The trio traveled east at dawn, moving past the Farscar Shrine and into a land where the soil shimmered faintly—residue from ancient magic that once ripped the land apart. Kael noticed that even the wind here tasted different, like cold iron.
"Where exactly does this Lorekeeper live?" Kael asked, trudging up a slope of fractured obsidian.
Seris responded, "He doesn't live. He endures."
"…Sounds welcoming."
---
By midday, they reached the edge of a canyon so deep it swallowed light. A narrow rope bridge swayed between jagged cliffs. On the far side stood a stone temple, half-crumbled, yet pulsing with golden runes.
Deyric stepped onto the bridge without hesitation. "Don't look down."
Kael peeked over the edge and regretted it instantly. Something down there... moved.
Seris motioned him forward. "He's the only one who can decipher your mark."
"Is he dangerous?"
She didn't answer.
---
Inside the temple, the air buzzed with old knowledge. Giant scrolls hovered mid-air, revolving around a central pedestal. Strange glass panels displayed moving images—some of the past, some of possible futures.
The Lorekeeper emerged from shadow.
He was blindfolded, ancient, and tall—skin dark as midnight and veins glowing faintly blue.
"I felt the Memoryroot awaken," the Lorekeeper rasped. "You bring the cursed child."
Kael froze. "That's me, huh?"
The Lorekeeper walked around him slowly. "Yes. The Echoed One. The mark of Aetherion burns on you."
Kael flinched. "Aetherion?"
Seris whispered, "One of the forgotten gods."
Deyric added, "The one erased along with Ezerus."
The Lorekeeper raised a hand, and Kael's mark shimmered. "You want answers. But answers require payment."
Kael blinked. "I don't have coin."
The Lorekeeper smiled. "I take memories."
"…Excuse me?"
"You will lose one memory of someone you love. Forever. In return, I will reveal the first truth of your mark."
Kael looked to Seris and Deyric. Neither stopped him.
"Will I know what I lost?" Kael asked.
The Lorekeeper shook his head. "That is the price."
Kael clenched his fists. A vision of his mother's voice. His father's laugh. Or maybe… someone else. Could he really give that up?
Then he remembered Ezerus's words in the dream.
You already have.
"I accept."
---
The Lorekeeper placed a single finger on Kael's forehead. A cold current swept through him like he was being pulled apart, strand by strand.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
Something was gone.
He didn't know what—but he felt hollow in a way words couldn't explain.
"It is done," the Lorekeeper said quietly.
"The truth?" Kael asked, his voice hoarse.
The Lorekeeper gestured to the hovering scrolls. "Your mark is not a gift. It's a key. One that can either unlock the Thirteenth Gate, or seal it forever."
"What's behind it?" Kael asked.
The Lorekeeper looked him dead in the eye, despite the blindfold.
"Everything we forgot. And everything we chose to forget."
---
Outside the temple, Kael sat on a broken column, quiet.
Seris knelt beside him. "You alright?"
Kael wiped his eyes. "I'm fine."
Deyric looked up at the sky. "Then brace yourself. The gods never sleep for long. Especially not when their locks begin to stir."