Chapter 63: Whispers of the Forgotten Vale
The next morning, the mist had faded, leaving the Forest of Dead Time strangely quiet. The silence felt sacred—like the forest itself was watching them, remembering them.
Elias stood on the ridge, his cloak fluttering as he stared toward the horizon. In his palm, the crystal from the Sentinel glowed faintly, projecting the path to the Forgotten Vale—the resting place of the Second Echo Seal.
Behind him, Kael adjusted his gear, Arin marked their supplies, and Sera tied her hair with a silver thread she always carried. Their eyes met for a moment—no words were needed. They were ready.
---
Departure into the Forgotten Vale
The Vale was not marked on any known map. It existed somewhere beyond recorded time—hidden between layers of memory, locked away from the world's perception. It would take them three days of trekking, crossing through a decaying land where time moved strangely.
As they traveled, Elias felt something pulling at him—memories not his own, voices lost in time, calling out in languages he didn't understand.
Sera noticed him drifting.
"Elias, are you hearing it again?"
He nodded. "It's like the seal speaks in dreams."
Arin frowned. "That's dangerous. The last one nearly tore your mind apart."
"I think it's guiding us," Elias whispered. "Or warning us."
---
Day Two: The Land Where Clocks Crumble
By the second day, they entered a strange region where everything was covered in rusted gears and shattered clocks. An old world, long devoured by a failed civilization of time-binders. The ground creaked with every step, like they were walking on history's skeleton.
Kael smashed through a metal gate, revealing a buried tower beneath. "Whatever this place is—it's dead. Let's move before it wakes up."
As they passed through the tower ruins, a memory shimmered to life.
A vision.
Elias stood alone in a grand hall. A throne of glass sat at its end. And on it—a version of himself, older, colder.
"You abandoned them all," the older Elias whispered. "And you'll do it again."
Elias gasped, stumbling. Sera caught him. "What did you see?"
He shook his head. "A future… or a past?"
---
Nightfall and the Ancient Temple
That night, they reached the border of the Vale.
The stars here were wrong—burning like violet flames, shifting constantly. In the distance, a temple rose from between the mountains, half-buried and shaped like a curled serpent.
"That's where the Second Echo Seal is," Arin said quietly.
Suddenly, the mark on Elias's hand flared again. This time, it spread to the others.
Sera cried out, clutching her wrist. Kael dropped his axe. Arin gritted his teeth as light ran across his arms.
Names began forming on their skin, etched in glowing symbols.
Elias looked down at his mark. It pulsed once—then whispered four names into his mind.
Elias – The Keeper of Memory
Sera – The Veil Walker
Kael – The Iron Flame
Arin – The Blade of Reflection
Each name carved itself into time, anchoring them to the world.
And together, a title appeared above them in ghostly gold:
> "Keepers of the Echo."
---
Awakening of the Vale
The temple doors opened on their own.
A low hum filled the air—then a voice echoed through the mountains:
"The next trial begins now. Enter, or be forgotten."
They stared at the temple, hearts pounding.
"Ready?" Elias asked.
Sera nodded. "Let's reclaim what was lost."
---