The Upper Chamber's training hall was loud again. Not from clashing blades or the hum of spells, but from Koro's voice.
"No, no, no, Aaren—if you swing like that, you'll slice a watermelon, not an enemy! The wrist—loosen the wrist!"
Koro twirled his staff like a showman in a circus act, accidentally tripping over a training dummy and hitting the floor with a hollow thunk.
Aaren Raithe tried not to laugh.
"You're the one who said yesterday that 'we have less time' and that 'they are coming,' and now you're… juggling?"
"Yes, yes, but training is about spirit, my boy!" Koro hopped up, brushing dust off his robes. "Besides, if I tell you who 'they' are too soon, you'll lose all that delightful tension."
Lenara snorted. "Or you're just milking the drama."
Koro put a hand over his heart, feigning injury. "How dare you? I am a man of elegance, mystery, and well-timed reveals."
Levitine, leaning against the wall, spoke without looking up from polishing his blade. "Just tell them. Before I do."
The room quieted. Even Withered Flame looked up from his silent kata practice.
Koro sighed dramatically, as if the weight of the world had been placed on his shoulders.
"All right, fine. They… are the Gateborn Hunters."
Aaren frowned. "Gateborn what now?"
Koro began pacing, hands flailing for emphasis. "A group of zealots from the Outer Chamber. They believe anyone who crosses into the Upper Chamber without permission is a 'thread to be cut.' Not a threat—a thread. Because they see people like you, my dear Aaren, as loose ends in their perfect tapestry of order."
Lenara's smile faded. "I've heard of them. They don't just kill—they erase. As if you never existed."
Aaren felt a chill crawl up his neck. "And they're coming… for me?"
"For all of us," Koro corrected, wagging a finger. "You, me, even Mister Tall-Dark-and-Scowly over there." He gestured at Levitine. "But don't worry! We have at least… oh… two or three days."
"With their speed?" Levitine's voice was cold. "We have less than one."
Before anyone could respond, the chamber shook. It wasn't an earthquake—it was a pulse, a ripple in the air like the world itself had skipped a beat. The torches on the walls flickered and dimmed.
Then, a voice—not spoken, but pressed into their minds—whispered:
"We found you."
Aaren's knees weakened. Lenara's hand went to her blade. Koro, for once, wasn't smiling.
But instead of panic, he chuckled under his breath. "Well… I suppose they're early. Saves us the waiting."
The air cracked like shattered glass, and in the far corner of the hall, a seam of black light split open. From it, five silhouettes stepped forward, their eyes glowing faint white. The Gateborn Hunters had arrived.