The vehicle slowed before coming to a silent stop.
The door slid open smoothly, and Rio stepped out right after Elara, his gaze instinctively lifting toward the world ahead of him.
For a moment, he forgot to move.
The city stretched endlessly in every direction, towering structures rising into the sky like pillars of glass and steel. Some buildings were sleek and minimal, their surfaces reflecting shifting neon lights, while others were engraved with intricate arcane patterns that pulsed faintly with energy. It wasn't just a city—it was a system, alive and constantly moving.
Above him, the sky was filled with motion.
Figures drifted through the air with unnatural ease. Some stood atop floating platforms, while others moved freely, supported by constructs of light or streams of condensed mana forming beneath their feet. Trails of energy followed their movement, fading like afterimages against the skyline. Vehicles—similar to the one he had arrived in—traveled along invisible routes, weaving between buildings with precise control.
It was overwhelming.
Not because of its scale alone, but because of how seamlessly everything coexisted.
Magic and technology weren't separate here.
They were integrated.
Rio exhaled slowly, trying to steady his thoughts.
"…So this is the Virelian Federation."
It was nothing like the structured, rigid image of the Astryx Empire that lingered in his inherited memories. This place felt freer, faster—less bound by hierarchy, but not necessarily safer.
Elara had already started walking.
Rio quickly followed, pulling his attention away from the skyline as they moved toward one of the largest structures in sight.
The building stood far above the rest.
A massive skyscraper, its surface a dark, polished material that reflected the city lights in muted tones. Unlike the surrounding structures, it carried a quieter presence—less decorative, more deliberate. Faint lines of energy ran vertically along its sides, converging toward the top where a subtle crest was embedded into the structure.
It wasn't just tall.
It felt… important.
Rio glanced at it again before speaking.
"Um… where are you taking me?"
Elara didn't stop walking.
"This is the Saviant Guild."
Her voice was calm, as if she were stating something obvious.
Then she added, without hesitation,
"I own this building."
Rio's steps faltered for half a second.
He looked up again, properly this time.
The entire building?
Even for someone like her, that wasn't small.
Guild master.
The term carried more weight now.
"…She owns this entire place."
He didn't say it out loud, but the realization settled in quickly. This wasn't just a base of operations. This was influence. Power. Authority built into the structure of the city itself.
They approached the entrance, and the doors opened automatically before them.
The interior was just as refined.
Clean, expansive, and controlled. The lighting was soft but precise, illuminating a wide lobby where multiple individuals moved with purpose. Some wore uniforms, others carried equipment or data pads, but all of them shared one thing in common—
The moment Elara stepped inside, they stopped.
One by one, their movements slowed, their attention shifting toward her. Then, almost naturally, they lowered their heads in greeting.
It wasn't forced.
It was instinctive.
Respect.
Rio noticed it immediately.
"…So this is her standing here."
No one questioned her presence.
No one hesitated.
She didn't acknowledge them either.
She simply walked forward.
Rio followed, aware now of the subtle glances being directed toward him. Curious. Evaluating. Some cautious.
He ignored them.
For now.
Before they could move further, a woman approached them from the side.
She had long black hair tied neatly behind her, her posture straight, her expression composed but firm. A thin data pad rested in her hand, and her eyes were sharp—observant in a way that missed very little.
She stopped a few steps in front of Elara and bowed her head slightly.
"Welcome back, Guildmaster."
Her tone was professional, controlled.
Then, briefly—
Her eyes shifted.
To Rio.
It was subtle.
But it wasn't empty.
A flicker of something crossed her gaze.
Recognition?
Suspicion?
No.
Assessment.
Just as quickly, it was gone.
Elara spoke without pausing.
"Lyra get this child a room."
Her voice remained calm, but carried quiet authority.
"Make sure he's cleaned up."
A short pause.
"Then send him up to my office."
Lyra nodded immediately.
"I understand."
Her response was precise, without hesitation.
Elara didn't say anything more. She simply turned and walked toward the inner section of the building, her presence fading into the upper levels without a second glance.
Rio stood there for a moment.
Then the woman looked at him again.
This time, properly.
Her gaze lingered slightly longer, her sharp eyes scanning him in a way that made it clear she wasn't just following orders blindly.
"…You," she said, her tone still controlled, though quieter now.
"Come with me."
Rio didn't argue.
He followed.
As they walked deeper into the building, away from the open lobby and into more restricted sections, the atmosphere shifted slightly. The halls were quieter here, more refined, with fewer people moving through them.
"…So this is where I am now."
Not the ruins.
Not the lab.
Something else entirely.
Structured.
Organized.
And far more dangerous in a different way.
Lyra walked ahead of him without looking back, but her pace was steady enough that he didn't fall behind.
"…She noticed something."
Rio could tell.
Even if she hadn't said anything.
The way her eyes had lingered for that brief second—
It hadn't been normal.
He kept his expression neutral.
Because right now—
Drawing attention was the last thing he needed.
As they reached an elevator, the doors opened before they even stopped walking.
She stepped inside.
Rio followed.
The doors closed behind them.
Silence filled the space.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then—
"You don't look like someone who belongs here."
Her voice broke the quiet, calm but direct.
Rio's eyes shifted slightly.
He didn't answer her.
The woman studied him for a second longer.
Then looked forward again.
The elevator continued upward.
And with every passing second—
Rio could feel it again.
That faint, unstable presence beneath his skin.
Still there.
Still waiting.
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[End of Chapter 6]
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