The underground city remained frozen in silence after the Warden spoke. No bells rang. No citizens moved. No voices echoed through the endless cavern. Tens of thousands of kneeling figures remained motionless beneath the golden glow of countless lanterns, while the colossal guardian continued kneeling before the observation platform with its head lowered. The sight felt unreal. Moments ago, the city had been descending into panic. Screams had echoed through the streets. Entire districts had been fleeing from the approaching Dreamers. Yet now everything had stopped as though time itself had paused.
The Heir has returned.
The words lingered in the air.
Nobody seemed capable of speaking.
Kael stood motionless while the mark beneath his glove pulsed with increasing intensity. The sensation had become impossible to ignore. It no longer felt like a distant heartbeat.
It felt awake.
Around him, the members of the expedition remained frozen. Researchers stared at him. Soldiers stared at him. Students stared at him. Even General Caelan, who rarely displayed emotion, looked unusually serious.
Only Aren managed to recover first.
The boy stared at Kael for several seconds before slowly raising one finger.
"I would like to point out that this is exactly the kind of thing I've been worried about."
Nobody responded.
Aren looked offended.
"Nobody appreciates how often I'm right."
Selene rubbed her forehead.
"This isn't helping."
"It never helps."
"Then stop."
"No."
Despite the exchange, the tension remained.
Nobody could focus on anything except the gigantic guardian kneeling below.
General Caelan finally stepped forward.
The military commander stood at the edge of the platform and looked directly at the Warden. Compared to the colossal guardian, he appeared insignificant. Yet somehow his presence remained steady.
Unshaken.
"What do you mean?"
The question echoed through the cavern.
For several moments, the Warden did not respond.
Golden light continued flowing through the countless cracks covering its body while enormous chains rested across the streets below. The giant remained motionless.
Then its ancient voice echoed through the city once more.
"The blood remembers."
Silence followed.
The answer only created more questions.
One of the scholars immediately stepped forward.
His face had become pale.
"What blood?"
The Warden slowly raised its head.
Golden eyes burned like miniature suns.
"The First Blood."
The underground city remained silent.
Nobody understood.
Nobody except Theron.
The old caretaker looked as though he had seen a ghost.
His face had lost all color.
His hands trembled slightly.
Most importantly—
He looked terrified.
Kael noticed immediately.
The old man knew something.
Something important.
Something nobody else knew.
General Caelan noticed as well.
The military commander turned toward him.
"Explain."
Theron remained silent.
His gaze drifted toward Kael.
Then toward the mark hidden beneath the glove.
The old man exhaled slowly.
For the first time since meeting him, he seemed unsure of what to say.
"The legends..."
His voice sounded distant.
"Spoke of a bloodline."
Nobody interrupted.
The caretaker looked toward the city.
Toward the kneeling citizens.
Toward the giant guardian.
Then back toward Kael.
"The rulers of the First Civilization were not kings."
The scholars immediately began writing.
The old man continued.
"They were called Heirs."
A chill spread through the platform.
Something about that title felt familiar.
Not because anyone had heard it before.
Because it seemed connected to everything.
The gate.
The mark.
The visions.
The city.
The Sleeper.
All of it.
One of the researchers frowned.
"Heirs to what?"
Theron laughed softly.
The sound carried no humor.
"Nobody remembers."
The answer frustrated everyone.
Especially the scholars.
The old man shook his head.
"Thousands of years erase many things."
His gaze became distant.
"The names were lost."
A pause followed.
"The truth was lost."
Another.
"Only fragments remain."
The silence deepened.
Then the ground shook.
The tremor was far stronger than the previous ones.
The entire cavern vibrated.
Several distant towers cracked.
Bridges swayed.
Lanterns flickered violently.
A deep rumbling sound echoed from somewhere beneath the city.
This time everyone heard it.
Everyone felt it.
The sensation rolled through the underground metropolis like a wave.
The kneeling citizens lowered their heads.
The Warden remained still.
Theron closed his eyes.
Nobody liked that.
Nobody liked it at all.
Aren slowly pointed downward.
"I assume that's bad."
The old caretaker opened his eyes.
"Very."
The simplicity of the answer somehow made it worse.
Another tremor followed.
Then another.
The city seemed to groan.
Ancient stone structures built thousands of years ago shuddered beneath invisible pressure. Dust drifted from distant rooftops. Cracks spread through sections of ancient roads.
The underground city was changing.
Something below was moving.
Kael felt the mark pulse again.
This time the reaction was immediate.
His vision shattered.
The world disappeared.
Darkness consumed everything.
For a moment, he stood somewhere beyond reality.
The black throne appeared once more.
The sea of bells.
The endless darkness.
The sleeping figure.
Only now the Sleeper was no longer motionless.
Its chest rose.
And fell.
A simple breath.
Yet the consequences were unimaginable.
Entire mountains collapsed.
Seas boiled.
Stars vanished.
Civilizations crumbled.
The dream itself trembled.
Kael stared in horror.
The Sleeper was still asleep.
Still dreaming.
And yet a single breath carried enough power to reshape worlds.
Then the figure moved again.
Its head shifted slightly.
The darkness shook.
Countless bells rang.
And suddenly—
Its eyes opened.
Not completely.
Only slightly.
A tiny fraction.
Yet within that tiny opening existed something vast enough to consume reality.
Something ancient enough to make history feel insignificant.
Something impossible.
The vision shattered instantly.
Kael staggered backward.
Reality returned.
The underground city appeared once more.
The platform.
The Warden.
The citizens.
Everything returned.
Except now his heartbeat thundered inside his chest.
Lyra immediately caught his arm.
Her expression had become worried.
"What happened?"
Several others turned toward him.
Kael struggled to find the words.
The image still lingered in his mind.
The eye.
The endless darkness.
The impossible presence.
He swallowed.
Then answered.
"It opened its eyes."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Theron froze.
The old man's face became deathly pale.
General Caelan's expression hardened immediately.
The military commander stepped closer.
"What opened its eyes?"
Kael looked toward him.
Then toward the city.
Then toward the unseen depths hidden beneath everything.
"The Sleeper."
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Even the Warden became still.
The city seemed to hold its breath.
Then Theron whispered:
"No."
The single word carried more fear than any scream.
The old caretaker looked genuinely horrified.
"That's impossible."
His voice trembled.
"The seals remain intact."
Nobody understood.
The old man barely seemed aware they were listening.
He looked toward the depths.
Toward something only he could see.
"The prison still stands."
Another tremor shook the city.
This one was violent.
Several distant towers collapsed completely.
Stone crashed into the streets below.
The kneeling citizens remained motionless.
The Warden slowly rose to its feet.
The giant moved with terrifying grace despite its size.
Golden light erupted from the cracks covering its body.
The cavern brightened.
The ancient guardian turned away from the platform.
Toward the darkness beyond the city.
Toward the lower districts.
Toward whatever was approaching.
Then the expedition saw them.
Thousands of figures emerged from the darkness.
The Dreamers.
At first they resembled ordinary people.
Humanoid.
Thin.
Silent.
Then details became visible.
Their skin was pale.
Too pale.
Their eyes glowed faintly with silver light.
Most disturbing of all—
Every one of them was smiling.
The same smile.
The exact same smile.
Thousands of identical expressions moving through the streets.
Thousands of silent figures walking together.
Not running.
Not attacking.
Walking.
As though answering a distant call.
The sight was horrifying.
Even veteran soldiers looked disturbed.
The Dreamers filled entire streets.
They crossed bridges.
Plazas.
Ancient avenues.
Every district closer to the darkness became overwhelmed by them.
And still more emerged.
Thousands.
Tens of thousands.
Perhaps more.
The Warden stared toward them.
Golden eyes burning.
Ancient chains rattled softly.
The underground city trembled.
Then the guardian spoke.
Its voice echoed through every street.
Through every tower.
Through every district.
"The Dream advances."
The kneeling citizens lowered their heads further.
Theron closed his eyes.
Aren looked ready to cry.
"I hate this place."
Nobody disagreed.
Not even slightly.
Then something happened.
One of the Dreamers stopped.
The smiling figure slowly lifted its head.
Its silver eyes locked onto Kael.
The movement spread instantly.
Another Dreamer looked up.
Then another.
Then another.
Within seconds—
Thousands of silver eyes focused upon the observation platform.
Focused upon him.
The city became silent.
The Dreamers stopped walking.
The Warden became still.
Even the tremors seemed to pause.
Everything waited.
Kael felt the mark burning beneath the glove.
The silver-eyed figures continued staring.
Then thousands of smiling mouths opened simultaneously.
And every Dreamer spoke with the same voice.
"The Sleeper calls."
The words echoed across the underground city.
And deep beneath the world—
Something answered.