The capital of the Atlantic Empire never slept.From the air, it resembled a vast network of luminous arteries — veins of blue light weaving between glass towers that pierced the low-hanging clouds.
Kael had never seen so much light in one place.As the crawler entered the transit dock, the noise of engines and voices flooded over him — sterile, mechanical, endless.
The relic remained hidden under his seat, wrapped and sealed in its containment field. He could still feel it, though — a faint pulse through the metallic floor, like the heartbeat of the world itself.
"Keep your head down," Master Dorran muttered beside him. "The Academy doesn't like questions they didn't ask first."
Kael nodded. But the moment he stepped out into the inspection bay, he could tell something was wrong.
Two squads of armored sentinels stood waiting. Their helmets glowed with the Empire's sigil — a silver trident across a rising sun. A tall woman in a black coat approached, her boots echoing sharply against the steel.
"Master Dorran," she greeted coldly. "Your excavation exceeded its permit time by seventy-two hours."
Dorran bowed slightly. "Sandstorms, Commander."
"Sandstorms don't cause frequency spikes across three sectors," she replied. Her gaze shifted to Kael. "And who's this?"
"My apprentice," Dorran said quickly. "He only catalogued samples."
The commander's eyes narrowed. "We'll need to question him."
Before Dorran could protest, two sentinels stepped forward. Kael's instinct flared — not fear, but a sudden, deep calm. For an instant, he could hear his heartbeat synchronize with the relic again.A faint ripple ran through the air — unseen but heavy — and the inspection bay lights flickered.
The commander froze. "What was that?"
Dorran placed a hand on Kael's shoulder. "Interference from the containment field," he said quickly. "Old machinery."
Her eyes lingered another moment, then she signaled for them to move along.But Kael knew — that moment had not gone unnoticed.
Later, in the dormitory quarters, Dorran closed the door behind them and turned sharply.
"Kael," he whispered, "listen to me carefully. They know."
Kael frowned. "About the relic?"
"About you. Whatever it awakened — they've tracked the energy surge. It registered beyond human parameters. If they find out what happened, they'll take you apart in the labs before they ask questions."
Kael's pulse quickened. "Then what do I do?"
Dorran hesitated — then placed a small crystal chip in Kael's hand."This is an old pilgrim route. It predates the Empire — carved by the Ascendants of the First Cycle. Follow it east, through the ruins of Oren Vale. You'll find sanctuary there."
Kael looked down at the chip. "You're sending me away?"
"I'm buying you time."The old man's voice softened. "You wanted to know what it means to be more than ordinary. Now you'll find out what that costs."
He left that night.
The sky above the capital glowed with a thousand towers, each one a silent monument to progress — and control. Kael moved through the service tunnels beneath the city, guided by faint glyphs on the walls that shimmered when the relic pulsed.
As he reached the final gate, he looked back once — toward the city that had raised him, the man who had taught him, the world he was now forced to abandon.
He whispered softly to himself, as if to the whisper inside the relic:"Cause and return… one path."
And the relic answered with light.
The gate opened silently, and Kael stepped into the unknown.
Far above, in the Emperor's observation spire, a shadow watched his departure through the surveillance feeds.
The Emperor of Atlantic did not sleep either — and he smiled faintly."Another star leaving orbit," he murmured. "Let's see how long before he burns."