Draven needed to get away from the academy. Three days back and he was already tired of the attention. Students pointing. Whispering. Asking questions. Some wanted to hear about the tomb. Others wanted to challenge him. A few just wanted to be seen talking to "the man who rejected power." It was exhausting. So he left. Slipped out of the academy grounds and headed into the city. No destination in mind. Just walking. Trying to feel normal again. The marketplace was busy. Merchants selling everything from fresh bread to enchanted trinkets. Street performers entertaining crowds. Pickpockets working the busy corners. Normal city life. Draven pulled his hood up and blended into the crowd. "Warriors! I need warriors!" The voice cut through the marketplace noise. Loud. Desperate. A bit theatrical. Draven looked over. A merchant stood on a wooden crate, waving his arms. He wore expensive clothes that had seen better days. His hair was slicked back. His smile was too wide. "Experience

The road north was quieter than Draven expected.For two days, the four of them followed a winding path that cut through barren plains and crumbling ruins. The air was dry enough to burn the lungs, and even the wind seemed afraid to speak. They didn’t meet travelers or merchants. No animal tracks, no birds in the sky. Just emptiness stretching until it blurred with the horizon.Jin carried most of their supplies on his back without complaint. Lyra scouted ahead whenever the path split, her light steps barely stirring dust. Sera stayed near Draven, her eyes on the horizon, silent and steady as always.None of them talked much.The last expedition had changed something between them. They didn’t need to say it out loud—each of them had seen things inside Pyrion’s tomb that would never fade. Power, corruption, betrayal. And now, they were walking toward another grave built by another legend.On the morning of the third day, the terrain began to change. The sand hardened beneath their boot

The knock didn’t come again. But none of them moved for a long time.Draven stood closest to the sealed gate, sword still drawn. The stone surface was cold now, lifeless, but the sound still echoed in his head—three slow strikes, like something testing the barrier between worlds.Jin broke the silence first. “Tell me that was falling debris.”“It wasn’t,” Sera said flatly.Lyra wiped dust from her hands and pushed herself away from the coffin she’d been leaning on. “Then something’s still down there.”The torches flickered again.Draven exhaled slowly. “We’ve seen enough for one day. We’ll camp in the upper chambers tonight. Regroup and figure out what to do next.”No one argued. They were exhausted—physically, mentally, and from the way the air pressed against their lungs like a weight.They climbed back through the corridor toward the library level. The ascent felt longer than before, like the stairway had stretched overnight. By the time they reached the upper chamber, their torche

The city didn’t look the same when they returned.It was brighter, noisier, full of life—but after the tomb, it felt hollow. Too alive, maybe. The colors were too sharp, the air too clean. Every sound hit like an echo from a world that didn’t know how close it had come to collapse.Draven led the way through the north gate, cloak torn, armor still carrying dust from Aldrich’s grave. They didn’t speak. They hadn’t spoken much since they left the cemetery behind.Jin broke the silence first. “We tell the academy we found nothing.”Lyra shot him a look. “Nothing?”“Better than saying we woke a dead king and burned down his kingdom underground.”Sera nodded. “He’s right. No one will believe it anyway.”Draven adjusted the strap on his sword. “We’ll report structural instability. Dangerous ruins. Sealed for safety.”Lyra smirked. “The short version.”“The only version.”The guards at the gate recognized them instantly. The whispers started before they even reached the inner streets. Word a

The next morning, the city didn’t wake normally.At first, it was quiet. Too quiet for a place that usually came alive before sunrise with bells, merchants, and the sound of training in the academy courtyards.Then came the horns.Three long notes from the northern watchtowers—an old signal. One that hadn’t been used in centuries.Draven was already up when it started. He and Sera were standing on the roof of their dormitory, watching the horizon. The towers along the outer walls were lit one by one, torches flashing like warning stars.“What do you see?” Sera asked.“Smoke,” Draven said. “North ridge. Same direction as Aldrich’s tomb.”Sera’s voice was calm but low. “That ridge was empty. Nothing should be burning there.”“Something is.”The door below creaked open. Jin climbed up, armor half-buckled, eyes still heavy with sleep. “What now?”Lyra followed, tightening the straps on her gloves. “Please don’t say we’re going north again.”Draven didn’t answer. The smoke rising in the di