The morning after the feast was mercifully quiet. I found the library's sunlit balcony empty and slipped out with my Codex. I needed answers—new battles loomed beyond Black Spire. Valmira's prophecy echoed in my mind: the dormant Demon King's spirit still stirred.
I opened the Codex to a blank page. Before my eyes, glowing runes scrawled themselves across the parchment—a message I hadn't summoned: "Seek the Altar of Echoes."
My pulse quickened. I remembered a ruined chapel beneath the Academy—legends said it once housed an ancient oracle. I closed the Codex and made my way through silent halls.
At the chapel's entrance, I found Yuria practicing lightning drills alone. She skidded to a stop when she saw me. "You look like you saw a ghost."
"I…need to find the Altar of Echoes," I said, voice unsteady. "Runes just led me here."
Yuria's eyes softened. "Want company?" she asked, shouldering her dagger.
I nodded. "Wouldn't mind."
