The tremors began as a low hum, then surged into a violent quake that shook the very bones of the cavern. Eliakim staggered, bracing himself against the wall as dust rained from above. The Vault had given him all it could. Now, it seemed, it wanted him gone.
Skyling—now in her evolved form, a sleek, ethereal creature with longer wings, radiant feathers, and glowing eyes—fluttered beside him, chirping in alarm. Her once-tiny body no longer fit within the safety of Eliakim's cloak. She was vibrant, powerful, and visibly distressed.
"We have to get out!" Eliakim shouted over the deafening rumble.
Without thinking, he sprinted toward the only visible exit—a narrow stone passage beyond the last chamber. Skyling soared beside him, wings brushing the narrow ceiling as the ground cracked beneath their feet.
Just as he cleared the tunnel, a massive explosion rocked the chamber behind them. A geyser of light and rock burst upward, and a wave of energy sent Eliakim flying forward. He collided with something wet and cold.
The world twisted.
He was falling.
Water roared in his ears as he plunged into the base of a towering waterfall. His limbs flailed, lungs burning, but instinct guided him. Skyling dove in beside him, wings tucked close. Her radiant form lit the water like a glowing flame.
Together, they surfaced.
Coughing and gasping, Eliakim dragged himself onto a mossy bank. Skyling landed beside him, soaked but unharmed. Behind them, the waterfall churned with debris. The entrance to the cave was gone—buried beneath a mountain of rubble.
Eliakim sat up, stunned. "That... was too close."
The sky above was still. No storm, no clouds—just a quiet blue, as if the heavens themselves had ignored the chaos below. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance. It felt unreal.
He rinsed his face in the river, splashing away the dust and blood. Skyling joined him, shaking off droplets and grooming her soaked feathers. She gave a gentle trill, nudging his arm.
"Yeah," he said softly. "We made it."
Then a jolt surged through his right arm.
He gasped, clutching it as the Bracelet of Kharuun—once solid and cool on his wrist—began to pulse with light. It shimmered, its golden surface melting into liquid light and absorbing into his skin.
"No—wait—"
The pain was sharp but brief. The bracelet embedded itself just beneath the surface of his skin, leaving behind a faint, glowing sigil like a shallow tattoo. A moment later, all the treasures he had obtained in the Vault vanished in a shimmer of light—drawn into the bracelet's hidden dimension.
The numbness faded.
He examined his arm. The sigil pulsed once, then stilled.
"So… you're part of me now," he murmured.
Skyling hovered above him, then perched on his shoulder. Her eyes narrowed with curiosity.
"I guess you're stuck with me too."
Eliakim stood and looked toward the woods. The path home was familiar. The sun was lower than he expected, but still warm.
As he walked, a strange thought gnawed at the edge of his mind. The trials he endured felt like days—weeks even. But his body didn't feel starved or weakened by time. Everything felt... compressed.
When he reached the outskirts of Yldrahollow, the village was quiet. No signs of panic. Villagers moved about their day, carrying bundles of herbs, feeding livestock, calling to one another with cheerful ease. No one seemed to notice him.
But then, as he passed a pair of farmers, their conversation paused. One of them gave Eliakim a side glance, his eyes lingering on Skyling's new form, then on Eliakim's subtly changed appearance—his slightly broader shoulders, the quiet intensity in his gaze.
"Looks like the boy's been through something," one whispered.
"Mm. He's different," the other murmured. "But best not ask. He's Seraphine's son, after all."
The villagers continued their work, uneased but silent.
He approached the village square. A group of children ran past him, laughing, one of them yelling, "Tag! You're it!"
He blinked.
Seraphine was at the well, drawing water.
"Mom!" he called.
She turned, surprised, but not frantic. "Eliakim? You're back already?"
"Already?"
She frowned. "You left not even an hour ago. Didn't you say you were going to explore the woods for a bit?"
He felt his heart lurch.
Only an hour had passed?
The Vault. The Trials. The treasures. The pain. The revelations. All of it… somehow crammed into a sliver of time.
He looked up at the sky again. The lighting. The birdsong. The stillness. It all made sense now.
"The cave… It wasn't just a cavern," he whispered. "It was... somewhere else. A rift in time."
Skyling chirped quietly, her feathers ruffled, as if agreeing.
Seraphine walked over, cupping his face. "You look pale. Did something happen?"
Eliakim shook his head slowly. "No… just got caught in the rain."
She smiled, brushing his damp hair back. "Well, come inside. I've made stew."
As they walked toward the house, Eliakim glanced down at the faint sigil glowing beneath his skin. He clenched his fist.
The journey wasn't over.
It had barely begun.