The tunnel narrowed as they moved deeper, the stone walls close enough that Celeste could feel their chill through her sleeves. The faint markings along the passage glowed softly now, responding to her presence in a way that felt neither welcoming nor hostile. It was acknowledgement. As if the path itself had decided she was permitted to pass.
Kael walked a half step ahead, alert but unhurried. His hand never strayed far from her shoulder, not gripping, not restraining, just there. It was grounding in a way Celeste had not realized she needed until this moment.
The presence she felt earlier had not faded. If anything, it had grown clearer. It was not the sharp intent of an attacker or the measured scrutiny of a watcher. This felt deliberate. Patient. Focused on her alone.
She slowed slightly. "They are closer," she said under her breath.
Kael did not turn. "How many"
"Just one," she replied after a moment. "But that makes it worse."
The tunnel opened into a wider chamber, circular and low ceilinged. Old stone pillars ringed the space, worn smooth by time. The markings along the walls converged here, forming a faint pattern beneath their feet.
Kael stopped. "This place was used," he said quietly. "Long ago."
Celeste nodded. The fragment warmed, not warning her away but urging her to pay attention. She stepped forward, eyes tracing the markings. They were similar to those in Alric's tome, symbols of balance and perception, not control.
Then the air shifted.
It was subtle at first. A change in pressure. A quiet tightening that made her breath hitch before she could stop it.
"You do not need to hide," a voice said calmly from the shadows.
Celeste stiffened. Kael moved instantly, placing himself slightly in front of her without blocking her view.
From between two pillars, a figure stepped into the dim light. Tall, composed, dressed in dark layers that absorbed rather than reflected the glow around them. Their face was uncovered, their expression open in a way that felt unsettlingly honest.
"I have been waiting," the stranger continued. "Not for the fragment. For you."
Celeste felt the fragment pulse once, firm and steady. Not fear. Recognition.
"Who are you" she asked.
The stranger inclined their head slightly. "My name is Seris. And before you assume intent, understand this. I am not here to take anything from you."
Kael's voice was controlled but sharp. "You expect us to believe that"
Seris met his gaze without flinching. "You do not have to believe me. You only have to listen."
Celeste studied them carefully. Their posture was relaxed, but not careless. Every movement was measured, precise. This was someone used to power, but not driven by it.
"You have felt me watching," Seris said, turning their attention back to her. "Not to test you. To understand the nature of your awareness."
Celeste's fingers curled slightly. "Then you already know I do not belong to anyone."
A faint smile touched Seris's lips. "Exactly."
The chamber seemed to hold its breath.
"There are factions in this city that believe clarity should be owned," Seris continued. "Others believe it should be crushed before it disrupts established hierarchies. I believe neither."
Kael glanced at Celeste, then back at Seris. "And what do you believe"
"That clarity should be protected," Seris replied. "Especially when it awakens in someone who did not seek it."
Celeste felt something settle in her chest. Not trust. Not suspicion. Understanding.
"You are offering help," she said slowly.
"I am offering alignment," Seris corrected. "Temporary. Conditional. Based on mutual respect."
The fragment warmed again, softly. It did not urge her to accept or refuse. It waited.
"What do you want in return" Celeste asked.
Seris did not answer immediately. Instead, they stepped closer, stopping well short of her space. "Nothing now. Perhaps nothing ever. But when the time comes, when others demand that you choose a side, I want you to remember that not every side seeks to claim you."
Silence followed.
Kael exhaled slowly. "You said others would come."
Seris nodded. "They already are."
As if summoned by the words, the markings beneath their feet brightened briefly, then dimmed. Celeste felt the shift instantly. Movement above. Not close, but approaching.
Seris turned toward the far side of the chamber. "This path will not remain hidden much longer."
Celeste made her decision. She stepped forward, meeting Seris's gaze directly. "Then tell me one thing. Why me"
Seris's expression softened, just slightly. "Because when you stood before power, you did not reach for it. And that is the rarest trait of all."
The weight of those words settled over her. She understood now what others had sensed. What had drawn attention. It was not the fragment alone. It was the way she responded to it.
Kael's hand brushed her arm. "We are running out of time."
Seris nodded. "Take the eastern passage. It will lead you beyond the inner wards. I will delay those who follow."
Celeste hesitated. "That puts you at risk."
Seris smiled faintly. "Risk is inevitable. Choice is not."
The presence above grew stronger. Closer.
Celeste inclined her head. "Then I choose to remember you."
Seris's gaze held hers for a moment longer, something unspoken passing between them. Then they stepped back into the shadows, their form dissolving into the dimness as if the chamber itself had accepted their departure.
The eastern passage opened quietly, revealing a narrow path lined with the same faint markings.
Kael took the lead, but Celeste did not look back immediately. She felt it then, clearly. Another shift within her. Another layer settling into place.
She was no longer simply reacting to the world around her.
She was beginning to shape how it responded to her.
As they moved forward, footsteps echoed faintly above the chamber they had left behind. Voices murmured, tense and searching.
Celeste's pulse remained steady.
Someone had reached for her.
Someone had chosen not to claim her.
And that choice might change everything that came next.