The ash hadn't fully settled over Arkwatch.
Burned wood, collapsed towers, and bloodied soil still bore the memory of chaos. The wind howled through broken stone, and crows circled above like vultures drawn to an unburied past.
Elias stood before the scorched crater where the fight with Varik had unfolded. Behind him, the others watched silently—Logan, Faith, Dante, and Dorian.
Elias: "It's here. I can feel it—pulsing beneath the stone like it's calling to me."
Dorian stepped forward, tense. "That's because it is calling you. Echoes don't hum for just anyone. That thing is corrupted Forsaken essence—raw chaos waiting to infect your soul. We should leave it buried."
Elias didn't flinch. His eyes were fixed on the cracked earth. "You didn't stop me when I walked into death. Don't stop me now when I walk into strength."
Faith, worried: "What if Dorian's right? What if taking that... thing changes you?"
Logan, arms crossed but voice quiet: "He's already changed. But I think it's because of all this that he has to do it. If we're being hunted, he'll need every edge."
Dorian growled under his breath, frustrated. "You think you're ready? You think surviving Nyxoth's void makes you untouchable? That Echo down there could melt your mind. Twist your blood. It's not a toy, Elias!"
Elias turned to him, eyes calm, but fire behind the words. "Then I'll twist it back." He stepped forward. "I didn't survive Nyxoth. I was brought back. Given a second chance. I'm not wasting it hiding behind fear."
Without waiting for a response, Elias moved to the crater's edge. The air was heavier there. The crater pulsed—faint but steady, like a dying heartbeat trying to rise again.
The others watched anxiously.
Faith grabbed Dante's arm, nervous. "He's not the same as before, is he?"
Dante, watching intently: "No... and that might just be what saved us."
The ground beneath Elias's feet cracked. Shadows bled from the crater, pulling around his boots. The Echo's energy called louder now, echoing like whispers only he could hear.
And with one final glance at the others, Elias stepped down into the voided pit—toward whatever power waited below.
As Elias stood on the lip of the crater, shadows coiling like black steam around the cracks, Dorian took a step forward.
Dorian: "You're not going alone."
Faith's eyes flicked to him, concern tightening her grip on her staff. *"He's right. We've got your back—if that thing even twitches, we're there."
Dante rolled his shoulders, blades humming faintly at his hips. *"You've carried enough weight already, Elias. Let us take some of it this time."
But Elias didn't turn around. His eyes were locked on the swirling darkness within the crater. A low, reverberating pulse echoed in his bones, like a drumbeat older than time itself. His voice, when it came, was steady.
Elias: "I'll be fine."
He took a single step forward—and the shadows reacted.
The crater pulsed with a flare of black and crimson, tendrils of corrupted energy slithering up and around his frame but never touching. It was like the void recognized him... and respected him.
A gust of wind roared outward, pushing dust and embers back. Faith raised her arm to shield her eyes, and Logan narrowed his gaze as Elias descended.
Logan (low, watching him): "At this point... he's stronger than all of us."
Dorian didn't argue. He didn't move.
His jaw clenched, and though pride shimmered behind his eyes, it was mixed with something else. Worry. Unease.
Dorian: "He walks like someone who knows the world won't ever hurt him the same way twice."
Elias dropped into the crater, swallowed by darkness, the whispers growing louder.
And none of them followed.
The deeper Elias descended, the more distorted reality became. The crater's inner walls twisted unnaturally, lined with glowing runes no human hand had carved. This wasn't just ancient—it was watching.
At the lowest point, silence reigned—until it moved.
A colossal creature stepped from the dark, muscle stitched by cursed sinew, black tendrils coiling around it like breathing armor. One eye glowed dim blue, the other socket a void.
It didn't speak—but its presence screamed one truth:
The Echo Beast.
A guardian. A judge.
Its purpose was singular:
To test those who dared reach for power they might not deserve.
Elias stepped forward, unfazed.
Elias: "I'm not here to beg for strength. I'm here to take what's mine."
The creature lunged without warning. A bladed arm cleaved through stone where Elias had stood just a heartbeat before. He responded with flame—but it coiled around the beast, ineffective.
It spun, claws slicing. Elias summoned a reflective barrier, shattering on impact but redirecting the blow just enough to give him a window.
He vanished—blinked behind the beast, channeling condensed force into a short-range blast that hurled the monster forward.
Elias (thinking): "It's not a beast—it's a gate."
As if responding, the creature let out a deep, guttural sound and reshaped part of itself—gaining an extra arm, blades along its back.
It had evolved.
Elias (quietly): "A trial that fights smarter the more you rise to it."
The battle raged. Burn marks scorched the crater. Lightning, flame, blood, and magic collided in brutal cadence. The Echo Beast was a creature of violence with purpose. It wasn't enraged—it was measuring him.
Until Elias, using a feint with arcane decoys, struck its exposed spine with a precise concentrated spell—more compression than blast. The beast's core ruptured. It thrashed, limbs flailing in blind fury before collapsing into black dust.
Above the corpse, the Echo emerged.
A fragment of pure chaotic essence. Floating, waiting.
It did not resist him.
As Elias closed his hand around it, the Echo vanished into his chest. A searing pain followed—a surge of knowledge, power, weight.
A pulse of black and white magic exploded outward.
Above, the others staggered at the crater's edge.
Logan: "That... was different."
The wind had stilled. No movement. No sound. Only silence.
Faith stepped closer to the edge, eyes locked on the distorted depths below.
Faith (worried): "What's going on down there...? Is he alright?"
Dorian stood a few paces behind them, silent. Watching. Calculating. He clenched his fist once, then released it.
Dorian: "He's either earning that power... or being consumed by it."
A brief rumble. A distant pulse of energy like a heartbeat echoed up the crater walls.
Faith (whispering): "Come back, Elias."
The crater pulsed again—this time stronger. A light flickered deep inside.
They all took a step back as a gust of energy blew upward like a shockwave, stirring dust and cracking the stone under their feet.
Then silence again.
Until—
Faith (eyes wide): "Look!"
A figure slowly rose from the depths—his coat torn, eyes glowing faintly. His steps were calm, steady, like nothing had touched him.
Elias walked out, his hand clenched around a small black shard that shimmered with energy.
Dorian stared, expression unreadable.
Dante (under his breath): "He really did it."
Logan (grinning): "Of course he did."
Elias stopped in front of them, glanced at each of their faces, and said simply:
Elias: "One down."
Inside the Eclipse Order's stronghold
Candlelight flickered against the obsidian walls. The room was quiet—too quiet. Only the sound of faint breathing echoed... heavy, strained... rhythmic.
Maldrath leaned back in his massive chair, shirtless, his body covered in cryptic runes that shimmered faintly with magic. A woman lay asleep on silken sheets beside him, and a goblet of dark wine rested by his hand.
A knock echoed sharply through the room. He didn't move.
Voice from behind the door (nervous): "My Lord... the echo from Arkwatch... it's gone."
Silence.
Maldrath slowly opened his eyes, glowing faint crimson. He didn't look toward the door, but the air in the room shifted—dense, cold, angry.
Maldrath (calm but venomous): "Elias Carter..."
He rose, walking to a nearby mirror. His reflection didn't show a man—but a silhouette wreathed in shadows.
Maldrath (to himself): "The boy collects power like it's owed to him... Perhaps it's time we collect him instead."
He turned back, his voice sharp:
Maldrath: "Send Arkan. Let's see if the blood of Nyxoth bleeds easily."
AFTER SOME TIME.
The double doors creaked open. A figure in a dark cloak stood silently before Maldrath, his presence more shadow than man.
Maldrath (leaning forward, smirking): "Arkan... I have a task for you."
No reply. Just the faint clinking of the chains wrapped around Arkan's wrists—restrainers, not for his punishment... but for everyone else's safety.
Maldrath (coldly): "The boy who bears Nyxoth's blood walks free. He has claimed his first echo."
Arkan finally spoke—his voice like gravel grinding against steel.
Arkan: "Then he believes himself ready."
Maldrath: "Bring him back... or break him."
Arkan (turning, low and steady): " If he bleeds... I'll find the color ."
He vanished into the shadows, no sound, no trace—like he was never there.
ARKWATCH
Dust was still settling. The light from the shattered ceiling spilled in faintly as Elias stepped out from the chamber, aura faintly crackling around him like smoke trying to take shape.
Faith rushed to him, eyes wide, relief barely hiding her panic.
Faith: "What's going on down there? Elias... are you alright?"
Elias gave a faint nod, wiping a thin line of blood from the corner of his mouth.
Elias: "I'm fine." "It fought hard. But I'm done here."
Dante approached, giving him a firm nod of respect.
Dante: "Whatever that was... it didn't sound fine. That whole place shook like it was gonna collapse."
Logan (chuckling nervously): "Yeah. You walked down there like a guy going shopping and came back like a goddamn walking thundercloud."
Faith (softly): "You scared us."
Elias (quiet, but steady): "Sorry. I had to face it alone."
Dorian stepped forward, eyeing him carefully, sensing the shift.
Dorian: "You've grown stronger. That aura... it's different."
Dante (half-smiling, to the others): "At this point, he's stronger than all of us."
They all fell quiet for a moment—an unspoken pride growing in the silence.
Arcane Spire – Council Chamber
The circular chamber shimmered with ambient arcane light. Runes glowed faintly on the walls, resonating with the subtle hum of layered enchantments. High seats were filled—Alden in the center, calm yet vigilant, and Varies lounging with a faint smirk as the report came in.
A messenger knelt at the base of the steps .
Messenger: "The Arkwatch mission is complete. Varik the Flayer has been neutralized by Dorian's team."
Alden (nodding): "And the settlement?"
Messenger: "All civilians were already corrupted—turned to thralls by Varik prior to the team's arrival. There were no lives left to save."
A quiet stillness fell. Even Varies leaned forward now, listening closely.
Varies: "That creature was an old threat... the fact he returned at all was concerning. But I must say, Dorian's team cleaned up well."
Alden: "What of Elias Carter? His presence near anomalies remains... sensitive."
Messenger: "No strange reports. He performed well. Dorian praised his efforts—nothing more."
Alden's eyes narrowed faintly, and he rested his hands against the edge of the council table.
Alden (low): "Lucian Carter's bloodline never was ordinary."
Varies (with a short chuckle): "That man was a storm in human form. But loyal. If Elias holds even half his spirit, we may be watching the rise of something rare."
One of the elder councilors—her voice thin but sharp—spoke from the shadows behind.
Elder Councilor: "During the battle, there was a pulse across the leyline grid. Faint, but laced with old magic—dense, unstable. That was no ordinary breakthrough."
Alden (coldly): "I felt it too. Only for a second. As if something cracked open... then vanished."
He tapped a sigil etched into the table. A soft glow pulsed. A private interface appeared—magic flowing through it like liquid light. Then he looked at Varies, his tone dropping lower.
Alden: "I want someone observing Elias. Quietly. Constantly."
Varies (grinning): "You're late to the party. Already done."
They shared a long, calculating glance.
Alden (whispering): "Lucian... what did you leave behind in that boy?"
DORIAN AND TEAM RETURNED FROM ARKWATCH.
The chamber doors opened with a solemn hum as Elias, Faith, Logan, Dante, and Dorian stepped forward. Elias' steps were steady, but faint bruises peeked from beneath his collar.
Behind him, Logan walked with a casual confidence, while Faith maintained her composed stance, though her eyes occasionally flicked toward Elias with quiet relief.
The Arcane Council awaited them.
Alden stood, his gaze firm but approving.
Alden: "You've returned... not only alive, but victorious. The threat of Varik the Flayer has ended." He paused. "You have done well."
A quiet nod of respect echoed across the chamber from the councilors. Even Varies offered a slow clap from his seat, smirking.
Alden (formally): "By the will of the Arcane Council, you are now officially recognized as an operative team under the banner of the Grand Circle. Your actions have proven your resolve, strength, and unity."
A rune flared behind the council—glowing gold—an ancient sigil of acceptance and honor.
Elder Councilor: "Two more members shall join your ranks—bringing your squad to completion."
From behind, two figures stepped forward.
The first was a tall young man, confident, wrapped in deep blue robes etched with ancient runic patterns. His presence alone seemed to ripple the air—pressure and power rolled off of him.
Alden (introducing): "Vance Soran , the most recent Supreme-tier awakened. ."
Vance gave a calm nod to the group, eyes briefly resting on Elias with analytical curiosity before moving on.
Faith and Logan realizing everybody was talking about him in school that day , the newly awakened supreme tier magic user.
The second figure was a lean girl, her expression unreadable, a pair of slim daggers strapped to her hips, and a small magical glyph glowing at her neck.
Alden: " Alice Vaer. Specialist in illusion and kinetic magic. She graduated from the Inner Ring trials with distinction."
Faith nodded to her politely. Logan gave a short wave. Elias offered a subtle nod. Alice returned it with calm restraint, taking her place.
Alden: "Your final team roster: Elias Carter. Faith Lockhart. Logan Pierce . Vance soran . Alice Vaer. Under the mentorship of Dorian Aldritch ."
Then his eyes shifted to Dante.
Alden: "And what of this one? A non-magic user taken into a restricted operation—against Council law."
Before Dorian could speak, Elias stepped forward, voice clear.
Elias: "He was there for me. For us. He held his own. He risked everything, just like the rest of us. He deserves to be here. We'll protect him. And he'll protect us."
Silence. Then Dorian added,
Dorian: "He was instrumental. Brave. Smart. More than capable."
Alden studied them for a moment, the silence heavy.
Alden: "You've broken a rule. But in war, judgment must sometimes yield to instinct. No punishment will be cast." He turned to Dante. "You are not a core operative. But on Elias Carter's request, you may assist them on lower-tier and supervised missions. You are part of this unit—an auxiliary member."
Dante exhaled, smiling faintly. Elias gave him a nod, proud.
Alden: "Dismissed. Prepare yourselves. The peace won't last long."
As the group exited the chamber together—newly formed, newly tested—a sense of something greater loomed behind their steps.
A team was now truly born.
Unknown Location, Underground Chamber.
The walls were jagged, layered with roots and stone, the room dimly lit by floating crimson orbs. Candles flickered, casting strange symbols on the ceiling. A round table sat at the center, old and cracked. A map of the world, etched into obsidian, lay across it.
A man stood before it—his back straight, hands folded behind him.
He was cloaked in deep gray and black, his presence calm yet commanding. On his back, a long staff crackled softly with pale-blue light, and his left eye glowed faintly—imbued with something... unnatural.
Voice of some underlings : "They retrieved the Echo from Arkwatch."
The man didn't move. He simply nodded.
underling (nervous): "We couldn't intercept them. The Flayer is gone... "
Finally, the man spoke—his voice smooth, controlled.
Arkan: "Then it begins... as I foresaw."
He reached down, lifting a small crystal—faintly pulsing with energy. He crushed it between his fingers.
Arkan (quietly): "Let them gather strength. It will make their fall... more meaningful."
He turned, eyes now fully visible—one a normal calm blue, the other pitch-black, filled with spinning glyphs.
Arkan: "let see how worthy you are Elias Carter"
END OF CHAPTER 6
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