He placed his palm on the stone, closed his eyes—and for a split moment, time twisted. The air turned sharp. And he saw something:
A tower that cracked the sky.
A world that spun around its gravity.
And a voice—not a word, not a sound—but a presence.
> Come. Bearer of fire. Challenger of fates. Claim what you dare.
Ethan pulled his hand back, fingers shaking slightly.
Then he straightened and turned.
---
The Next March Begins
By the following dawn, the army had been split into two groups: a core detachment that would move with Ethan toward Vorsha, and another group that would remain behind to fortify Groshla and guard the Rune Stone.
Ethan, Kaeryx, Leon, David, Zaul'tra, and twenty of their best moved out first. The path to Vorsha would be slow—not just because of the terrain, but because the Labyrinth was watching.
Already, Ethan could feel its pressure increasing.
And this time, he knew brute strength wouldn't win.
He would have to understand the guardian.
