The moment Adrian crossed into the Sanctuary, he felt it.
Not power.
Not pressure.
Memory.
The air itself seemed saturated with it.
Every wall, every pillar, every stone beneath his feet felt ancient beyond measure, as if countless lives had passed through these halls and left pieces of themselves behind.
The enormous gates closed behind them with a deep, resonant boom.
Kai immediately turned.
"Nope."
Adrian glanced at him.
"What?"
"The giant door closing behind us? I don't like it."
"Noted."
"It sounded permanent."
"Everything sounds permanent to you."
"Because everything keeps trying to kill us."
That was difficult to argue with.
The silver-robed guides led them deeper into the Sanctuary.
The interior was even larger than the outside suggested.
Corridors stretched for impossible distances.
Bridges crossed open spaces that seemed carved into the mountain's heart.
Silver lights floated overhead, illuminating the halls without any visible source.
Adrian kept noticing strange things.
There were no guards.
No servants.
No crowds.
For a place this massive—
It felt almost empty.
As if only a handful of people actually lived here.
The older woman noticed him looking around.
"The Sanctuary maintains only what it requires."
Adrian glanced at her.
"You answered a question I didn't ask."
"You were thinking loudly."
Kai pointed dramatically.
"See? That's mind reading."
"It is not."
"It absolutely is."
For the first time, Adrian thought he saw the faintest hint of amusement cross her face.
Then it vanished.
Moments later, they entered a vast circular chamber.
Adrian stopped.
So did Kai.
Even Veyr.
The room was enormous.
Its ceiling disappeared into darkness far above.
Hundreds of pillars lined the circular walls.
And floating between them—
Thousands of silver lights.
Not lamps.
Not flames.
Orbs.
Each one pulsing softly.
Like distant stars.
The sight was breathtaking.
Kai stared upward.
"…Okay."
A pause.
"…That is impressive."
The woman walked toward the center of the chamber.
"This is the Hall of Echoes."
The name immediately caught Adrian's attention.
Echoes.
He'd heard that word before.
Back when Veyr explained bonds.
Fragments.
Remnants.
Memories.
His mark pulsed once.
The floating lights responded.
Several nearby orbs brightened.
The room became silent.
Very silent.
The woman turned sharply.
The other robed figures exchanged glances.
Something unexpected had happened.
Adrian frowned.
"What?"
No one answered immediately.
Then one of the robed figures spoke.
"…They reacted."
The woman nodded slowly.
"Yes."
Kai looked around.
"Who's reacting?"
The figure pointed upward.
The lights.
Adrian's stomach tightened.
"Those things?"
The woman faced him again.
"They are echoes."
A pause.
"Recorded impressions left behind by those who came before."
Adrian blinked.
"…You turned memories into stars?"
"Essentially."
Kai looked horrified.
"Why do I feel like that's not normal?"
"Because it is not."
Fair enough.
Adrian looked upward again.
More lights were responding now.
Not all of them.
Just a few.
But enough to notice.
They seemed drawn toward him.
Curious.
The mark on his wrist grew warm.
Not painful.
Recognizing.
Then—
One of the lights detached from the others.
It floated downward.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
The chamber fell silent.
Even the robed guides seemed surprised.
The orb stopped directly in front of Adrian.
A few inches from his face.
Hovering.
Watching.
Then it touched his wrist.
The world vanished.
Adrian found himself standing somewhere else.
A battlefield.
Ancient.
Broken.
The sky was crimson.
Mountains burned in the distance.
And standing before him—
A stranger.
Tall.
Armored.
Marked.
The same symbol Adrian carried glowed on the stranger's arm.
Adrian froze.
The man looked directly at him.
Not through him.
At him.
As if he could actually see him.
"Another one."
The stranger smiled sadly.
"Then the cycle continues."
Adrian opened his mouth.
"What cycle?"
The battlefield trembled.
The stranger's expression darkened.
"You don't know."
A pause.
"…Then they still hide the truth."
Adrian stepped forward.
"Wait."
The stranger grabbed his arm.
The contact felt real.
Impossible.
"Listen carefully."
The burning world around them began collapsing.
Breaking apart.
The vision was ending.
"Your bond is not broken."
Adrian's heart skipped.
"What?"
The stranger's grip tightened.
"It is unfinished."
The same thing Veyr's brother had implied.
The same thing the Threshold suggested.
Adrian felt dread creeping in.
"What does that mean?"
The stranger looked toward something beyond the battlefield.
Something approaching.
Something terrifying.
Then he whispered—
"Find the Origin."
The world shattered.
Adrian gasped.
Reality slammed back into place.
The Hall of Echoes reappeared around him.
The floating orb drifted away.
Silent once more.
Kai was gripping his shoulders.
"Adrian!"
Adrian blinked.
"What?"
"You disappeared."
"I what?"
"For almost a minute."
The woman stepped closer.
Concern visible on her face for the first time.
"What did you see?"
Adrian looked around the chamber.
At the countless floating echoes.
At the ancient memories stored within the Sanctuary.
Then he looked down at his wrist.
The mark pulsed.
Slow.
Steady.
Waiting.
Finally, he answered.
"I think…"
A pause.
"…someone else had this bond before me."
Silence fell across the chamber.
Heavy.
Meaningful.
The older woman's expression changed instantly.
Recognition.
Shock.
And something dangerously close to fear.
"Impossible."
But the way she said it made Adrian realize something.
She didn't think he was lying.
She thought the truth itself was impossible.
And suddenly—
The Sanctuary felt a lot less welcoming.
Because whatever secret they were hiding
He had just stumbled directly into it.