The Voidheart Threshold pulsed with an eerie glow that cast fractured light across the floating platform where Kairo Voss and his team—Lira Hale, Taryn Voss, and Milo Kren—stood. It felt as though the very air vibrated with unseen energies; every breath they took tasted of ozone and ancient mana. Crystalline spires jutted up around the platform like jagged teeth, each shard reflecting fractured hues of violet and silver. These spires were not mere decoration; they were conduits of the rift's raw power, resonating with every rune fragment embedded in Kairo's stabilizer device.
The Riftborn Lord loomed before them, a towering figure of shadow and starlight. Its form was impossible to fully focus on: where a normal being might have solid edges, its body flickered between substance and void. Veins of pure starlight snaked beneath its obsidian skin, pulsing in time with the Threshold's aura. Each flick of its elongated fingers sent ripples through the distant void, as if reality itself strained to accommodate its presence. Its glowing, silver-white eyes bore down on Kairo, reflecting the young man's own fear and determination. When the Lord's lips parted, its voice rolled across the platform like distant thunder:
"Vaultborn, your strength is untested. Prove your worth, or be unmade."
Kairo's hands shook as he tightened his grip on his battered sword. The weight of each word felt like a challenge thrown directly at his soul. Blood still trickled from his nose, his ears—and now his eyes—stung with each flash of the Threshold's light, staining his vision red. He forced himself to stand tall, though every muscle cried out in protest. He could feel the pressure building inside him, like a volcano on the brink. Each heartbeat was a reminder of the toll Vaultspace's last training session had taken: the acrid taste of blood, the cold sweat collecting along his brow, and the pounding ache in his chest.
Elara Vyn's warning—a whisper in his memory—raced through his mind: "The Voidheart changes you." He had heard those words just before she sacrificed herself to hold back the Riftborn Lord. Were those words meant for him as well? Would the power of this place—and his own desperate need—twist him into something unrecognizable? There was no time to dwell on that now. Above the platform, the sky of the Voidheart writhed with dark clouds and crackling violet lightning, as if the atmosphere itself were made of frayed mana. Each distant thunderclap reverberated through Kairo's bones, amplifying the moment's gravity.
[Status Screen]
Name: Kairo Voss
Age: 16
Rank: C
Class: None
Skills:
• [Vaultspace] (???)
• [Spatial Awareness] (D, Passive)
• [Combat Reflex] (D, Passive)
• [Blade Echo] (C-)
• [Mana Weave] (C+)
• [Mana Surge] (D)
• [Shadow Sense] (D+)
• [Mana Disrupt] (C-)
• [Void Strike] (D+)
• [Rift Break] (D+)
• [Shadow Bind] (D+)
• [Starlit Counter] (D)
Strength: 11
Agility: 14
Intelligence: 7
Vitality: 3
Mana: 14
Dexterity: 4
Titles: Vaultborn, Ember's Bane, Shadow's Bane, Sentinel's End, Riftbinder
Inventory: Rune Stone (Fragment 1/3), Rune Stone (Fragment 2/3), Rune Stone (Fragment 3/3), Mana Map (Inactive), Stabilizer Device, Starlit Shard
Despite his newly attained C-rank—hard won after sealing the Vault—Kairo knew he was far outmatched by an A-rank foe. The Riftborn Lord's aura alone was enough to warp the very essence of this dimension. Retreat was not an option: Velmire was under siege, the mana storm outside threatened to consume it, and Elara Vyn was still out there, somewhere within this chaotic void. Lira's presence beside him was a lifeline. Her soft silver hair was plastered against her face from the storm's fury. Her normally bright eyes looked gray and worried, the glow of her [Minor Healing] (D+) aura flickering as she funneled every last drop of mana into keeping Kairo on his feet. Her fingers trembled as her healing magic seeped into the torn sleeves of his coat, mending torn flesh and staunching bleeding—but only for a moment, never completely overcoming the relentless drainage the Voidheart inflicted.
"Kairo, an A-rank is suicide," Lira whispered, her voice quivering but resolute. The rock-like determination in her eyes was palpable. She stared at him, not as a classmate but as a comrade who refused to let him face this trial alone. "We need a plan." Her words were a lifeline—both a warning and a reminder that she believed in him, even when he doubted himself.
Before Kairo could respond, Taryn Voss stepped forward, flames dancing along her whip as if eager for the challenge. The whip's core ignited with [Flame Lash] (D+), casting flickering, riotous light across the crystals at their feet. Taryn's hair, drenched by the storm, looked as though it might catch fire under the whip's heat. The youthful spark in her eyes matched the flicker of flame, betraying her eagerness to charge in. "Plan's simple: hit hard, don't die," she said with a confident smirk, the flames' glow revealing the faint scars already marring her arms. Despite the chaos around them, she radiated a fierce energy that bolstered Kairo's own resolve.
Milo Kren, crouching at Taryn's side, scanned the area with his trained senses. The faint hum of mana traps was unmistakable to him—an almost imperceptible vibration beneath his boots. His [Trap Sense] (D) had saved them countless times already; he would be the first to know if the platform beneath them shifted or threatened to crumble. "This platform's rigged—mana traps everywhere," he said, his voice low yet edged with tension. His dagger glinted faintly in his hand as he assessed their surroundings. "And that Lord's not alone." He didn't elaborate on that point, but the flicker in his eyes told Kairo all he needed to know: the Riftborn silhouettes lurking in the shadows at the perimeter of the platform were watching, waiting for the slightest misstep.
Indeed, if Kairo focused his [Spatial Awareness] (D) across the Threshold he would see the faint, starlight-like signatures of dozens of Riftborn silhouettes, scattered among the crystalline spires. Each moved only when he blinked, then vanished again, their glowing eyes fixed on him. It was as though the entire Voidheart itself were holding its breath in anticipation. Buried within that sea of watchers was one signature that Kairo recognized: Elara Vyn's. It was faint, shaky, as if she were barely clinging to consciousness—but it was there, drifting somewhere deeper within the spire. He suppressed a wince at the realization; Elara was alive, but struggling.
"Elara's alive," he said, voice low but urgent. The words felt like a blade's edge; hope and desperation warred for dominance in his chest. "We fight through, find her, and reach the core." Each syllable burned with determination—there was no turning back now.
A slow, bone-rattling rumble rolled through the platform. The Riftborn Lord raised a massive, shadow-clad hand, and from its palm spilled a wave of shadow energy that rippled across the crystalline floor like inky water. The eastern spires vibrated in response, sending shards of loose crystal clattering to the ground. "Begin," the Lord intoned, its voice echoing across the Threshold in a way that felt as though it resonated deep within Kairo's own bones.
[Quest Updated: Trial of the Void]
Objective: Defeat or survive the Riftborn Lord's challenge.
Reward: Access to the Voidheart's core.
The Lord's Challenge
With the Lord's command, the platform lit up in an eruption of [Starlit Barrage]. Scores of glowing shards, each crackling with concentrated starlight, shot from the Riftborn Lord's core in all directions. They whistled through the air, each shard resembling a sliver of shattered sky aflame with violet energy. The shards tore through the crystalline floor, sending shards of crystal cascading into the void below, leaving jagged, smoking craters in their wake.
Kairo's instincts snapped into overdrive. He dove to the side, activating [Mana Surge] (D) as he crashed to one knee, the wind from the barrage's aftershock slashing at his coat and tearing at his scarred arms. A shard grazed his arm, biting the skin, and he hissed as a sharp, icy pain radiated through his bone. The wound steamed with lingering mana, stitching itself one heartbeat at a time by Lira's peripheral healing aura.
Taryn stepped up quickly, channeling an [Ember Burst] (D) into her whip. She cracked it at one of the incoming shards, and it deflected in a spurt of embers, curling the vaporous edges of the shard's flight. The shard shattered, but the voidburst it created rocked the nearby spire, sending a shower of glittering shards cascading onto the platform. Fire danced along Taryn's whip as she spun, her boots skittering on the slick crystal, ready for the next attack.
Milo's [Quickstep] (D+) kicked in as he darted between two shards. His dagger glowed faintly with [Mana Disrupt] (C-)—a gift from Kairo's earlier training. With every deft footstep, he pivoted, inches away from impalement, and slashed at any shard that came too close, sending it spinning into the void. He landed gracefully on the platform, chest heaving as he assessed the chaos around him, eyes blazing with determination.
Lira flared up her [Mana Shield] (D), erecting a barely visible barrier around Kairo and herself. The barrier shivered as a shard slammed into it, causing a cascade of light that fractured the shield momentarily before it snapped back into place. Lira gritted her teeth, the effort wracking her frame. Yet she held it, refusing to yield—her unwavering loyalty sending sparks of hope flickering in Kairo's heart.
Kairo rose to his feet, every sinew screaming in protest, and surveyed the battlefield. The Riftborn Lord hovered a short distance away, watching with detached interest as the platform around them crumbled. Its core flickered, and Kairo's [Shadow Sense] (D+) locked onto that flicker: a pulsating star of silver light deep within its chest, throbbing in stark contrast to its obsidian flesh. If they could strike that core convincingly, they might incapacitate it—but the Lord's [Void Shift] made it nearly impossible to land a hit.
He shouted, voice echoing over the gale, "Target the center! Aim for its core!" The others nodded, though they were far too fatigued for optimism.
The Lord moved in an instant, vanishing as though its figure had been swallowed by smoke. The platform cracked, and a fissure shot out beneath Kairo's feet. He leaped aside just in time, his boots skidding on the smooth crystal. Across the rift, Taryn's [Flame Lash] unleashed another volley of fire, but the Lord reappeared behind her in a shimmer of void-darkness, grabbing her whip mid-crack and yanking it clean out of her hand. Taryn stumbled, stumbling forward, but recovered quickly with a grin: the fight was far from over.
Milo, momentarily sidetracked by the platform's instability, jumped nimbly across a widening crack using [Quickstep]. He dove to slash at the Lord's flank, but his dagger glanced off a flicker of shimmering starlight that served as the Lord's phasing shield, leaving behind only a faint spark of displaced energy.
Lira's healing aura faltered as she tried to maintain balance, the [Mana Shield] flickering again as the platform beneath her trembled. She planted her feet and channeled her healing energy into Kairo's battered form, stitching sore ribs and lancing away small shards buried in his coat. She cast a glance at Taryn and Milo—each of them was battered, bleeding, but unbowed.
Desperation welled within Kairo: they needed an advantage. His eyes snapped shut as the world around him slowed, his aura flickering with memories of endless training in Vaultspace's white void. He conjured an image of the Riftborn Lord's starlit core—fragile, yet well-protected—and focused all of his mind on striking that precise point.
[Activate Vaultspace? Y/N]
"Y," he whispered, voice raw.
Vaultspace: Fractured Infinity
Reality shattered around Kairo as the white void enveloped him once more. His entire body convulsed, the last vestiges of his consciousness strained as if being torn in two. Waves of hot pain coursed through his arms and legs; nose and ears bled into the void's emptiness. Every breath felt like inhaling shards of ice. He fell to his knees, the cold void beneath him feeling like the surface of an impossible sea.
The Riftborn Lord's shape materialized in the void—a colossal silhouette of starlight and shadow. Its presence alone caused distortions in the emptiness, like ripples across a pond's surface. But here, time was an endless echo: every second in the real world might stretch into days of virtual training.
Kairo forced himself to stand, even as each step seared his soul. He rehearsed a multi-step sequence:
Chained Strikes (Blade Echo): He envisioned the flurry of [Blade Echo]—eleven strikes this time—each cut and slash aimed precisely at the Lord's starlit core. He practiced the arc, the wrist flick, the final surge of mana.
Mana Disruption: In between those strikes, he folded in [Mana Disrupt], intending to shatter any protective wards around the Lord's core. Each strike rippled with a pulse that would tear at the Lord's starlight.
Rift Break: He mounted the final attack with [Rift Break], a surge of raw mana that would hopefully force the core to splinter from within.
Starlit Counter: As a failsafe, he honed [Starlit Counter], ready to deflect any shards of the Lord's own starlight magic being thrown back at him.
Shadow Bind: Finally, he wove [Shadow Bind] into the entire sequence to prevent the Lord from phasing away during the chain of attacks.
Each iteration left him more exhausted than the last, every movement suffused with agony. He listened to his body's protests: ribs that felt like they might snap, vision swimming in a haze of red, and a constant pounding in his skull that threatened to split it in two. Yet in this void, he had the luxury of practice. Every mistake taught him more about the Lord's elusive defenses, the timing of its phasing, the precise moment when its starlit core would flicker.
[Elapsed Vault Time: 15,000 Hours]
[Skill Improved: Starlit Counter (D → D+)]
[Skill Improved: Rift Break (D → D+)]
[New Skill: Void Pulse (D, Releases a mana wave to disrupt void enemies)]
[Strength +1, Agility +1, Mana +1]
Kairo collapsed in the void, as though drained of every spark of energy. Blood poured from his nose, ears, and now his eyes, pooling in a dark, surreal stain upon the white floor. His breathing was ragged, every exhalation a harsh rasp echoing in the emptiness. Pain rippled through him like an aftershock, but in that crippling agony, he found clarity: he knew exactly how to strike the Riftborn Lord's core with lethal precision.
[Exit Vaultspace]
Return to the Voidheart
The Threshold world snapped back into focus. Seconds in this dimension, but Kairo sensed he had lived years in the void. The Riftborn Lord's [Starlit Barrage] roared overhead, sending crystal fragments skittering across the platform. He lurched to his feet, head swimming, and instinctively activated [Shadow Bind]. Tendrils of living shadow shot from the ground, wrapping around the Lord's ankles and wrists, briefly trapping it in place.
His heart pounded so fiercely he felt he might collapse again, but adrenaline surged through his veins. Gripping his battered sword, he took a deep breath—pain lancing through his chest like shattered glass—and surged forward with the refined sequence honed in Vaultspace:
First Strike: His sword glowed with [Mana Weave] as he delivered a crushing overhead slash aimed directly at the Riftborn Lord's chest. The blow landed with a thunderous crack, shattering fractals of shattered light from the Lord's core.
Second to Tenth Strikes (Blade Echo): He unleashed a flurry of nine more strikes, each strike imbued with [Mana Disrupt] to weaken the Lord's defenses. Each slash sent ripples through the Lord's starlit aura, causing it to flicker and momentarily reveal the vulnerable core's pulsing glow.
Rift Break Finale: With a guttural cry, Kairo summoned [Rift Break], channeling all available mana into a final upward thrust. A beam of pure, raw mana shot from his blade's edge, piercing the Lord's chest like a javelin of light.
Starlit Counter Safeguard: As the Lord attempted a backlash of [Starlit Barrage], Kairo's [Starlit Counter] flared, absorbing and reflecting shards of starlight back into the Lord's core.
Void Pulse Shout: With the Lord's defenses shattered, Kairo unleashed [Void Pulse], sending a shockwave of disruptive mana outward, fracturing the platform in a wide radius and sending Voidheart dust spiraling into the void.
The Riftborn Lord let out a roar that echoed like a broken star collapsing. Cracks spread across its obsidian form, and bright fissures of starlight tore through its chest. With a final, anguished cry, its form fragmented into shards of living starlight and shadow, dissolving into a swarm of motes that scattered into the void.
[Enemy Defeated]
[Experience Gained]
The floating platform groaned as sections of crystal broke away, dropping into the endless expanse. Kairo stumbled, nearly toppling, but Taryn and Milo were at his side in an instant, steadying him. Taryn's phoenix-like whip smoldered as she swept residual shards of void energy aside. Milo's dagger hummed softly, having activated a final [Mana Disrupt] strike at just the right moment to shatter the Lord's core.
Lira rushed forward, her healing aura flaring like dawn's first light. She poured every ounce of her [Minor Healing] into Kairo, knelt, and pressed her hands into his wound-ravaged torso, feeling ribs knit and lungs steady. No amount of healing could erase the bruises and stress fractures already embedded in him, but it gave him enough stability to remain conscious.
The platform's dust settled, revealing the towering Voidheart Spire at its center. Bathed in the pale glow of lingering starlight, it rose like a jagged sentinel into the heavens. Jagged runes pulsed along its length, each one radiating a soft violet hum that resonated through Kairo's very bones. Despite the ongoing chaos, the spire's aura felt almost alive—ancient, all-knowing, as if beckoning them onward.
Kairo's vision fluttered. His entire body trembled, drenched in sweat, blood, and the aftermath of Vaultspace's training. He blinked rapidly as pain teased at the edges of his consciousness. Yet his eyes held unwavering resolve. He could feel the stabilizer device's soft hum in his hand, the rune-etched starlit shard he had taken from the Rift Stalker clenched in his fist.
"Milo," he rasped, voice hoarse, "hand me that device."
Milo stepped forward, offering the stabilizer device, its runes flickering in tacit urgency. Kairo clutched it with trembling fingers, the fragments resonating like a distant heartbeat against his palm. Behind him, the spire's base shimmered—an enormous crystalline structure at its heart, nearly as tall as the Lord's fallen form. The core pulsed with violet energy, an orb of pure, volatile magic.
As they approached, dozens of Riftborn silhouettes emerged from the spire's base, their starlit eyes glowing in silent, ominous unison. Though the Lord had fallen, the Riftborn presence remained—watchful, expectant, as though awaiting some destined moment.
[Quest Updated: Beyond the Vault]
Objective: Activate the Voidheart's core to uncover the rift's truth.
Reward: Unknown
The silhouettes parted, revealing a small, elevated dais where the Voidheart's core floated: a colossal crystal sphere, about two meters in diameter, rippling with violet tendrils of energy like living veins. Its surface glowed from within, the runic patterns shifting in a hypnotic dance. So close to the core, Kairo felt its power as a physical force, tugging at his very soul, beckoning—calling him into oblivion or transcendence.
Steadying himself against the dais's edge, Kairo's heart pounded. Each fragment in the stabilizer device resonated in harmony with the core's starlit pulse, their synergy intensifying by the second. Lightning crackled overhead in a final, bone-chilling crescendo, as though the Voidheart itself reached out to test his resolve.
In that moment, a vision burst into Kairo's mind, as vivid as the world around him. It was not Elara, but a robed figure with skin the color of eclipsed starlight. It stepped from the shadows to cradle a luminous orb in its hands—a miniature Voidheart, perhaps. The figure's voice echoed through the chamber:
"Take it, Vaultborn, and become one with the Void."
The vision's edges burned with searing light, then collapsed, leaving Kairo staggered. Reality's shifting crystal walls refracted the core's glow, and he felt the presence of something ancient—something that had birthed the Voidheart, now waiting to test him. The silhouettes of the Riftborn watched impassively, as though reading his soul for the slightest hesitation.
Lira's trembling hand gripped his arm. Her face was etched with worry and determination as she looked into his eyes, where the storm of conflicting emotions—doubt, fear, and unwavering duty—raged. "Kairo, whatever you choose, we're with you," she said, her voice strong despite the storm's roar. The warmth of her promise grounded him, anchoring him to his humanity.
He clutched the stabilizer device, concentration sharpening his vision. The fragments glowed like distant suns in his palm, each one yearning to unite with the Voidheart's core. The power surged in him—a tide of mana that threatened to break his will or redefine his destiny.
[New Quest: Destiny's Choice]
Objective: Choose to activate the Voidheart's core or reject the Riftborn's offer.
Reward: Unknown
The Riftborn's voice rose to a chorus: "Vaultborn, claim your destiny, or lose all." Each echoing syllable reverberated through Kairo's bones. He felt his mind stretching, the world dissolving into fractal patterns of starlight and void. Every fiber of his being was torn between immense temptation and terrifying possibility.
Elara Vyn's final words—her sacrifice to hold off the Riftborn Lord—returned to him like a guiding light. She had fought so that he might survive, so that he might understand the Voidheart's true purpose. She had warned that this place changed people, that power gained here came at an unspeakable cost. He remembered her sacrifice: her silver cloak drenched in void-blood, her pale face twisted in unwavering resolve as she held the Riftborn Lord at bay. His resolve crystallized. He would not become a tool for the Riftborn agenda. He would find a way to break the rift's hold without becoming what the Lord wanted him to be.
Yet another voice intruded—a soft, sorrowful whisper that seemed to come not from the Riftborn but from beyond the core itself:
"Vaultborn… come to us."
The words held a strange gentleness, like a lullaby sung by the Voidheart itself. It was neither malevolent nor kind; it was simply … enticing. The core's energy flared in response, the runes dancing in radiant arcs. The dais trembled, shards of crystal at its base rattling underfoot.
Kairo took a measured breath, posture straightening despite the inner storm. He looked at Lira and then to Taryn and Milo. Each face looked back at him with trust and unwavering loyalty—reminders of everything he fought to protect.
He lifted his head, voice echoing across the crystalline chamber:
"I choose… to reject your offer. I will not become one with the Void."
For a heartbeat, the Voidheart seemed to pause, as though the entire realm held its breath. Then, with a thunderous roar, the core's runes flared in defiance. The Riftborn silhouettes surged forward, their starlit auras coalescing into spectral forms. A flood of starlight and shadow washed over the dais as the silhouettes lunged, weapons drawn—Riftborn Blades shimmering with void-imbued power aimed at Kairo's heart.
[Trial of the Void – Phase 2]
Objective: Defend against the Riftborn assault and maintain your resolve.
Reward: Unknown
Kairo's sword glowed with every mana enchantment at his command—[Mana Weave], [Mana Disrupt], [Void Strike], [Rift Break], [Starlit Counter], [Shadow Bind], and now fueled by sheer will. He stepped forward as a cascade of phantom blades rained down, deflecting them in a blur of steel and starlight. Each parry sent shards of shimmering energy scattering like meteor fragments.
Taryn and Milo moved in perfect synchronicity: Taryn's whip became a continuum of flame, lashing at any Riftborn that dared to breach their circle; Milo's dagger glowed with [Mana Disrupt], and he darted among their ranks, slashing cores and forcing spectral forms to wither into motes of fading light. Lira's aura flared brightly, a bastion of healing flooding Kairo's battered body with restorative mana, knitting torn flesh and easing shattered bone in leaps and bounds—yet never quite enough to remove the pain completely.
Through it all, Kairo danced with the Riftborn, each strike a testament to his growth, each dodge a breath away from oblivion. As the final silhouette lunged, Kairo activated [Void Pulse], sending a shockwave of disruptive mana rippling outward. Riftborn forms fragmented, their weapons shattered, as the pulse washed clean the dais's surface. He seized the moment, surging forward with [Blade Echo]—twelve strikes in a heartbeat, each infused with enough mana to fracture the void around them. The last Riftborn silhouette collapsed into nothingness, leaving a hush in the air that felt heavier than any explosion.
The core's runes flickered, pulsed, and finally dimmed into a gentle glow. For a moment, the entire Voidheart remained eerily still, as though awaiting Kairo's next move. Outside, distant thunder rumbled, but here, on the floating dais, silence reigned—broken only by Kairo's ragged breathing.
He lowered his sword and dropped to one knee, every muscle trembling, every breath a sharp reminder of his shattered body. Lira knelt beside him, channeling one last healing wave that washed away waves of blood, sweat, and tears. Taryn stood guard, whip coiled and still humming with embers, while Milo scanned the horizon, wary of any lingering trickery.
[Vaultborn's Triumph]
Riftborn Lord Defeated
Voidheart's Core Stabilized
Rank Increased: B
New Title: Heart's Warden
A shimmer of radiant light enveloped Kairo as the Voidheart's core accepted his refusal—the first time anyone had turned away such temptation and lived. The core's glow shifted from a flickering violet to a steady, brilliant silver, as though healing itself. A final pulse rippled outward, sealing any remaining rifts that threatened to spill chaos onto Velmire.
Lira placed a gentle hand on Kairo's shoulder, tears in her eyes. "You… you did it," she whispered, voice choked with awe.
Kairo nodded, mouth dry. "I did it… for all of us." He took a deep breath and forced himself to stand, wincing as pain lanced through his ribs. He raised his eyes to the stabilized core, its silver glow reflecting both triumph and sorrow.
At that moment, the spire's runes flared once more—but not in anger. The entire structure hummed in resonance, and a hidden panel slid open at the base of the core, revealing a faintly glowing passage. From within, the muffled sound of Elara Vyn's voice drifted, as though carried on the wind:
"Vaultborn… thank you."
Kairo's heart leapt. Even here, in the heart of the Voidheart, Elara had survived. He exchanged a determined look with Lira, Taryn, and Milo.
"We're coming, Elara," he called into the void, voice steady despite exhaustion.
The passage revealed a narrow staircase spiraling downward, descending into deeper darkness. A faint green glow pulsed from its depths, marking a new path that would lead them to Elara's location—and, perhaps, to unravel the final secrets of the Voidheart itself. Beyond it, they could feel the hum of some even greater power waiting to be confronted.
[New Quest: Journey to Elara]
Objective: Descend the void staircase to rescue Elara and uncover the Voidheart's final mysteries.
Reward: Unknown
Kairo glanced back at the stabilized core, its light a beacon of hope. Then he turned, each step down the staircase echoing like a heartbeat through the silence. With Lira and the others close behind, he vanished into the vault of the Voidheart, determined to find Elara and bring her back to Velmire. Whatever lay ahead, he would face it—as the Vaultborn, as the Heart's Warden, and with his friends at his side.