Aylen led Mo to a temple hidden in the cliffs: the Echoing Archive. It pulsed with thought, its stone walls alive with memory. Here, thoughts of the dead could be summoned.
Through a ceremony of light, they called forth Mo's father. A spectral image formed: tall, armored in sky-metal, the Azure shamshir blazing in his grasp.
"You must unseal the Four Gates," the image said. "Or the Titans will wake."
Mo asked, "Why me?"
"Because the shamshir chose you. Because your blood sings with wind and flame."
And then: "The boy of fire comes. You have little time."