Rain hammered against the rooftops as Lyric staggered away from the crumbling tiles, his vision swimming with exhaustion. Every step sent sharp pain through his ribs, but he pushed forward, gripping the edges of his tattered cloak as if it might hold him together.

Kaelen’s words echoed in his mind, mingling with the rhythmic hum of the cube in his satchel. “Your existence has set forces in motion that you can’t control.”

He wanted to scream, to throw the cube into the storm and let it vanish. But he couldn’t. Not after everything it had cost him.

Lyric stumbled into a narrow alley, the shadows swallowing him whole. The city felt different now, colder and more hostile. Every corner seemed to hold unseen eyes, every sound a potential threat. He leaned against a wall, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

He wasn’t safe here—not in Arcanis. Not anywhere.

Sliding down the wall, Lyric let his head rest against the damp stone. He needed a plan. Kaelen had made it clear that others would come for him, and they wouldn’t all leave him alive. If he didn’t figure out the cube’s secrets soon, he’d be hunted until there was nothing left of him to chase.

Forcing himself to his feet, Lyric tightened his satchel and headed toward the one place he thought might still offer answers: Lira’s shop.

The shop’s hidden entrance was marked by a faintly glowing rune etched into the wooden door, its light flickering in the rain. Lyric knocked twice, leaning heavily against the frame as he waited.

The door opened a crack, revealing Lira’s sharp eyes.

“Lyric?” she said, her voice tinged with disbelief. The door swung open, and she stepped aside. “You look like hell. Get in here.”

Lyric staggered inside, collapsing into the nearest chair. The shop’s familiar scent of dust and magic wrapped around him, but it did little to ease the tension in his chest.

Lira grabbed a towel from a nearby shelf and tossed it to him. “Start talking,” she said, her tone sharp. “You don’t show up like this unless it’s bad.”

Lyric wiped the rain from his face, his hands trembling as he pulled the cube from his satchel. Its faint glow cast shifting shadows across the cluttered shelves.

“This is bad enough,” he muttered, setting the cube on the table.

Lira’s expression shifted, her eyes narrowing as she leaned closer. “Where did you get that?”

“The Academy,” Lyric said. His voice was hoarse, every word scraping against the back of his throat. “It’s connected to my... unique body. But I don’t know how.”

Lira sat down across from him, her fingers hovering over the cube without touching it. “You don’t just walk out of the Academy with something like this,” she said. “What else aren’t you telling me?”

Lyric hesitated. He didn’t want to talk about Kaelen—not yet. “Someone’s after me,” he said finally. “A Resonance mage. Stronger than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

Lira’s brow furrowed. “They didn’t kill you?”

“They said it would be a waste,” Lyric replied bitterly. “Said I’d be more useful alive.”

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Lira let out a slow breath, her gaze flicking back to the cube. “That doesn’t sound like mercy. Whoever this mage is, they’re playing a long game. And if you’ve got this thing, I’m guessing it’s not a coincidence.”

“What is it?” Lyric asked, his voice edged with desperation. “What does it do?”

Lira stood and began pulling books and scrolls from the shelves, stacking them haphazardly on the table. “Give me a minute,” she said, flipping through the pages of an ancient tome.

Lyric watched her, the tension in his chest growing tighter with every passing second. The cube’s hum seemed to grow louder, vibrating faintly against the table as if urging him to move.

Finally, Lira sat back, her face pale.

“This isn’t just a relic,” she said quietly. “It’s tied to an ancient Resonance cult. They believed in breaking the boundaries of magic—carving new paths where none existed. They called themselves the Echoes.”

Lyric frowned. “I’ve never heard of them.”

“Because the Academy erased them,” Lira said. “The Echoes were dangerous, their methods unpredictable. The Harmonies saw them as a threat to the balance of power, so they wiped them out. Or at least, they tried.”

Lyric’s hands tightened into fists. “And this cube?”

“It’s an artifact,” Lira said. “Something the Echoes created to amplify their resonance. But it’s not just a tool—it’s a key.”

“A key to what?”

Lira hesitated. “That, I don’t know. But if this mage wants it, they probably know.”

Lyric stared at the cube, his mind racing. He had carved himself to survive in a world that had rejected him, but this—this was something far beyond anything he had imagined.

“Then I have to figure it out before they do,” he said, his voice firm despite the fear twisting in his gut.

Lira nodded slowly. “Be careful, Lyric. Whatever this is, it’s bigger than you. And if you’re not careful, it’ll consume you.”

Hours later, Lyric sat alone in a quiet corner of the lower district, the cube resting in his lap. The rain had stopped, leaving the streets slick and empty. He turned the artifact over in his hands, its faint glow casting strange patterns on the walls.

The Echoes. A forgotten cult. A key.

Lyric twisted his torso slightly, letting the wind spiral through his ribs. The vibrations resonated faintly with the cube, creating a low hum that filled the air.

For a moment, he thought he heard something—whispers, faint and distant, like voices carried on the wind. He closed his eyes, focusing on the resonance as the whispers grew louder.

But then the sound shattered, replaced by the sharp scrape of a boot against cobblestone.

Lyric’s eyes snapped open, his body tensing as he looked around.

A figure stepped out of the shadows, their cloak flowing like liquid night.

“Still running?” Kaelen’s voice resonated in Lyric’s body as a calm, almost amused manner.

Lyric rose slowly, the cube tucked securely into his satchel. His hands clenched into fists, his muscles coiled like springs.

“I’m done running,” he said.

Kaelen chuckled, taking a step closer. “Good. It wouldn’t have done you any good, anyway.”

They moved with blinding speed, closing the distance in an instant. Lyric barely had time to react, twisting sharply as Kaelen’s strike passed inches from his ribs.

The fight was brutal and unrelenting. Kaelen’s movements were precise, each attack calculated to wear Lyric down. But Lyric fought back with everything he had, his strength and agility keeping him in the fight even as Kaelen’s power overwhelmed him.

Blow after blow rang out, the air thick with the sound of fists meeting flesh and boots scraping against wet stone. Lyric’s body ached, his breath coming in ragged gasps, but he refused to fall.

“You’re persistent,” Kaelen said, their tone almost mocking. “But persistence won’t save you.”

Lyric’s gaze burned with defiance. “Neither will your arrogance.”

He twisted sharply, releasing a burst of wind that propelled him upward. His fist connected with Kaelen’s jaw, the force sending them staggering.

For a moment, Lyric thought he had gained the upper hand. But Kaelen recovered too quickly, their expression darkening as they unleashed a wave of raw energy that slammed into Lyric’s chest.

He hit the ground hard, pain flaring through his body as the rain began to fall again.

Kaelen stepped forward, their shadow looming over him. “This is the best you can do?”

Lyric struggled to his feet, his body trembling. “You’re right,” he said, his voice quiet but steady. “I’m not strong enough yet. But I will be.”

Kaelen’s lips curved into a faint smile. “We’ll see.”

And then, like a shadow swallowed by the night, they were gone.

”Can he stop just disappearing like that at the end of every battle?”