Back in the Umbra dorm, Caelum kept it hidden beneath the floorboards. And yet, at night, it pulsed soft, rhythmic as if it were breathing.
One night, he unfurled it again.
This time, the scroll unraveled further, beyond its original break. Ink that was invisible before now shimmered in the lamplight. A sealed memory written long ago by a mage who had witnessed the final binding of the Vault.
---
"In the last days of the Aether War, when the sky cracked and the wind bled, the Arkanite Gate was sealed by seven mages each a master not only of an element, but of a truth."
"They did not bind the Vault with force alone, but with sacrifice. Each gave up something that could not be taken back."
The Seven Sigils
The Sigil of Flame — Valor
-The fire of will. Bound by the warrior-queen Velarion, who cast her own name into the Veil. This sigil burns lies away, and only those with a true cause can touch it.
Element: Fire
Trait: Courage without pride
The Sigil of Stone — Vow
-Earth's anchor. Bound by the oath-keeper Kael Roth, who shattered his sword and sealed his family's bloodline. This sigil tests the bearer's loyalty—one vow must break to claim it.
Element: Earth
Trait: Unshakable resolve
The Sigil of Water — Memory
-The flowing past. Bound by Isen Khar, who surrendered his memories to the river and was never seen again. The bearer of this sigil must choose: recall the past, or reshape it.
Element: Water
Trait: Acceptance of change
The Sigil of Wind — Echo
The breath between moments. Bound by Seran Vo, a wanderer who spoke only truths, even when silence would save lives. This sigil seeks those who listen before they speak.
Element: Air
Trait: Intuition and trust
The Sigil of Shadow — Guilt
-The unseen cost. Bound by twin assassins who turned on their order to protect the Vault. This sigil weighs the heart, and reveals the bearer's greatest regret.
Element: Shadow
Trait: Confrontation of one's past
6. The Sigil of Light — Mercy
-Radiance without vengeance. Bound by the healer Ilyen Solas, who healed his enemies and blinded himself as penance. The bearer must forgive what the world won't.
Element: Light
Trait: Compassion over wrath
7. The Final Sigil — Chaos
-Bound not by a mage… but by a child. An Arkanite who chose to seal himself inside the Vault rather than destroy the world.
Element: Unknown
Trait: Unknown
"He is the Lock. He is also the Key."
---
Caelum read the final lines again, heart thudding.
"One who bears the Echo will awaken the rest. When the Sigils stir, the Vault trembles. The chain is memory, magic, and mercy."
And scrawled in a different hand added years later in frantic script:
"We were wrong to seal it. The world needs them again. But if the Gate breaks before the heir is ready, the Hollow will rise."
"If the Lock fails… Chaos does not wait."
---
Caelum woke with the names of the Sigils burned into his mind.
His wind magic surged at the mention of "Echo."
But worse when he looked in the mirror, the mark on the back of his hand had grown.
The eye was open now.
Watching.