In a room, Astralis Arcanum ,
Grom's eyelids fluttered, then opened fully.
"Wha… where am I…?"
A familiar, annoyed voice answered immediately:
"Wake up, old man."
Grom jolted upright. "HA—!!"
His eyes darted around—Zane, Caelum, Lucen, Elena, Vira, Seris, Corvin… all staring at him with stiff, unreadable expressions.
He blinked rapidly.
"What… happened to me? Why am I waking up? And when did I even fall asleep?"
Caelum stepped closer. "Tell us the last thing you remember."
Grom rubbed his forehead. "I remember unlocking the back of that watch… trying to understand its inner design…"
He paused, frowning deeply.
"…and that's it. Everything went black."
He looked around nervously.
"It seems I failed. That artifact is too advanced… too intricate even for me…"
But no one responded.
They just stared at him.
Not with disappointment or with irritation.
But with something else—caution.
Except Zane.
Grom's eyebrows knitted.
