Dust slowly settled through the corridor.
Fragments of the fallen guardian lay scattered across the floor.
Lyra crouched near the broken stone, examining faint Echo sigils carved into the fragments.
"…Ancient binding patterns," she murmured.
"These ruins are older than I thought."
Kael leaned against a pillar, watching quietly.
The compass in his hand had stopped vibrating.
But the needle still pointed deeper.
Lyra noticed.
"That artifact," she said.
"You keep staring at it like it's telling you where to go."
"It usually does."
"You realize most people would kill for something like that."
"Most people don't know what it is."
Lyra studied him.
"You don't either."
Kael didn't answer.
After a moment she sighed.
"Well."
She extended her hand.
"Lyra."
Kael shook it.
"Kael."
"Just Kael?"
"Just Kael."
She smirked slightly.
"Suspicious."
Kael nodded toward the deeper corridor.
"You weren't scavenging."
Lyra blinked.
"What makes you say that?"
"You walked straight toward the central vault."
She stared at him.
"…You noticed that?"
"You're not subtle."
Lyra laughed quietly.
"Well, no point pretending now."
She turned toward the deeper tunnel.
"I'm looking for something."
"What?"
"A record."
Kael frowned.
"A book?"
Lyra shook her head.
"No."
"A memory."
"The Synod erased most records about this place," she continued.
"But historians believe these ruins were connected to something called…"
She hesitated.
"The Silent King."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"The ruins reacted when you said that," he said.
Lyra blinked.
"…You can hear that?"
Kael didn't answer.
The compass suddenly vibrated again.
Both of them looked down.
The needle spun violently.
Then snapped toward the deeper corridor.
The ruin trembled.
Stone mechanisms groaned to life.
Lyra's voice dropped.
"…That's not good."
Kael was already moving.
"Come on."
"Where are we going?"
He glanced at the compass.
"Down."
Far away…
Inside a Synod outpost…
An Echo detection instrument suddenly flared to life.
A priest stared at the screen in disbelief.
"…Impossible."
The signal pulsed again.
"…A Silent King Echo signature."
The chamber fell silent.
Then the priest gave a single command.
"Send an Inquisitor."