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He was hired to retrieve a rare book. What he found could bring down an empire.

Elias Voss, a disgraced investigator turned retrieval specialist, takes on a simple case track down an antique manuscript. But when he opens the first page, a cryptic code sparks a trail of secrets, danger, and betrayal.

As Elias digs deeper, he uncovers a secret society buried in shadows and they’ve been watching him.

The clock is ticking, and every clue leads him closer to a truth someone is willing to kill for.

Decode the cipher. Uncover the truth. Survive the game.

The silent cipher

After the flash of light, they weren't underground anymore. The air felt different—clear, crisp… ancient. Like the whole world held its breath.

And standing there, at the center of it all, was a man wrapped in silver and sky.

"I've been waiting for you," he said calmly. "Since forever."

Mira blinked. "How'd you know we were coming? And where the hell are my friends?"

The man—tall, glowing faintly like the stars—just smiled and snapped his fingers.

The space around them shimmered. Jonas, Krane, Elias, and Dave phased into view like two realities merging. No portals. No magic. Just there.

"What the hell…" Dave whispered.

"You're here because of this book, right?" the man asked, motioning toward Lucien's satchel.

Lucien, still gripping the relic, raised a brow. "Well, finally—someone who's not trying to kill us."

"I am Ouranus," the man said. "A guardian. A keeper of this forgotten space. And time is not on our side."

He suddenly turned, gaze shifting upward.

"Guards—contain the breach!" he commanded. Lightning flickered across his fingertips. The sky rumbled.

Lucien rolled her eyes. "I wasn't even finished with my sentence."

Ouranus ignored her. He stepped forward, holding something—another piece of the Shaman Book, pulsing faintly with an otherworldly glow.

"This doesn't make you stronger," he said, handing it to her. "But when you truly need it—it will answer."

Jonas, naturally, couldn't help himself. "Hey uh… since you're handing out gifts, you wouldn't happen to know where the Cipher is, would you?"

"A place you can't imagine. A place no human can walk… unless it calls to them. Not even the Shaman knew where. So until then… make it worth calling you."

The stars above them shifted—glowing strange colors. Purple. Green. White flame. The aurora rolled like it was alive. The whole sky cracked like glass under pressure.

Stone fell from the ceiling. Thunder echoed from nowhere.

His eyes flared. Lightning ran down his arms. His hair glowed like sunfire. With one massive surge of power, he slammed both palms into the air—and sealed the space shut.

The next thing they knew—they were back.

No light. No stars. Just cold silence and ancient stone.

Krane dusted himself off. "You guys saw that, right? That wasn't just some fever dream?"

"Do you know who attacked him?" Dave asked.

Lucien didn't hesitate. Her voice low. Cold.

"Vaelen," she said. "I could feel his pressure. Like the end of a storm you know is coming back."

And just like that, the game had changed.

The Gatekeeper of Stars