The auction ended hours ago but the halls of Vanton Auction House still carried traces of the tension that had filled them. Servants moved quietly cleaning up scattered sigil cards and half finished drinks left behind by nobles who rushed out as soon as the Silver Tablet was sold. The mana lights dimmed to their night settings and the crowd’s noise faded until the building felt like a sleeping giant.

Eldric walked down the corridor leading to the private archive chamber where newly registered relics were kept. He needed space and silence to think. The vision that struck him during the auction still lingered behind his eyes like an imprint burned into the mind. A tower of glass and bone The sound of collapsing ruins A soldier wearing armor that glowed with old magic And a whisper carrying a name he did not know

The ward seals on the archive door shimmered as they recognized Eldric’s mana signature. The door unlocked itself and opened slowly. Inside shelves carved from starwood lined the room with relics locked in boxes shaped from enchanted metal. Eldric did not enter to observe the relics. He came to clear his thoughts. He had always done this in the quiet hours when everyone else was asleep.

Lyra slipped in through the doorway before the seals closed. She moved so quietly that even Eldric did not sense her until she stood beside him.

You should rest she said. You barely slept these last three days

If I try to rest now Ill only dream of that sigil Eldric answered. The relic showed me something It wanted me to see It was not random

Lyra leaned against the nearest shelf her arms crossed. Youve seen visions before Old relics sometimes imprint memories but this one had direction It was like a message

Exactly Eldric whispered. And the sigil it formed before the vision That design is not recorded in the archives matched with no known empire And everything about it felt deliberate

Lyra watched him carefully. You think the Silver Tablet is part of a larger structure

Eldric gave a slow nod. Or a warning Only problem is we dont know which

Before Lyra could answer a faint hum echoed through the chamber. Eldric turned sharply. The sound did not come from any relic stored here. It was deeper and older like a vibration rising through the foundation of the building.

Lyra reached for the dagger hidden under her cloak. What was that

Eldric closed his eyes and focused. The hum carried something like breathing but not from a living being. It was echoing mana the kind that clung to ruins or traps or sealed doors.

It is coming from below Eldric said. From the Kareth Hollow relic crate They brought back more than the tablet

Lyra frowned. Garron said the team carried two sealed boxes The second one was classified by the retrieval captain They planned to catalog it later

Eldric moved fast. There is no later We look now Before something wakes

They left the archive chamber and moved down the spiral stairs toward the storage vault beneath the auction hall. The hum grew clearer as they descended becoming a steady pulse. The moment they reached the vault entrance Eldric felt it hit his chest like a slow heartbeat.

Garron stood guard outside the vault his arms crossed. He saw them and straightened his posture.

I was just about to summon you Eldric Something is wrong with the second crate

Show me

Garron unlocked the vault door and they entered. Crates filled with relics waiting for cataloging were stacked neatly but one crate stood out because the containment runes around it flickered like dying lights. The markings on the lid now glowed faintly in a repeating rhythm.

Lyra circled the crate. These are not our runes They look like old script carved into the box itself

Garron gripped his shield Your retrieval captain didnt say anything about this

He didnt Eldric muttered. Which means he either didnt know or didnt dare open it

Eldric placed his hand on the crate and the pulse aligned with his heartbeat for a brief moment. It was familiar eerily so. The Silver Tablet pulsed in a similar pattern though this one felt heavier and older.

He inhaled slowly. Im opening it

Lyra moved beside him ready to act Garron lifted the shield The runes flickered once more as Eldric released the sealing locks with a whisper. The lid shifted and opened slightly revealing darkness inside.

Then something inside exhaled

A surge of cold air filled the vault and a faint whisper spilled into the room Not words but a tone like a memory trying to speak. Eldric felt pressure build in his head He clenched his jaw to stay grounded.

Lyra’s voice cut through the tension Back away Eldric Now

But Eldric couldnt move. The relic inside glowed faintly revealing edges of something circular something metallic something engraved with the same sigil he saw in the Silver Tablet

He whispered Its the same origin The same civilization This whole ruin was hiding more than anyone knew And we triggered all of it the moment we removed them

The crate dimmed and the hum slowed but the danger remained. Eldric finally stepped back his breath unsteady.

He looked at Lyra and Garron.

We leave at dawn for Kareth Hollow Something there is waking up and I need answers before the next auction begins

Lyra nodded immediately. Garron lifted his shield with determination.

The relic pulse echoed once more across the vault as if acknowledging their decision.