The soft shuffle of footsteps sent a jolt through Elaine's chest. She froze, straining to hear over the rapid thud of her heartbeat. The sound came again—a faint, deliberate scuff against stone. Someone was outside the archive door.
She snapped the journal shut, her fingers fumbling as she slid it back into its place on the shelf. Her mind raced. Aria had said she'd be left alone for two hours, but the overseer wasn't the type to trust anyone, let alone her.
The sound of metal faintly scraping against stone made her stomach churn. A key? The lock?
Elaine scanned the room, her eyes darting to the far end where shadows stretched long and deep between the shelves. If someone was about to enter, she needed to hide.
She ducked behind a tall row of scrolls, pressing herself into the corner. The stone wall was cold against her back, the rough surface biting through the thin fabric of her tunic. She clenched her jaw, forcing her breathing to quiet.
The faint hum of the Nexus reappeared, overlaying her vision with a subtle flicker:
SITUATION ANALYSIS:
Potential Threat: Guild Warden or Unidentified Entity.
Recommended Action: Avoid confrontation. Search for auxiliary exits.
Auxiliary exits? Elaine scanned the room again, but the rows of shelves seemed endless, the dim light offering little guidance.
The door creaked open, the sound reverberating through the stillness. Whoever was entering moved slowly, each footstep deliberate. Elaine bit her lip, willing herself to remain silent.
A shadow passed across the floor, long and distorted by the flickering light of the archive's rune-lamps.
[Cognivore Ability Triggered.]
Observation: Rhythmic gait indicates methodical search pattern.Context: Intruder likely investigating unauthorized access.
Elaine grimaced. The Nexus's commentary was hardly helpful now.
The footsteps grew louder, and a low voice murmured, "Too bold for her own good."
Elaine's stomach flipped. The voice belonged to the warden.
The warden stopped near the center of the room, his boots scuffing against the floor as he turned in a slow circle. Elaine edged further into the shadows, her hands brushing against the stone shelves behind her.
Her fingers caught on something—a faint groove in the wall. She risked a glance down and saw a rune etched into the stone. The pattern was intricate, spiraling inward like a coiled serpent.
The Nexus chimed faintly:
HIDDEN MECHANISM DETECTED:
Type: Rune-Activated Passage.
Activation Key: Essence Resonance. Suggested Essence: Terris.
Elaine's eyes widened. A hidden passage? If she could activate it, she might have a way out. But her stabilized Terris essence was still in her room—unless…
Her gaze darted to the shelves nearby, scanning for anything that might serve as a substitute. Her eyes landed on a small vial tucked behind a stack of scrolls, its contents glowing faintly green. She reached for it carefully, holding her breath.
The vial was labeled "Terris Distillate." Close enough.
The warden's footsteps grew closer, his shadow stretching toward her hiding spot. Elaine gripped the vial tightly, whispering the activation word etched faintly beside the rune: "Terrae."
The groove in the wall pulsed faintly, the light spreading outward in a web of glowing lines. A soft click echoed through the archive, and a section of the wall shifted inward, revealing a narrow passage.
Elaine slipped inside, the stone door closing behind her just as the warden's shadow fell across the shelves she had been hiding behind.
The Hidden Passage
The air inside the passage was cold and damp, the faint smell of mildew clinging to the stone walls. A single rune-lamp flickered weakly overhead, casting just enough light for Elaine to see the path ahead.
She exhaled slowly, her heart still racing. She had escaped for now, but her reprieve was temporary. The warden wouldn't stop searching, and Aria's suspicion would only grow if she realized Elaine had disappeared from the archives.
The passage stretched on for several meters before opening into a small chamber. The room was bare except for a single pedestal in its center, atop which rested a strange, crystalline shard.
Elaine approached cautiously, her steps echoing faintly. The shard glowed with an inner light, its surface shifting between colors as though alive.
The Nexus flickered to life, displaying a stream of text:
VEILSHARD FRAGMENT DETECTED.
Description: A remnant of the Veilshard Nexus's core functions. Purpose: Unknown.
DIVERGENCE WARNING: Fragment interaction risks destabilizing local substrate.
Elaine's brow furrowed. "A piece of the Nexus?" she whispered.
The shard seemed to pulse faintly in response, its light brightening as she reached for it. Her fingers brushed its surface, and a surge of energy shot through her body, forcing her to her knees.
[UNAUTHORIZED INTERACTION LOGGED.]
Temporary Ability Unlocked: Shard Cognition.
Effect: Access hidden Nexus subroutines.
The room swirled around her, the walls dissolving into a cascade of light and symbols. She saw flashes of unfamiliar worlds, strange landscapes, and countless streams of data flowing like rivers through an endless void.
Amid the chaos, a voice—low and resonant—echoed in her mind:
"Seeker of Divergence, you tread a path forbidden. Beware the overseer who bends the rules, for her ambition shall be your undoing."
The vision snapped away, and Elaine collapsed, gasping for breath. The shard's light dimmed, its energy seemingly spent.
The Nexus shimmered faintly, displaying a final notification:
WARNING: Veilshard Fragment interaction detected by external observers. Prepare for escalated scrutiny.
Elaine staggered to her feet, clutching the pedestal for support. The shard's warning echoed in her mind, its cryptic message leaving her more questions than answers.
But one thing was clear: her connection to the Nexus—and Aria's experiments—was deeper and more dangerous than she had realized.
She had to survive long enough to figure out why.