Deep beneath the crust of a dying continent, beyond molten rivers and tectonic fury, lay Irinar—a place forbidden even during the reign of the Architect.
It was not on any map.
No gate led to it.
You found it only if it called you.
And tonight, it called Elias Black.
---
Elias stood before the entrance to the Wound—a jagged chasm that pulsed like the slit in the throat of the world. Red mist rose from it, laced with forgotten screams. The Sovereign Guard waited behind him in a semi-circle.
Kael kicked a stone into the void. It never hit the bottom.
"So… this is the Broken Root?"
Liora nodded, eyes dull from hours of mental shielding. "Yes. One of Murael's tether points. A living root from the original Hollow Seed, buried before time knew how to count."
Ceryn checked his relic compass. "This place warps more than space. It's pulling dreams from me. I just saw my mother... whispering in reverse."
Elias remained quiet.
Then he stepped forward.
