The morning sun shone weakly through the gray sky above Iron Root Sect.
Most of the ash from yesterday's storm had settled across the mountains. Thin layers of dust covered the stone paths and rooftops, giving the entire sect a dull gray appearance.
Kael walked slowly along the inner courtyard with a wooden bucket in his hand.
Like the other disciples, he had been assigned simple tasks after the storm. Several roofs had collected too much ash, and if it was not cleared away the extra weight could damage the old wooden beams.
Kael climbed the narrow stairs leading to one of the storage buildings.
From the roof he could see most of the surrounding mountains.
The land looked dry and quiet.
Far in the distance the wide plains stretched toward the horizon, empty except for scattered rock formations and old roads that had not been used in centuries.
Kael emptied the bucket of ash over the edge of the roof and wiped his hands on his sleeves.
"Still thinking about those maps?"
Kael turned slightly.
Ronan was standing on the neighboring roof, brushing ash away with a wooden broom.
Kael nodded.
"A little."
Ronan rested the broom against his shoulder.
"You spend more time studying old maps than practicing techniques."
Kael smiled slightly.
"Understanding the land is useful too."
Ronan shrugged.
"I suppose."
He pushed another pile of ash toward the edge of the roof before speaking again.
"I heard Elder Darius talking with Elder Maren earlier this morning."
Kael looked up.
"What about?"
"They were discussing the old days," Ronan said.
"Apparently the sect library still has some records from before the evacuation."
Kael's interest immediately grew.
"From before the evacuation?"
Ronan nodded.
"Old cultivation records and regional maps."
Kael thought for a moment.
Most historical records had been taken away when the major sects abandoned Astra Minor. Anything valuable had been moved to other planets.
If Iron Root Sect still had documents from that time, they could be very interesting.
Ronan stepped closer to the edge of the roof.
"You should ask Elder Maren about them," he said.
"She manages the library records."
Kael nodded slowly.
"I will."
They finished cleaning the roofs shortly afterward.
Once the work was done, Kael headed directly toward the sect library again.
The building was quiet as usual.
Inside, faint sunlight filtered through the windows and illuminated rows of old scrolls and books.
Kael stepped inside and looked around.
A figure was sitting near the central table.
Elder Maren.
She was an older woman with silver hair tied into a long braid behind her back. Several open scrolls were spread across the table in front of her.
When she noticed Kael entering, she looked up.
"You're here early today."
Kael bowed respectfully.
"Good morning, Elder."
Maren gestured toward the shelves.
"Looking for something specific?"
Kael hesitated for a moment before answering.
"I heard there might be older records in the library."
Maren studied him for a second.
"From before the evacuation?"
Kael nodded.
The elder leaned back slightly in her chair.
"There are a few."
She pointed toward the back wall of the library.
"Most people don't bother reading them."
Kael followed her gaze.
Several wooden boxes sat on the lower shelves, their surfaces covered with dust.
Maren continued speaking.
"Those records describe the planet before its decline."
She paused briefly.
"Although many details are incomplete."
Kael walked toward the shelves and carefully opened one of the boxes.
Inside were several tightly rolled scrolls tied together with faded cloth ribbons.
He selected one and returned to the table.
Maren watched quietly as he opened it.
The scroll contained an old regional map.
Compared to the maps Kael had drawn himself, this one showed a much larger area of Astra Minor.
Large rivers crossed the plains.
Dense forests filled entire regions.
Several cultivation cities were marked across the planet.
Kael's eyes moved slowly across the map.
The Astra Minor described here looked very different from the barren world outside.
Maren noticed his expression.
"The planet used to support millions of cultivators," she said.
Kael looked up.
"Millions?"
Maren nodded.
"Before the spiritual decline began."
She folded her hands on the table.
"At that time Astra Minor was considered a mid-level cultivation world."
Kael returned his attention to the map.
Several markings caught his eye.
Thin lines ran across different regions of the planet.
"Are these ley lines?" he asked.
Maren nodded.
"Yes."
She leaned forward slightly.
"The planet's spiritual energy used to circulate through a massive ley line network."
Many sects built their headquarters at the points where these lines crossed.
Iron Root Sect had been built along one of the smaller branches.
Kael traced one of the lines on the map with his finger.
It curved across the southern plains before branching into several directions.
"That region…" Kael murmured.
He recognized the location.
It was very close to the Ashwind Plains he had explored several times.
Maren noticed his interest.
"You explore outside the sect often, don't you?"
"Yes."
The elder smiled faintly.
"Then perhaps you have seen some of the old structures left behind."
Kael nodded.
"I've seen broken roads and abandoned platforms."
Maren looked thoughtful.
"Many of those structures were once connected to the planet's energy system."
Kael looked up again.
"Energy system?"
She nodded slowly.
"In the past, powerful cultivators studied the natural flow of spiritual energy across the planet."
"They built formations and channels to help stabilize the ley line network."
Kael listened carefully.
"Some of those structures may still exist beneath the surface," she continued.
"But most were abandoned when the planet began declining."
Kael looked back at the map.
The curved lines representing the ley network reminded him of the strange ridge patterns he had drawn on his own maps.
He didn't say anything about that yet.
Instead, he carefully rolled the scroll back up.
"Thank you for showing me these records, Elder."
Maren nodded.
"You're welcome."
She glanced toward the windows where sunlight was slowly fading.
"If you're interested in the planet's history, there are many more scrolls in those boxes."
Kael placed the map back into its container.
"I'll read them."
Maren smiled faintly.
"Most disciples only care about cultivation manuals."
"You seem more curious about the world itself."
Kael looked toward the distant mountains visible through the window.
"Astra Minor still has many mysteries," he said.
Maren didn't disagree.
Outside the library, the quiet mountains stretched across the dying planet.
And somewhere beneath the surface of Astra Minor…
Old secrets still waited to be discovered.