The mural's eyes stayed open even after the light faded. They didn't shine anymore, but they watched, quiet, ancient, and aware in a way that made Rat's skin crawl.
He rubbed at his temples, half expecting the Codex to start another prophecy feed. "Alright, lady, if this is what being a Dreambearer means, I want a refund."
The temple didn't answer. It simply breathed, slow, steady, and alive. Dust settled again, vines withdrew into the walls, and the golden veins that had glowed moments before dulled to faint amber scars.
The Codex broke the silence.
[Administrator Neural Strain: minimal.]
[Recommendation: Maintain Rest Cycle before continued exploration.]
"Rest," Rat muttered. "Sure. In a haunted temple with an opinion."
He started pacing the edge of the courtyard, every footstep tracing faint green light from the still-active Bell. Beyond the gate, dawn spilled over the Basin. Mists rose from the valleys like sighs. Somewhere far below, a river glinted faintly in the early light.
That's when the Codex pulsed again.
[Residual link detected: Entity - Emera.]
[Status: Unstable. Attempting stabilization.]
The mural shivered. The paint rippled like water disturbed by wind.
"Again?" Rat said, gripping his staff. "I just finished dying politely once. We doing round two?"
The voice that answered was quieter than before, almost a thought brushing the back of his skull.
"Not round two… a reminder."
The vines stirred. A faint shimmer spread through the stone floor until it formed a circle beneath the Bell, nine concentric rings carved deep into the rock. Only the innermost glowed.
Rat crouched, tracing the pattern with his fingertips. "You're trying to show me something."
Emera's voice came through faintly, as if from another room…or another age.
"The First Bell still rings beneath the Basin, in the Deep Vein under the Ninefold River. It is the oldest pulse. The others sleep until it breathes again."
The Codex's text brightened beside him.
[Resonance Map Actived.]
[Detected nodes: one awakened, eight dormant.]
"Eight other bells," Rat said softly. "And I'm holding the alarm clock."
A tired chuckle whispered through the air. "You rang the heart of a god, little caretaker. The other hearts are listening."
He frowned. "Listening's fine. Marching over here, not so much."
"They will not come yet," she said. "The Bells remember sound more than time. But when they answer, the Basin itself will move."
The glow in the stone brightened just enough to reveal faint symbols along the outermost ring. Rat squinted until the Codex translated them into clear text across his sight.
[Designations: Bell of Roots, Bell of Ash, Bell of Mist, Bell of Stone, Bell of Blood, Bell of Echoes, Bell of Silence, Bell of Dawn.]
And at the center, one glyph pulsed gold.
[You are linked to the Bell of Verdancy.]
Rat straightened slowly. "So I'm one of nine caretakers."
"Not yet," Emera said. Her tone wavered, fading in and out like wind through reeds. "The others have forgotten their names. When you wake them, they will remember you instead."
"Sounds like a terrible idea."
Her laughter was faint, tired. "Then you already understand the Basin."
The Codex interrupted before Rat could reply.
[Resonance ping detected.]
[Minor response pattern: South-West Quandrant. Possible Second Bell Activation trace.]
Rat froze. "You're saying another Bell's awake?"
[Unconfirmed. Signal strength: 12%. Estimated origin: mountain range near Open Sky territory.]
That caught his breath. "Near the sect?"
[Approximate.]
He exhaled slowly. The timing felt cruel. He'd barely survived one shrine, and now the next might be buried under his own superiors' noses.
"Of course it's near them," he muttered. "Heaven's got a sense of humor."
Emera's voice softened again. "If you seek answers, return to your kin. The sect's mountain once sang to the Bells."
"The sect doesn't even pray," Rat said. "They tax."
"Then perhaps they forgot the words," she whispered. "Teach them to listen."
The glow faded further. The lines on the floor went dark except for the one linked to his Bell. Emera's presence receded, leaving only a single echo in his mind: a name half-remembered, a promise of stone and water.
The Codex dimmed its light, almost respectful.
[Entity Emera…returning to dormancy.]
[New Objective Fragment: Trace the First Bell. Recommended approach: Study sect archives for geological records of the Ninefold River Basin.]
Rat rubbed his face, exhaustion creeping in. "So I've got divine errands and homework. Great."
[Correction: Two errands. One divine, one suicidal.]
He smirked weakly. "You're learning my tone. That's concerning."
The Bell vibrated once, low and soft, like a heartbeat echoing underground.
He glanced at the mural one last time. Emera's eyes were closed again, her color dulled back to simple pigment. Only a faint shimmer in the paint hinted she might still be listening.
Rat touched his fingers to the Bell. "Sleep easy, Voice. I'll keep the song going."
The Codex registered the motion.
[Administrator acknowledgment logged. Temple status: stabilized.]
[Do you wish to initiate Caretaker Lock before departure?]
"Yeah," he said. "Seal it. Keep the vines from gossiping while I'm gone."
The vines twitched, tightening across the walls. A thin mist gathered around the Bell as the temple quieted completely.
When the last pulse faded, Rat stepped outside. The Basin stretched before him, mist-laced valleys, silver rivers threading through green shadow. The morning air bit cold, smelling of wet moss and metal.
"Alright," he said under his breath. "Back to the sect before something else tries to enlighten me."
The Codex answered, calm as ever.
[Route calculated. Travel time: Two days, assuming no lethal distractions.]
"Optimistic," Rat said. "You're learning."
He started down the narrow path toward the treeline, the Bell slung across his back. Each step hummed faintly with Qi that matched the Temple's beat, as if it was still walking with him.
Behind him, the Old Temple slept.
But deep beneath it, in a chamber no mortal eyes had seen, a faint tone stirred, an answering chime buried under leagues of soil and river.
The Basin was beginning to remember.
[Codex of Strands of Fate - Status Update]
Vitality: 6
Qi Sense: 7
Comprehension: 5
Fate Entanglement: 31
Realm: Foundation Establishment (High)
Module:Basin Resonance Map
Effect: Tracks active Bell nodes. Responds to shifts in network activity.
Update: Second pulse detected within Open Sky range.
Questline: Echo of the First Bell - Expanded.