Vera stood in the dim light of the ruined chamber, her heart pounding as she held the crystalline orb. Its surface shimmered with a soft, otherworldly glow, pulsating in time with her heartbeat. The air around her buzzed with energy, a hum that seemed to vibrate through the ancient stones of the ruin. It felt as though the orb was alive, attuned to her presence, and as its power flowed into her, something deep within her Core stirred.

Kaelin, still panting from the battle they had narrowly survived, stepped closer, her wide eyes locked on the orb. "What... is that?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"I... I don't know," Vera replied, her voice equally soft. But even as she said it, a deeper understanding bloomed in her mind. This wasn’t just some relic of a long-forgotten civilization—it was connected to her in ways she couldn’t yet explain.

Suddenly, her Interface Glove flashed a notification:

New Skill Unlocked: Energy Mastery (Tier 2).

The words hung in her vision, the implications sinking in. The artifact wasn’t just enhancing her abilities—it was awakening something within her, something ancient and powerful. She felt it in her veins, like the flow of untapped energy, coursing through every fiber of her being. The orb had fused its essence with her Core.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“Vera…” Kaelin’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Are you okay?”

Vera blinked, shaking off the trance-like state that had enveloped her. “Yeah, I think so. It’s just—there’s something about this artifact. It feels... alive. Like it's unlocking parts of me I didn’t know existed.”

Kaelin’s eyes narrowed as she inspected the glowing murals on the walls of the chamber. They had been dormant before, but now they thrummed with the same energy emanating from the orb. The images depicted grand battles, ancient warriors wielding strange and powerful weapons, each one channeling energy that looked eerily similar to what Vera had just experienced.

“This isn’t just a treasure trove,” Kaelin said quietly, tracing a finger over one of the glowing panels. “This is a story. A prophecy, maybe.”

Vera nodded slowly. “A prophecy of what?”

“Of someone like you,” Kaelin whispered, her finger stopping on an image of a figure standing at the center of a cosmic storm, wielding both light and shadow. “This person—they’re using the Core’s energy to face something… something massive. A threat from the stars.”

The revelation sent a chill down Vera’s spine. If the mural was right, she was no longer just a scavenger. She was part of something bigger—something that could reshape the future of Xolum.

As they left the chamber, the weight of destiny settled on Vera’s shoulders.

New Quest: Unlock the Legacy of the Ancients.