The descent back into the underground city of Gravenia felt different this time.
When Aegis first arrived here, he had been mistaken for a prophesied savior and treated with cautious reverence, and a curiosity from the surface world. Now, as the heavy stone gates parted and the ancient runic elevators lowered him deep beneath the surface, the atmosphere carried something much heavier than curiosity. It was anticipation.
The guards straightened the moment they saw him, their spears striking the stone floor in a rhythmic salute. Mages halted their work mid-chant, the glowing mana in their hands flickering as they stared. Knights placed fists over their chests without being ordered.
Word had already spread through the tunnels like a subterranean wildfire.
The Sage had returned.
