The golden light from the Ancient Origin Chamber slowly dimmed as Kael made his way back toward the surface.
Every step through the stone corridors beneath the Iron Flame Sect carried a strange weight the air seemed charged, alive, humming with residual energy.
Kael's hands were still glowing faintly with Origin Pulse energy. Every pulse resonated with the chamber he had just left.
The relic had not only awakened a new power, it had unlocked something primal within him.
He could feel it coursing through his veins, giving him an acute awareness of energy flows around him.
As he climbed the spiral stairwell to the surface, fragments of memories flashed in his mind visions of golden stars, ancient cities, and figures kneeling before a radiant being.
They were fleeting, yet they left a persistent echo of something vast beyond his comprehension.
Finally, Kael emerged into the night. The moonlight bathed the Iron Flame Sect's training grounds in silver.
The arena, where he had battled Seraphine, seemed insignificant now compared to the scale of the energy he had just absorbed.
Kael looked toward the horizon.
Beyond the mountains, forests, and rivers lay a world teeming with untapped power, ancient secrets, and enemies yet to awaken.
This is just the beginning, he thought, tightening his fists.
The Origin Pulse has awakened… and I will find what lies beyond.
A sudden gust of wind brushed past him, carrying faint traces of energy not of the sect.
Kael's golden eyes narrowed.
Someone or something was approaching.
He could sense their presence clearly, even from afar.