The dust settled over the shattered sanctum. Silence hung heavy, broken only by the distant rumble of collapsing stone.
Kaien stood among the ruins, sword sheathed, shadow curling protectively around him. His breath came steady, but his heart hammered with a mix of relief and dread.
Elias lay motionless on the ground, the last shards of the Keywrought dimming in his grasp.
"I—" Kaien knelt beside him, searching for signs of life.
Slowly, Elias's eyes fluttered open, but something had changed. The light within them flickered uncertainly, shadows mingling with the glow.
"The Keywrought's power… it comes at a cost," Elias whispered. "The battle weakened me… but the truth must still be revealed."
Kaien's gaze hardened. "We'll finish what you started. Together."
Elias gave a faint, weary smile. "You're ready now. The Abyss… it's more than a weapon. It's a path."
As the sanctum's ruins began to fade into the mist, a new resolve took root within Kaien.
The war against the Ardent Veil was only beginning—and the burden of truth was now his to bear.
Behind him, shadows stirred.
A whisper on the wind.
The future awaited.
End of volume 1