The shockwave of the battle did not stop at the edges of the Whispering Woods. It rippled through the ley lines of the continent, a jagged spike of "Star-Gravity" and "Primeval Fire" that triggered alarms in the most hidden chambers of the world.
In the heart of the Alchemist Union in Athanas, the old man who had sensed Olin's token suddenly stood up from his desk. The vials of liquid light on his shelves rattled violently. On a massive bronze astrolabe in the center of the hall, a needle snapped, pointing directly toward the Azure Fringe.
"That's not just a successor," the old man whispered, his eyes wide with a mix of dread and greed. "That's a Calamity-Class resonance. Someone has ignited a Star-Core within a Living Furnace."
Within minutes, the silent halls of the Union were a hive of activity. Messengers on winged beasts were dispatched, and the "Seekers of the Flame"—the Union's elite retrieval unit—were pulled from their meditations. The order was simple: find the source of the flare, and if it is a child, bring them back. If it is a threat, extinguish it before the Sword-Saints or the Imperial Court can claim the power.
While the world below descended into a chaotic hunt, Vincy opened his eyes to a silence so profound it made his ears ring.
He wasn't on the charred earth. He was lying on a bed of woven silk that felt like it was made of solid moonlight. Above him, there was no stone ceiling—only a swirling nebula of purple and gold clouds that seemed close enough to touch.
"You're awake," a voice chimed. It wasn't Piet. It was the man from the firmament.
Vincy sat up with a groan, clutching his chest. To his shock, the agonizing burns on his palms had been replaced by smooth, unscarred skin. The "Shell" in his dantian, which had been shattered during the battle, had been meticulously rebuilt—not with a pill, but with a shimmering, translucent Jade Seal that hummed with a rhythm he didn't recognize.
"Where is Seraphina?" Vincy asked, his voice raspy.
"She is in the adjacent pavilion, recovering from soul-exhaustion," the woman in starlight robes said, stepping into his field of vision. She held a cup of steaming tea that smelled of ancient forests. "She is safe. For now."
Vincy looked around, his hand instinctively going to the floor beside him. The Void-Cutter was there, leaning against a pillar of white jade. It looked different—the violet vein was pulsing slowly, as if it were breathing in the high-altitude Qi of the palace.
"Who are you?" Vincy asked, his gaze moving from the sword to the two strangers. "And why did you save us?"
The man walked to the edge of the pavilion, looking down at the world below. From this height, the massive "Dead Zone" Vincy had created was just a tiny, scorched dot in a sea of green.
"We are the Keepers of the Firmament," the man replied. "We do not 'save' people, boy. We collect anomalies. And between the ghost residing in your soul and the star-heart in your hand, you are the largest anomaly this province has produced in a thousand years."
"Careful, Vincy," Piet's voice finally returned, sounding unusually subdued and wary. "These aren't provincial masters. They are close to the Dao. Don't tell them anything about the Archive until I can figure out which side of history they stand on."
"Olin gave me a token," Vincy said, holding it up with a trembling hand. "He said I had potential."
The woman laughed, a sound like silver bells. "Olin is a sentimental old fool. Potential is just a fancy word for a fire that hasn't burned its house down yet. The question is: now that we've taken you from your world, what do you intend to do with the one we've given you?"