorted, shaking his head slightly. "We'll see, boy. We'll see."

As they entered, the soft light of the hall reflected off Nexus, still in glove form, pulsing with an unusual glow.

Each of Ethan's steps echoed on the marble floor, reverberating through the walls carved with ancient symbols, while the Guardian followed a few paces back, like a silent sentinel. Sinnon, meanwhile, walked with his hands clasped behind his back, his indifferent gaze sliding from pedestal to pedestal.

"So, boy, what's the plan?" Sinnon's tone was lazy, almost mocking. "Ask your new babysitter to tell you what each artifact does?"

Ethan didn't answer immediately. Instead, he approached a pedestal that held something resembling a crown split in half, its edges adorned with fragments of blue crystal. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting divine energy flow from his palm.

The runes on the pedestal reacted, glowing a soft golden hue.

"I don't need explanations," Ethan said, opening his eyes. "I need them to recognize who I am."

Sinnon let out a low, dry laugh. "Self-esteem is important, I'll give you that."

The lines on the pedestal trembled, and the crown, even broken, emitted a faint glow. Ethan touched it gently, feeling a subtle warmth spread through his hand.

"This fragment was part of the Crown of the First Sovereign of Eldranor," the Guardian explained, her voice echoing softly. "It's said that, much like with the golems, he used part of his own soul to forge it."

Ethan nodded, absorbing the information, then turned to Sinnon. "Have you ever seen anything like it?"

The vampire raised an eyebrow. "In dead kingdoms, boy? Plenty. But few relics respond so… quickly. This type usually refuses to recognize outsiders." He tilted his head slightly, studying Ethan more closely. "Are you sure one of your parents wasn't a god?"

Ethan smiled, without answering directly. His Inspect skill still listed him as human, though marked with a question, so he couldn't call himself a demigod. At least, not yet.

He planned to test the crown's abilities later, so for now he stored it in his ring.

They continued exploring. They passed decorated spears, books whose pages seemed written in liquid light, and even a giant cubic stone that, according to the Guardian, was just an ordinary rock the ancient leaders had found in a forest and thought looked too interesting to leave behind.

But what truly caught Ethan's attention was a small black-bladed dagger resting on dark blue velvet. As he reached his hand out, Nexus, still in glove form, seemed to react, vibrating slightly.

The Guardian noticed. "Curious… your glove appears to show affinity with this relic."

Ethan frowned. "What exactly is this dagger?"

"It was called Echo. It was created to channel not only the user's mana, but also the very soul of whoever wields it. It was completed during the plague, so it was never truly tested."

Sinnon stepped closer, examining the object. "Now that's something interesting, even to me," he murmured. "I'd bet it kills whoever tries to use it, and that's why they left it here. You should hand it over to me."

Ethan felt a deeper spark of curiosity. Nexus seemed to resonate with this relic, and their colors were strangely similar.

In the end, he decided not to pick up the dagger yet. Something inside him told him it wasn't the right time.

As he left the relic behind, Ethan shot Sinnon a look. "I still plan to do far more interesting things than Eldranor. If I were you, I'd stick around."

The vampire raised an eyebrow, almost amused. "Ha, I bet you do. Maybe you really are less boring than I thought, boy."

And as they headed to the next wing of the hall, Ethan began to question those artifacts. He could sense others scattered around, but it would take too long to check them one by one. Perhaps it would be better to wait until the Church members arrived and send them instead.

But there was one place he wanted to visit himself. The sensation he'd felt with the dagger was strange, different, but not unique. There was another spot that seemed to make Nexus give off the same sort of feeling.

It was a broad chamber, lit only by golden beams of light that seemed to seep directly from the walls. In the center lay something that looked almost insignificant: a fragment of black stone, about the size of his palm, marked with golden cracks that pulsed slowly.

Ethan approached, his heart beating faster. Nexus, in glove form, didn't vibrate this time, but instead seemed to struggle not to lunge toward that stone, as if it hungered for it.

The Guardian, ever watchful, observed in silence before explaining: "This is a Residual Core. Every golem in this realm carries one within them… but theirs are filled with mana, not divine energy like the one before us."

Ethan extended his hand but didn't touch it immediately. "You want this, don't you?"

Sinnon let out a short whistle. "Careful, kid. If your toy develops a taste for devouring things, it might start with your hand."

Just for a moment, the vampire seemed to drop his usual disdain, but quickly replaced it with sarcasm as he realized. Then he chuckled low. "Go on, boy. If you have the guts."

Ethan took a deep breath. Unlike with the dagger, his instincts told him this was fine. And so, he touched the fragment.

The response was instant. Warmth surged through his hand, up his arm, and into his chest. Nexus glowed, starting to spread across Ethan's body, its dark veins lighting up with a deep golden energy, mixing with the golden glow of Ethan's divine power. For an instant, the entire hall seemed to tremble.

Brief flashes, like lightning, crossed Ethan's mind: warriors in white armor, a man's hands gripping Nexus in another form, fire, darkness, and something like a shadow watching it all from afar.

Gasping, sweat dripping down his forehead, Ethan collapsed backward onto the floor. "Those memories… what was that?" he murmured.

Nexus had completely absorbed the core and was slowly returning to its glove form, even without Ethan consciously willing it.

The Guardian stepped closer, nodding slowly. "The artifact you call Nexus is older than you might imagine. It seems to have been created in much the same way as our golems."

Ethan ran a hand over his face, trying to take in her words. It wasn't for nothing that Aurelia had gifted him Nexus, it needed to be fed with divine energy.

Sinnon crossed his arms, his smile returning. "First unofficial lesson: controlling mana isn't everything. Controlling mana means nothing against some lucky fool with an artifact as strong as yours."

Ethan turned to him, still smiling despite the sweat on his face. "And what do I have to do to make it an official lesson?"

The vampire raised an eyebrow. "When you convince me it's worth wasting my time on you."

For a moment, silence returned. Then Ethan's smile grew even more confident. "I know you want to see just how far I can go with this," he replied, raising his hand where Nexus pulsed with golden energy. "And because deep down, Sinnon… you've got nothing better to do."

Sinnon blinked, as if he hadn't expected that answer. The smirk tugging at the corner of his lips widened, almost amused. "Tsk. Cocky little brat, aren't you? Fine. Let's see if you can handle it, then."

He then extended his hand to Ethan, who took it without hesitation.