The path toward Solari Crest curved gently between rolling hills and bright green fields. Wildflowers brushed against Zyren's boots as he walked, their scent light in the warm breeze. Selene walked beside him with quiet steps, her gaze moving constantly between the trees and the sky.
She did not speak often, but when she did, her voice carried a soft musical tone that blended with the sounds of the meadow.
"The town is not far," she said. "Once we reach the gate, you can rest at the plaza or visit the starting guild hall. Most players go there first."
Zyren listened without interrupting.
Her presence felt calm, almost peaceful, but something about her posture suggested she was alert. She studied the surroundings as if expecting the world to shift again.
A few players passed them on the path, laughing and talking. They gave Selene a quick glance, then looked at Zyren for half a second before continuing on. None of them sensed anything strange about him.
Selene did.
She kept stealing tiny glances at him, as though trying to understand something she could not voice.
Zyren walked with the same quiet steadiness he always held. He did not speak unless he had something to ask. He did not look around in excitement like the new players. His attention stayed focused, calm, deliberate.
After a while Selene spoke again.
"You do not act like a beginner."
Zyren turned his head slightly.
"What makes you think that"
"You watch everything," she said. "Players usually rush ahead with open menus and bright eyes. You walk like you already know how the world works."
Zyren looked ahead again.
"Habit," he said simply.
Selene nodded.
"That is rare."
They continued walking.
The road narrowed as it approached a gentle rise in the land. Once they reached the top, the town came into view.
Solari Crest.
It spread across the valley like a small jewel made of light and stone. Wooden houses lined the main streets, their roofs painted red and gold. Trees grew along the walkways, their leaves shimmering with soft luminescence. A large fountain stood in the center plaza, its water glowing faintly.
NPC guards stood at the gate with calm expressions.
Players moved through the entrance in groups, chattering excitedly.
Vendors called out to newcomers with welcoming voices.
Everything looked warm and alive.
Zyren stepped forward.
But before they reached the gate, Selene stopped abruptly.
She lifted her hand slightly, signaling him to pause.
Zyren looked at her.
"What is wrong"
Selene scanned the trees behind them. Her silver hair shifted with the wind. Her eyes narrowed with focus.
"The world is watching again," she whispered.
Zyren felt it too. A faint tension. A quiet ripple under the surface of the meadow. Something brushing against his awareness like a cold breath at the back of his neck.
Selene slowly lowered her hand.
"It faded," she said. "Let us go."
The guards at the gate smiled as they approached.
"Welcome to Solari Crest," one guard said. "The heart of the Eastern Meadowlands."
Zyren entered without a word.
The moment he stepped inside, he felt something shift. A subtle change in the air. A pulse of awareness. The ground beneath his boots responded with a faint vibration.
Selene paused beside him and looked at him carefully.
"You felt that," she said.
"Yes."
"Then something inside this town knows you arrived."
The words sent a mild chill through Zyren's chest.
They moved into the plaza.
The fountain glowed with a soft silver light. Water flowed in a smooth spiral, forming patterns that looked almost deliberate. Several players rested along the fountain's edge, checking their menus or comparing stats.
A merchant stall nearby sold simple weapons and armor. Another stall offered potions and scrolls. Two NPC children chased each other around a tree, laughing with light voices.
Everything looked ordinary.
But the closer Zyren got to the fountain, the more he felt watched.
He approached the fountain slowly. Selene stayed beside him, her hand drifting close to her bow as if ready for anything.
Zyren leaned closer to the water and looked at his reflection.
His reflection looked normal.
Brown eyes.
Calm expression.
Steady posture.
Then the reflection flickered.
The cracked crown appeared above his head again.
Only for a heartbeat.
Only in the water.
Selene saw it too.
She drew in a soft breath.
"That crown," she whispered. "I saw it this time."
Zyren straightened.
Before either of them could speak, a soft sound echoed behind them. Not a footstep. Not a voice. More like the quiet shift of air when someone arrives without moving.
They turned.
A man stood near the fountain.
Tall.
Calm.
Composed.
He wore long white robes decorated with silver lines that glowed faintly. His eyes were a pale blue, almost colorless, like ice that never melts.
He bowed his head slightly.
"Welcome, traveler," he said. "I am called Priest Lyras. I guide new souls to their path."
Zyren did not speak.
Selene stepped a little closer to him without thinking.
Priest Lyras lifted his gaze toward Zyren and paused as though surprised.
The pause was too natural.
Too human.
His voice softened.
"You carry a presence that does not belong to this world."
Selene tensed immediately.
Zyren remained still.
"What do you mean," he asked.
Priest Lyras walked closer, stopping a respectful distance away.
The glow of the fountain reflected across his robes.
"The air trembles around you," Lyras said. "The roots beneath this town whisper when you step. Even the water reflects more than your face."
His pale eyes deepened as he studied Zyren.
"You reached somewhere no one should reach," Lyras said quietly. "I can feel the mark on you."
Zyren remained silent.
Lyras tilted his head slightly.
"May I see your class window"
Zyren did not move.
Selene stepped between them.
"Leave him," she said softly.
Lyras blinked once.
Not offended.
Not surprised.
"Forgive me," he said. "I do not wish to intrude."
He looked up at the sky for a moment.
"The world is shifting. The tremors began the moment you arrived. I only wish to understand what the gods fear."
Zyren's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What do the gods fear"
Lyras turned his gaze back to Zyren.
His voice lowered.
"The fall of their thrones."
The fountain's glow dimmed for a heartbeat.
Zyren felt the pulse of the crown inside him respond.
Lyras stepped back.
"When you find the truth, return to me," he said. "I cannot see your path, but I can help you walk it."
He bowed again.
Then he turned and walked away, leaving the plaza without another word.
NPCs rarely left their designated spots.
He walked like he had no constraints.
Selene looked at Zyren.
"That was not normal," she said.
"None of this is normal."
Selene nodded slowly.
Zyren moved away from the fountain and scanned the buildings. Solari Crest had several main places of interest: the guild hall, the armory, the inn, the training field.
But one building stood out.
A round stone structure near the edge of the plaza.
No sign.
No banner.
No visible purpose.
Yet Zyren felt something pull at him from that direction.
Selene noticed his focus and followed his gaze.
"You sense something," she said.
"Yes."
"Then let us go see."
They walked together toward the stone building. The closer they got, the stronger the pull became. The wind quieted. The footsteps of players around them seemed to soften.
When they reached the door, Zyren stopped.
A faint vibration pulsed through the ground.
Selene looked at the door with growing unease.
"What is this place"
Zyren reached for the handle.
The door opened on its own.
A soft light inside flickered, revealing a narrow hall.
And a voice whispered inside Zyren's mind.
Enter.
Selene stepped closer to him.
"Zyren," she said quietly. "Are you sure about this"
He looked at the hall.
At the flickering light.
At the quiet shadows.
"Yes," he replied. "I am."
He stepped inside.
Selene followed him.
The door closed gently behind them.
And the world took another breath.