The first breath of air outside the Rift was sharp and cold.Aria staggered as her boots met solid ground. The light around her dimmed to the familiar hues of dawn — the silver sky of Elyria, cleansed and calm. For a moment, she couldn’t move. The silence was too vast, too still.Then, slowly, the others appeared beside her — Lyra first, her armour cracked but gleaming faintly in the morning light; Zephyr, bruised and weary, still smiling as though the mere act of breathing air again was a victory; Thorne, carrying Lirien, whose staff was dim but unbroken.They had returned.Aria turned toward the horizon — and gasped.The world had changed.The endless storm that had once blanketed Elyria’s skies was gone. The forests glowed faintly with dew, each leaf humming with a tone that felt alive. Rivers once blackened by corruption now shimmered with light. The ruins of old Kaelor were visible in the far distance, half-submerged but radiant — as though the sea itself had forgiven what it onc

Chapter 84 — The Veiled PeaksThe wind howled through the mountains like a living thing — cold, sharp, and restless.Days had passed since they left Kaelor’s ruins behind. The path to the Veiled Peaks was treacherous, winding through forests of silver pines and frozen rivers that glowed faintly under moonlight.Each step felt heavier, as if the land itself resisted them.---At the Mountain’s EdgeThey stood before the pass at last — a jagged wall of black stone rising into mist. The summit was hidden by swirling clouds, and from deep within came a low vibration that trembled through the air.Aria shivered. “It’s the same tone again. The resonance is stronger here.”Lirien nodded, her staff thrumming with violet light. “The first Harmonic Well is near. But the energy here isn’t pure — something is distorting it.”Lyra glanced upward. “Distorting it how?”Before Lirien could answer, the ground beneath them shifted. A shockwave rippled through the snow, splitting the path ahead. From th

The storm above Elyria had not broken in days. A low, unending rumble rolled across the skies like the world itself was struggling to breathe. From the cliffs overlooking the Silver Sea, Aria watched the horizon where light and shadow wrestled in a ceaseless spiral. The resonance that once pulsed gently beneath the world had grown erratic—sharp, discordant, almost angry.Behind her, the others gathered. Lyra adjusted her gauntlets, her face grim but steady. Zephyr leaned on his staff, trying to hide the exhaustion written in every line of his posture. Lirien, silent and withdrawn, traced faint runes into the air, watching them flicker and fade as though the world itself resisted their form. And Thorne… Thorne stood apart, his hand on the hilt of his blade, his eyes fixed on the shifting clouds as if expecting them to strike first.“The resonance isn’t stabilising,” Lirien said softly. “Every time we align with one ley point, another collapses. It’s as though something is fighting us—s

The sun barely rose the next morning. Pale light filtered through the valley, brushing the edges of mist that still clung to the water’s surface like a stubborn memory. The air carried a new stillness—peaceful, but heavy, as if the world itself was waiting for what came next.Aria stood at the edge of the stream that now ran clear, letting the cool water slip through her fingers. Since the awakening of the Second Harmonic, the Song felt… fuller. The faint hum of resonance beneath the earth was steadier, calmer. Yet in her heart, something else stirred—an ache she couldn’t quiet.Eryndor’s whisper lingered in her mind: Thank you.It was faint, tender—and final in a way that made her chest tighten.Lyra approached quietly, her boots splashing in the shallow water. “You didn’t sleep.”Aria shook her head. “Couldn’t.”Lyra’s gaze followed hers toward the horizon. “He’s still with you, isn’t he?”“Yes,” Aria said softly. “But his presence fades every time a new Harmonic awakens. Like… his

The dawn that rose over Solareth should have brought warmth. Instead, it brought unease. The light shimmered strangely — too bright, too fragile — as if the sky itself feared its own reflection.From the citadel’s highest terrace, Aria watched the horizon shift between gold and grey. Below, the floating shards of Solareth drifted slowly apart, their balance already fading. Even restored, the Fourth Harmonic’s stability was fragile, like glass under strain.Lirien stood beside her, eyes fixed on the compass in her hand. The needle pulsed faintly, pointing north. “It’s begun,” she said softly. “The Fifth Harmonic is waking.”Zephyr groaned as he leaned against a column. “I was hoping we’d get at least a few hours to breathe before the next world-threatening crisis.”Thorne gave him a look. “You’ve been breathing this whole time.”“Barely,” Zephyr muttered. “It’s thinner up here. And eerie. Too quiet for a place filled with floating ruins.”Lyra joined them, adjusting her gauntlet. “Quie