The storm had not ended.
Kael pressed a hand against the jagged obsidian wall, breathing in ragged gasps as the floor beneath him groaned and shifted. The catacombs of the Nullforge trembled with some unseen force—distant, yet near enough to stir the ancient glyphs glowing across the walls.
Behind him, Silica staggered, blood smeared across her cheek where a wraith's claw had grazed her. Her eyes blazed with fury, but her voice was calm. Too calm.
"They're testing us," she said.
Kael turned. "Who? The System?"
"No," Silica whispered. "The ones beneath it."
A chill ran down his spine. The Null was quiet now—too quiet. The System hadn't spoken in hours. No quests. No prompts. No artificial cheer.
Just silence.
Until—
> ⛓ SYSTEM ALERT
Category: Unidentified Observer
Status: Tracing…
ERROR: DATA BREACH DETECTED
Source: Layer [UNKNOWN/UNSHARDED]
⚠️ A presence is watching. Proceed with caution.
Kael's blade snapped to life, humming with iridescent fire. Shadows peeled away from the corners of the corridor, slithering back like snakes from the heat. The pressure in the air shifted.
A glyph sparked at his feet—one that hadn't been there before.
> 🌀 GATE SIGIL ACTIVATED
You have uncovered a hidden rift between layers.
Realm designation: The Voidbound Deep
Status: Restricted
Access: Shardbearers Only
Silica's eyes widened. "It's real. The Realm the Archivist whispered about… it's not just lore."
"But why now?" Kael asked.
Because the storm was not random.
Because the Nullforge wasn't simply breaking—
It was being broken into.
The rift yawned open at their feet, wide and luminous. On the other side, Kael glimpsed flashes of movement—shadows talking, laughing, debating. Some studied books of lore. Others etched Kael's name in glowing runes. One pointed straight at him, smiling.
Silica stepped forward, eyes gleaming. "They're waiting for you. All of them."
Kael hesitated.
Then stepped through.
And the Voidbound Realm accepted him.
---
> 🧭 Ready to explore beyond the story?
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---
End of Chapter 26