The stone chamber was dim—
Lit only by weak lanterns.
Hanging from old chains.
The light flickered.
Barely enough.
The walls were cracked.
Covered in old symbols.
Faded—
But not dead.
Whenever Feroz moved near them—
They pulsed.
Soft.
Like they were alive.
Not reacting to light—
But to him.
After the trial—
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Feroz sat near the wall.
Breathing slowly.
His body hurt.
Every part of him.
But inside—
Something had changed.
He felt… clearer.
More aware.
More awake.
And somewhere deep—
Something else—
Listening.
Yusuf stood near a stone table.
Old scrolls spread across it.
Papers.
Dust.
He moved through them quietly.
Focused.
But sometimes—
He looked at Feroz.
Not fully trusting.
Not fully relaxed.
Like watching fire.
Useful—
But dangerous.
Mrs. Aliya walked around the room.
Back and forth.
Alert.
Always watching.
"We don't have time," she said.
"The Free Masons won't wait."
"They know he's here."
Yusuf nodded slowly.
"They always knew he would come."
A pause.
"It was written."
"But…"
He looked up.
"They also know something we don't."
Feroz looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Yusuf turned.
Serious now.
"You think this is just about power."
"About blood."
A pause.
"It's bigger than that."
He walked to a wooden chest.
Old.
Worn.
He pulled off the cloth covering it.
Inside—
Scrolls.
Strange tools.
And something else.
A broken dagger.
Its blade cracked—
But glowing.
Lines of light running through it.
Like veins.
Not steady—
Pulsing.
Faint.
Like a heartbeat.
Yusuf picked it up.
Held it out.
"This belonged to your father."
Feroz stood slowly.
Moved closer.
The moment he saw it—
Something hit him.
A strange feeling.
Like a memory.
But not his.
Like something recognizing him—
Before he understood it.
"What is it?"
Yusuf answered quietly.
"It's called the Veinblade."
"Very old."
"Passed down in your family."
A pause.
"It's not just a weapon."
"It's a key."
Feroz frowned.
"A key… to what?"
Mrs. Aliya stepped closer.
Watching carefully.
Yusuf spoke.
"To something hidden."
"A vault."
"Buried under an old city."
Forgotten.
Lost.
"But not gone."
He looked directly at Feroz.
"Inside it… is power."
A pause.
"Not the kind you use—"
"The kind that decides."
Silence.
The air felt heavier.
"Enough to influence every Gifted."
"To bend them."
"Not by force—"
"But by something deeper."
Feroz's eyes narrowed.
"Like control?"
Yusuf shook his head slowly.
"No."
A pause.
"Like alignment."
That word lingered.
Strange.
Uncomfortable.
As if it meant more than it said.
Mrs. Aliya spoke.
"You think the Free Masons want this?"
Yusuf's expression darkened slightly.
"They don't want the blade."
"They want what it opens."
A pause.
"And they don't fully understand it either."
Feroz looked at the dagger again.
"And my father?"
"He protected it," Yusuf said.
"Until the end."
"He kept it hidden."
A pause.
"Not just from them—"
"But from everyone."
Feroz's chest tightened.
"And now they think I know where it is?"
Yusuf nodded.
"Yes."
"But I don't," Feroz said.
"I've never seen this before."
"You will understand," Yusuf replied.
"There's a reason your powers are waking up now."
"The vault is tied to your blood."
A pause.
"And to something deeper than blood."
Feroz looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Yusuf didn't answer immediately.
Then—
"Some doors don't open with strength."
"They open with… recognition."
Silence filled the room again.
Mrs. Aliya stepped forward.
"We need to leave."
"If they come here—"
"They will take you too."
Yusuf shook his head.
"I can't leave."
"This place hides me."
"If I go—"
"They will find me."
Feroz looked at the Veinblade again.
Then at Yusuf.
"Then what do I do?"
Yusuf stepped closer.
Placed the blade in Feroz's hands.
Slow.
Careful.
The moment it touched his skin—
It reacted.
Faintly.
Almost unnoticed.
A soft pulse—
Matching his heartbeat.
Yusuf saw it.
But said nothing.
"You learn."
"You train."
"You survive."
A pause.
"And when the time comes—"
"You find the vault."
Another pause.
Longer this time.
"And when you stand before it—"
His voice lowered slightly.
"You won't just choose to open it…"
"Or destroy it."
Feroz looked at him.
Confused.
"Then what will I choose?"
Yusuf's eyes held something deeper now.
Something uncertain.
"You'll choose… what you become."
Silence.
Heavy.
Real.
Feroz held the blade tightly.
It felt heavy.
Not just metal—
But something deeper.
Like it already knew him.
Like it was waiting.
For him.
Or for something inside him.
He spoke quietly.
"I'm ready."
Yusuf looked at him.
Calm.
But not convinced.
"We'll see."
Outside—
The wind howled.
Through the trees.
Cold.
Restless.
Far away—
Beyond the forest—
In a dark city—
A man stood.
In front of a large stone mirror.
His eyes glowing red.
Feroz's uncle.
Zarqaan Khan.
He spoke softly.
"They found him."
A pause.
His reflection didn't move the same way he did.
A slight delay.
Barely noticeable.
Unless you were looking for it.
A cold smile appeared.
"Send the first."
And behind him—
For a moment—
Something else stood.
Not a shadow.
Not a reflection.
Watching.