That night, the sky wasn't black.
The dead stars flickered like unhealed wounds, and the wind carried a whisper that couldn't be explained. Like a scream—without a source.
Kael stood atop the church tower.
Beneath him, the city seemed peaceful, but inside his mind—chaos bloomed.
> "I feel… something is coming."
"Or… maybe it already has."
In his hand, the ancient book opened once more. This time, a new page revealed itself. Ink flowed without a pen, forming a single sentence:
> "Second Sign: Reflection."
Suddenly, the wind stopped.
And the entire world fell silent.
---
Then, the voice came.
NOT TO HIS EARS.
But straight into his mind.
> "You have stepped onto the Stair."
"But you don't yet know—The Stair is not ascent."
"It is descent toward the center of all."
Kael clutched his chest. Cold. Fear. But unable to look away.
His eyes widened—and he saw a tear across the sky. Not light, but absence. As if a piece of the heavens was missing and replaced by a void.
From that void, the voice spoke again:
> "You are an echo of something unborn."
---
The next morning, Kael sat under the bell tower. He didn't speak. He didn't cry. But Anselm knew—something inside him had fractured.
> "I had a nightmare," Kael whispered.
"But I wasn't asleep."
---
Elsewhere, deep underground, Father Eluon read ancient blood-written symbols on the wall:
> "If he hears the sky, the world will echo. Then the foundation will crack, and the Nameless One shall open Its eye."
Father Eluon closed his eyes.
> "This is not just awakening," he murmured.
"This is return."