At the Aldridge Estate, the grand dining room was silent except for the clinking of silverware as the family ate their dinner, but the air was filled with tension.Gerald Aldridge cleared his throat, looking at his daughter. "Sophia, we’ve been talking. Now that the truth about what really happened to Rowan is out... and since Adrian saved your life countless times... perhaps it’s time to rethink things. All our past issues have been resolved. Maybe you should try to get back with him."Sarah Aldridge, Sophia’s mother, set her glass down with a skeptical sigh. "Gerald, be realistic. We treated that boy like dirt for years. Why would he want to return to a family that kicked him to the curb? He has no reason to accept her back."Sophia gripped her fork so hard her knuckles turned white. "Mom, if we are meant to be together... If the prophecy is true, it will happen. We don't need to force anything."Elena rolled her eyes and leaned back. "You are the one who divorced him, take responsi

Adrian stood up, his face hardening as he looked at the grey dust on the floor. "We have to close that door," he said. "If we don't, these things will never stop coming. They’ll tear this world apart just to get to us." Lyra wiped a streak of blood from her forehead, her breathing still heavy. "How, Adrian? To seal a rift that big, you need the Key of Light." Adrian's eyes narrowed. "If there is a Key of Light in the Maw, there must be a corresponding key in this dimension. "The universe always seeks balance. We just have to find it before the Maw sends something through that we can’t handle." "And where exactly do we look for a myth?" Lyra asked, crossing her arms. "I have an idea of someone who could have it," Adrian said. "Rootbinder." Lyra froze, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Rootbinder? Adrian, I've been in maw for centuries and even I know he is dead." "They say he was a collector of the rarest artifacts in history, but he got trapped in a cave and turned to

The air in the back of the hall felt heavy as they both looked at the stone once again.Lyra and Adrian stood in stunned silence, staring at the grey, frozen form of the man who once held the secrets of the world. The detail was horrifying; you could see the individual wrinkles of his skin and the terror in his wide, unblinking eyes.Adrian remembered those eyes very well."I spent years tracking him down," Myria said, her voice losing its sharp edge for a moment. "I found the hidden cave where he was turned to stone, and I brought him here. I have all his treasures, all his gold, and all his power... but I don't have him."Adrian, losing patience with the drama, crossed his arms. "Cut the story short, Myria. We aren't here for a history lesson or to mourn your master. What exactly do you want from us?"Myria’s eyes flashed with anger as she glared at Adrian, but she quickly masked it with a cold smile. "Straight to the point. Fine. An ancient serpent from the deep rifts placed this

Adrian and Lyra moved quickly away from the piles of monster ash, they headed deeper into the wasteland. The air grew colder but they soon reached a vast, flat area known as the "Ash-Plains." It looked like a solid, grey desert; it was a shortcut to where the flowerr was. "Watch your step," Adrian warned, his eyes scanning the horizon. "This place is suspiciously quiet." Lyra took one step forward, but as soon as her boot touched the grey dust, the ground beneath rippled like water. "Adrian!" she cried out. Before she could jump back, the solid ground turned into a thick, swirling liquid. It was Living Sinking Sand. It didn't just pull them down; it felt like thousands of tiny, cold fingers were grabbing their legs and dragging them under. Lyra sank instantly to her waist. Adrian, who was standing on a softer patch, was pulled down even deeper, the grey sand pressing against his chest. The more Lyra thrashed to get free, the faster the sand swallowed her. Adrian soon realized that

The Archivist stared at the pillar of purple light, it began to tremble so hard that its joints rattled. It had lived for thousands of years, tricking kings and devouring heroes, but it had never seen power like this. He realized that the game was indeed over... He knew it was time to flee. It scrambled toward the bone-white rocks, its many eyes blinking in a frantic panic, it was desperate to vanish back into the shadows.But the Archivist was too slow.In a flash of violet light, Adrian vanished from where he stood. Before the monster could take its third step, Adrian was already standing directly in its path. He didn't have his sword out; he didn't even have his hands raised. He simply stood there, his eyes glowing with a dark, terrifying purple light that seemed to swallow the air around them.The Archivist screeched and tried to turn around, but it found itself frozen. The sheer weight of Adrian’s presence felt like an invisible mountain pressing down on its chest. Adrian be