Team Quarters, Arcane Citadel – Afternoon

The newly assembled team sat together in the main common room of the Arcane Citadel's residential wing. It had been two days since their return from Arkwatch, and for the first time, they had a moment to breathe.

Faith was leaning against the edge of the long table, flipping through a mission log. Elias was seated nearby, rolling a small orb of condensed aura between his fingers absentmindedly. Logan sharpened his blade on the side, and Dante munched loudly on some kind of enchanted chips.

Vance — tall, confident, and clearly aware of it — entered with a smirk, his Supreme-tier insignia barely hidden beneath his cloak. His eyes immediately found Faith.

Vance (smirking): "You're the famous Faith, huh? No wonder the team survived. Beauty and brains in one package — I might need saving sometime too."

Faith gave a half-smile, eyes flicking to Elias for a second before casually replying.

Faith: "Save yourself first. We're kind of full on egos around here."

The room chuckled. Elias didn't. His expression didn't change, but the aura orb in his hand condensed a little tighter. Dante, catching it, elbowed him lightly.

Dante (grinning): "Don't worry, Romeo. Supreme-tier or not, I bet he still uses hair gel that costs more than his spellbooks."

Elias let out a small breath of amusement.

Elias: "Yeah, and probably needs a mirror to cast."

Just then, Alice walked over, brushing past Vance with zero interest. She smiled warmly at Elias and sat beside him.

Alice: "I heard you were really something back there in Arkwatch. ."

Elias (a little surprised): "Thanks. I guess."

Alice (softly): "Just don't forget who you are in the middle of it, okay?"

She gave him a light nudge with her shoulder. Across the room, Faith watched the exchange, her gaze lingering a bit longer than she meant it to.

Faith (casual, but a bit sharp): "Hey Alice, you sure you're not confusing appreciation with admiration?"

Alice smiled sweetly. Alice: "I don't confuse things. I just say them out loud."

Everyone felt the tension, but Logan broke it by tossing a practice blade at the wall.

Logan (dryly): "Well... this is getting spicy. Maybe we should train before someone throws a fireball out of jealousy."

Dorian (walking in, serious): "You'll get your chance, but before that time is changing and eclipse order is on move, we have to train harder now."

The team straightened up.

IN THE ECLIPSE ORDER BASE

A wide circular chamber, lit only by the eerie blue glow of enchanted runes, hummed with quiet energy. Arkan stood at the center, his back turned, watching through a floating orb that shimmered like liquid glass.

On the surface of the orb, Elias and his team could be seen laughing and talking. The image came from the eyes of a tiny, nondescript parrot perched high up in the rafters of the Arcane Citadel's hallway — invisible to most detection spells. Its eyes glowed faintly red.

A dark voice echoed into the chamber — it was MALDRATH, distant yet ever-present.

Maldrath: "You're watching him too closely, Arkan. You sound almost... curious."

Arkan (calm, calculated): "Curiosity breeds advantage Especially this one who killed Varik The Flayer. "

Maldrath: "Then keep watching. The more he glows, the easier it is to cast a shadow over him."

Arkan raised a hand, and the parrot's perspective shifted, zooming in on Elias as he walked away from the others.

Arkan (whispering): "Let's see what your little team does when someone starts plucking its feathers... one by one."

The spy parrot flapped its wings and fluttered deeper into the Citadel's rafters, its presence unnoticed — for now.

ONE MONTH LATER

ARCANE COUNCIL

The time had changed . So had team .

Missions , training, and near-death moments

had polished off their rough edges.

The Arcane Council's planning chamber hummed with quiet magic, its circular stone table glowing faintly with sigils. Everyone stood around as Dorian entered, his expression unreadable but urgent.

Dorian: "Team, listen up. We've got a new mission. This one... is different."

Everyone went still. Elias exchanged a glance with Faith. Even Vance dropped his smug grin.

Dorian: "We've detected magical anomalies deep within the ruins of Cael'Morhan — an abandoned elven fortress buried other side of the the Whispering Woods. According to recent intel from Council scouts, there's a strong possibility an Echo is located there."

Logan: "Another one? That soon?"

Dorian: nods "They're not going to wait for us. Whatever's stirring in Cael'Morhan... it's old, violent, and watching. We must reach there before the Eclipse Order does. Your mission is simple — secure the Echo, survive the fortress, and return."

Dante: half-jokingly "Survive, huh? That's always the 'simple' part."

Dorian: "You'll leave at dawn. Gear up, prepare for everything. The place hasn't been touched in centuries. Traps, cursed remnants, even nature itself — it's all trying to keep people out."

Elias stayed quiet, eyes narrowing. Another Echo meant another piece of power. Another reminder of what he carried inside.

The pale glow of dawn stretched across the sky as the team assembled at the outer gates of the Arcane Sanctum. Mist clung to the ground, curling around their boots like reluctant fingers trying to hold them back. Horses stood ready. Supplies were loaded. The air was brisk — calm, yet heavy with tension.

Dorian: handing Elias a sealed scroll "This map holds the safest known path to Cael'Morhan, but the forest tends to shift. If it does, trust your instincts."

Faith: tightening her cloak "Sounds like we're heading into a place that doesn't want to be found."

Logan: "I call dibs on punching the first ancient curse in the face."

Vance: grinning as he mounts "Only if it's not beautiful and mysterious, then it's mine."

Elias doesn't respond. His gaze lingers on the road ahead, lost in the weight of what's coming.

He runs a hand along the hilt of his blade — not for reassurance, but control.

Alice: gently "We'll be fine. You've already beaten worse things than ghosts."

Elias offers her a nod, faint but real. Faith's eyes narrow as she watches them, but says nothing.

The gates creak open. The road into the Whispering Woods yawns before them, half-shadowed, half-sunlit. Trees like ancient sentinels line their path.

Dorian: calling out from behind "Stay alert. Stay together."

Dorian: stepping back, voice firm yet calm "I'll join you after some time... once I finish my work here."

The team gives a final look back before moving forward — into fog, into memory, into Cael'Morhan