The following days passed with an eerie sense of calm—like the quiet before a thunderstorm. Classes at the academy resumed, and the students celebrated the results of the Aether Trials. Max and his team had solidified their reputation, gaining respect from peers and instructors alike.
But for Max, the attention was a double-edged sword.
He couldn't afford exposure. Not now. Not with the system's warning still fresh in his mind and Thorn preparing for the expedition to Aetheron's Fall.
He spent most of his days in the academy library, poring over ancient texts, and nights reviewing battle techniques with Leo and Erin. Roen had been called to assist with his House's affairs, leaving the trio to quietly strengthen their bond—and prepare for whatever came next.
Max had leveled up again, though he kept the notifications hidden even from Leo.
> [SYSTEM STATUS: LEVEL 15]
[EXP: 10%]
[Passive Skill Gained: "Aetheric Sensory" – Detect high-mana density zones and veiled magical constructs within 30 meters.]
The skill had already proven useful in the library. He'd found three hidden compartments in the older wings, each containing sealed knowledge about pre-collapse civilizations, strange glyphs, and references to the Five Pillars.
The Five Relics.
The connection was clear now—too clear to ignore.
That night, Thorn summoned Max to his office again—not to speak, but to leave.
"The expedition begins now," Thorn said simply, tossing Max a silver-accented coat, different from the standard academy uniform. "This will identify you as part of my external team. Travel light. We move in small numbers."
Leo met him at the gate before departure, his cloak already fastened, twin blades strapped to his back. "Didn't think you'd leave without me, did you?"
Max gave him a sidelong glance. "You're not exactly subtle."
"I'm also not exactly weak," Leo replied with a grin.
Max allowed a brief smile. "Fine. But follow my lead."
"I always do."
—
Their journey to Aetheron's Fall was long and perilous, taking them through frost-bitten valleys, over broken trade roads, and past the outskirts of ruined settlements now overrun by nature.
Thorn kept their group small—just five total. Himself, Max, Leo, an arcane tracker named Mira, and a grim-faced warrior named Garth who said little but carried a blade the length of a grown man.
Max spent most of the journey in silence, occasionally glancing at the artifact beneath his collar.
It pulsed faster the closer they came.
> [Artifact Resonance: Increasing…]
[Current Range: 6.7 km from Target Relic]
[Note: Terrain interference detected. Mana flux density: High.]
He'd kept these system messages hidden even when Thorn was near. The man might suspect, but Max wouldn't give anything away. Not yet.
—
Aetheron's Fall wasn't a city anymore.
It was a crater.
Once the capital of a powerful mana dynasty, it had fallen in the Collapse nearly a century ago. Now it was a haunted ruin—floating stones suspended by leftover magical forces, blackened towers cracked by time, and a thundercloud that never dispersed overhead.
As the group crested the hill overlooking the ruins, Thorn held up a hand.
"Stay sharp. The veil is still active."
Mira stepped forward, her palms glowing. "I'll map the leyline interference."
Leo moved beside Max. "This place feels… wrong."
"It's supposed to," Max replied, his voice low. "It died screaming."
They entered the ruins cautiously, mana lanterns casting blue light across charred stone and shattered statues. Whispers echoed through the wind, fragments of residual magic playing illusions from the past—figures in robes running, towers burning, skies shattering.
> [Aetheric Sensory – Activated]
[Detection: Concealed Mana Construct 15m Below Surface]
[Estimated Artifact Depth: 27m]
[Status: Sealed. Barrier Integrity: 64%]
Max stopped.
He glanced at Thorn, who had noticed his pause. "You sense it too?"
Max nodded. "Below us."
Thorn turned to Mira. "Prepare the descent. Garth, secure the perimeter."
Mira conjured a descending glyph, rotating slowly beneath their feet. "We'll only have a few minutes before the field collapses. Be quick."
Max and Leo followed her down the spiral, the air growing colder and thicker with each step. The deeper they went, the more unstable the mana became.
And then they reached it.
A sealed chamber—circular, crystalline, its walls humming with barely contained energy. In the center was a monolith shaped like an open eye, carved from obsidian and glowing with dormant runes.
It was the second relic.
> [SYSTEM ALERT: SECOND RELIC IDENTIFIED]
[Initiate Phase: "Convergence"]
[Warning: Artifact Reaction Imminent. Attempting Stabilization…]
Max staggered slightly, gripping the wall.
Leo caught his arm. "Max?"
"I'm fine," he lied, breath short. "Just… pressure."
Thorn examined the monolith, his brow furrowed. "It's older than the last one. The script is in Pre-Root tongue… untouched since the Collapse."
He turned to Max. "You're up."
Max stepped forward, drawing on the artifact beneath his skin. The moment he neared the relic, both the chamber and the system lit up.
> [Link Initiated…]
[Mana Fusion: Synchronizing 1.3%]
[WARNING: Artifact instability detected. Surge limit approaching threshold.]
Max reached out—and the relic responded.
Energy poured into him like a flood, dragging visions into his mind: five towers across the world, each bearing fragments of a forgotten truth. Warriors with glowing eyes. A betrayal that shattered time. And a voice—distant, cold, and familiar.
"You were never meant to awaken…"
Then the room exploded in light.
Max collapsed.
—
He awoke minutes later, his head pounding and ears ringing.
Leo was beside him. "You're awake."
Max sat up slowly. The chamber was dim now, the monolith dimmed, a crystal shard floating silently at its center.
> [Relic Acquired: Shard of Aetheron – 1 of 5]
[System Sync 2% Complete]
[New Ability Gained: "Mana Echo" – Replay and analyze past magical events in real-time.]
Thorn was watching him from across the room, arms crossed.
"You did well."
Max didn't respond.
Because in the chaos of the vision, he'd seen something else. A sixth pillar. Hidden. Buried. Outside the pattern.
A secret not even Thorn seemed to know.
—
As they emerged from the ruins with the shard sealed in a containment crystal, the sky above cracked—just slightly. A thin tear that only Max could see.
> [Observer Presence: Detected.]
[Signal Origin: Unknown.]
[Artifact Protective Protocols – Reinforced.]
Max looked up, his blood cold.
Someone… something… was watching again.
And this time, it wasn't just the academy or a rogue noble.
It was something older.
And it wanted the artifact back.