The light was overwhelming, washing over Vero with an intensity that made his head throb. It wasn't merely illumination—it was a force, alive and ancient, digging into his mind. He wanted to shut it out, but there was no escape.
Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the light faded. Vero staggered, his knees buckling as he fell to the cold, mosaic floor of the chamber. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he thought he was alone again.
But then he saw it.
Floating before him, suspended in the air like a frozen star, was a shard of crystalline light. Its edges were jagged, and it pulsed faintly, almost as if it had a heartbeat. The shard seemed to call to him, not with words but with something deeper—an ache that resonated in his very soul.
"Take it," the voice from his fragmented memories urged. The silver-haired woman's face flashed in his mind, her piercing eyes locking onto his.
Hesitantly, Vero reached out. The shard responded, moving toward him as though it were alive. The moment his fingers brushed its surface, a surge of energy coursed through him, stealing his breath.
---
The visions came in a torrent.
He saw a world unlike any he had ever known—a sprawling city of shimmering towers and glowing pathways, its skies filled with ships that moved like schools of fish. People walked its streets, their forms shifting and flickering as though they were caught between realities.
At the city's center was a colossal structure, its surface covered in the same glowing runes as the monolith. And within that structure, at its very heart, was the Echo. It pulsed like a living thing, radiating power that bent the very fabric of reality around it.
But the vision shifted, darkened. The city was in chaos now, its towers crumbling and its skies torn asunder. The Echo was no longer contained—it spread like a storm, its energy unraveling the world. The people screamed as they were consumed, their forms dissolving into streams of light.
Through it all, one figure remained: the silver-haired woman. She stood before the Echo, her arms outstretched as though trying to contain its power. Her face was a mask of determination, but Vero could see the strain in her eyes.
"Find me," her voice echoed once more, filled with desperation.
---
Vero gasped as the vision ended, his body trembling. The shard of light was still in his hand, its glow softer now, almost comforting. He closed his fingers around it, the weight of its significance sinking in.
"You've seen it," the hooded man's voice said, breaking the silence.
Vero looked up, his eyes narrowing. "What was that? What did I just see?"
"The past," the man replied. "And the future. The Echo is not bound by time as we understand it. What you saw is a fragment of its truth—a warning, perhaps, or a challenge."
Vero rose to his feet, his grip on the shard tightening. "The woman… who is she? Why does she keep calling to me?"
The man hesitated, his hooded face tilting slightly. "I cannot answer that. But if she calls to you, it means your fate is tied to hers. The path you walk will lead you to her, though whether you'll find what you seek… that remains to be seen."
Vero's jaw clenched. He wasn't satisfied with the answer, but he knew pressing the man further would be futile.
"What happens now?" he asked.
The man gestured toward the monolith. The crack in its surface had grown larger, and within it, Vero could see a swirling void—a portal that seemed to pulse in time with the shard in his hand.
"You've been chosen," the man said. "The shard you carry is a key. Beyond that portal lies the next step in your journey."
Vero looked at the portal, unease knotting in his stomach. The energy emanating from it was unlike anything he had felt before—both inviting and terrifying.
"What's on the other side?"
The man's voice was calm but firm. "Answers. And more questions. The path of the Echo is not a straight one, Vero Zenith. Each step forward will test you, will challenge you to face truths about yourself and the world you thought you knew."
---
Vero took a deep breath, his resolve hardening. He had come this far—there was no turning back now. Clutching the shard tightly, he stepped toward the portal.
The moment he crossed its threshold, the world dissolved into chaos. Colors and shapes swirled around him, folding and twisting in ways that defied logic. His body felt weightless, yet heavy, as though he were being pulled in every direction at once.
Then, with a sudden jolt, it ended.
Vero found himself standing in a new place, a vast expanse of jagged cliffs and swirling mists. The sky above was a deep, unnatural purple, and the air hummed with energy. In the distance, he could see a massive structure—a tower that seemed to pierce the heavens, its surface glowing faintly with the same runes he had seen before.
But what caught his attention most were the figures standing between him and the tower. They were humanoid but not human, their forms sleek and metallic, their eyes glowing with an eerie light.
As one, they turned to face him, their movements unnervingly synchronized.
"Intruder detected," a cold, mechanical voice said. "State your purpose."
Vero raised his blade, his heart pounding. "I'm here for answers," he said, his voice steady.
The figures didn't respond. Instead, they began to move, their steps deliberate and menacing.
Vero took a deep breath, his grip on his blade tightening. The Echo had brought him here, and he would face whatever came next.