Kael stood at the edge of the broken tunnel, his feet finally fully exposed to the open air of the Veyr estate. The night wind brushed past his body, carrying the scent of burned stone and residual mana ash. For a moment, he didn’t move at all, as if afraid that even a single step would decide everything. Above him, the estate guards held formation at a distance. Extraction mages kept their sigils active, glowing faintly like floating cages ready to snap shut. Seraph maintained the stabilization array with precise control, while Leon remained just a few steps ahead of everyone else, eyes locked on Kael without blinking. Magnus stood behind Leon, unmoving. His presence alone made the air heavier, like gravity had shifted toward him. He was no longer holding his sword in attack position, but it wasn’t sheathed either. It simply existed in his hand, quiet and ready. Kael slowly raised his gaze. His violet eyes were dimmer now, no longer full

The night did not pass normally inside the Veyr estate anymore.It felt segmented.Like time itself had been divided into controlled intervals by the mana suppression arrays surrounding Kael’s sealed room. Every pulse of the barrier system sent faint vibrations through the walls, almost like a heartbeat that did not belong to any living being.Kael noticed it.Even while lying still on the bed, eyes open, he could feel the rhythm of containment.It wasn’t loud.It wasn’t aggressive.But it was constant.And constant things were harder to ignore than loud ones.The Void inside him had not spoken again since earlier.That silence should have been a relief.Instead, it felt like waiting for something inevitable.Kael slowly raised his hand, staring at the faint black traces still embedded beneath his skin. They were thinner now, almost like veins of ink trying to fade, but they r

The moment Kael finished speaking, the silence inside the containment room changed.It was no longer empty.It became aware.Leon didn’t move at first. His eyes stayed locked on Kael, but his attention had already shifted beyond him—toward something unseen, something structural. The faint flicker in the barrier systems outside was not random anymore. It had rhythm.Intentional rhythm.Seraph’s voice came through the communication sigil embedded in the wall.“…Leon. Confirm what you are seeing.”Leon didn’t answer immediately. His wind mana expanded slightly, brushing against the containment field.Then he confirmed it.“…The barrier is reacting to him.”A pause.Seraph responded, slower this time.“…Not reacting. Synchronizing.”That word made Leon’s expression tighten.Kael stood in the center of the room, confused. He hadn’t moved since Leon entered. The bl

The sanctuary trembled violently.Aether's eyes narrowed the moment he felt it.A pressure.Ancient.Malicious.Crossing the boundary between the Void realm and reality itself.The First Awakener immediately understood.The Devourer had changed targets.A direct attack against Kael inside the inheritance realm would take time.But killing the one maintaining the seal—That would end everything.Aether slowly exhaled."So you've finally become impatient."Darkness surged from the shattered sphere.The massive claw pushed farther into reality.The ancient chains binding it together snapped one after another.CRACK.CRACK.CRACK.The sound echoed throughout the Hollow Vault.Every broken chain weakened the prison further.Every broken chain brought catastrophe closer.---Magnus sensed the change immediately.His grip tightened around his sword."What happened?"Aether never looked away from the sphere."It noticed."The answer was simple.Yet everyone understood.The Devourer had stoppe