The distortion of space unraveled and then sealed itself behind them as Erend, Aesa, and Eccar stepped back into the narrow darkness of the alley.
The damp air of Leonora City wrapped around them once more. It sohow felt colder than before. The weight of what they had just discussed still lingered in their presence.
None of them moved imdiately. They stood there in silence, their expressions solemn and their thoughts heavy and tangled. The situation had not improved. If anything, it had grown more complicated.
Now there was another Dragonborn involved.
And not just any Dragonborn but one who seemingly stood on the opposite side of their decision.
Eccar exhaled sharply, his hand brushing through his hair in clear frustration as he looked down the length of the alley.
"Why did that Dragonborn have to appear right now and make things worse..." he muttered with a low sigh, the tension in his voice no longer hidden.
Aesa glanced at him, her expression still calm despite the sa weight pressing against her.
"He just wants to protect the world he thinks is important," she said calmly.
Eccar turned his head toward her, his brows pulling slightly together as if he wanted to argue and push back against that reasoning. But the words never ca.
The frustration lingered in his chest but it had no clear direction to go.
After a mont, he let out another quieter breath and looked away to choose silence instead.
Erend remained still for a second longer before finally shifting his stance. His gaze lowered slightly as he gathered his thoughts, then he looked at both of them.
"We need to go back ho for now," he said. "At least we’ve confird that the thing in this world really is the missing Creation."
That truth settled between them again, heavier than before now that Sylven’s perspective had been added to it.
Aesa crossed her arms slightly, her gaze sharpening. "Then what should we do about it?"
Erend didn’t answer imdiately. His eyes lowered again. His thoughts turn inward, searching through a deeper thing than logic alone. After a mont, he let out a sigh.
"I’ll speak to my power first," he said. "I need guidance on this."
Even as he said it, there was a faint strain in his voice. This wasn’t a problem that strength alone could solve this ti.
At this point, all three of them understood the sa thing without needing to say it aloud. There was no clear path forward and no imdiate solution they could act on.
Every choice led to consequences they could not ignore and none of them were willing to take a step blindly.
Aesa gave a small nod. Eccar followed shortly after.
For now, retreat was the only option.
They each raised a hand.
Three separate distortions of space ford almost at the sa ti, each portal stabilizing with its own unique presence.
The air around them warped briefly as the gateways opened revealing the spaces beyond.
Without another word they stepped forward and disappeared into their respective portals, leaving the alley empty once more as the distortions collapsed and vanished completely.
Just one minute later, footsteps broke through the silence.
Garrick moved quickly into the alley. His armored boots striking against the damp stone with urgency.
His eyes scanned the area sharply as he advanced deeper. His instincts still ring from what he had sensed earlier.
It had a strong pull too strong to ignore.
But there was nothing.
He slowed slightly. His brows furrowed as he looked around. The alley remained empty, undisturbed, offering no visible trace of anything unusual.
For a short mont doubt flickered through his mind.
"Was I wrong...?"
But then he took another step forward and he felt it.
There was a faint disturbance that still lingered in the air. It was subtle but undeniable. Like the afterimage of sothing powerful that had only just left.
Garrick’s expression hardened imdiately.
He turned without hesitation and broke into a run. His armor clinked sharply as he pushed himself forward with urgency.
He needed to report this. Archmage Velrion had to know.
—
High above the layered districts of Leonora City, inside the Archmage’s tower. Light still burned within its upper chambers despite the late hour, a sign that its master had not rested.
Inside, Archmage Velrion stood before a wide circular array etched into the floor.
Its surface glowing with shifting runes. Several spirit ssengers hovered around him, their translucent forms flickering as they delivered their reports in overlapping whispers that only he could fully perceive.
Velrion did not move at first. His tall fra remained still with one hand resting behind his back while the other hovered slightly above the array. His fingers subtly adjusted the flow of Magic that stabilized the connection.
His eyes were sharp and calculating and reflected the faint glow beneath him as he listened.
They had reached all three sites.
Each of the major locations tied to the Sky Anchor had been visited. The overseers stationed there had already sent their confirmations through the spirit network.
They had attempted to intervene, but none of them succeeded. The intruders had not been stopped.
Velrion’s gaze lowered slightly as the final fragnts of the report settled into place within his mind.
That alone was already concerning.
But it was not the part that troubled him the most.
Slowly, his fingers curled slightly as he replayed the details again.
The three individuals had entered each site... reached the core of each fragnt... and then...
Done nothing.
No attempt to take it or destroy it. No sign of interference with the structure of the Sky Anchor. They had simply observed and then left.
Velrion’s eyes narrowed.
That pattern repeated across all three sites without deviation.
That was not the behavior of invaders. Nor was it the behavior of those seeking power.
If they had intended to take control of the Sky Anchor, they would have acted. If they had co to destroy it, there would have been signs of damage or disruption.
But there was nothing. Just observation.
That made it worse in his mind because it ant they were not acting blindly.
They were thinking and planning sothing.
Velrion slowly turned away from the array, his robe shifting softly with the motion as he began to walk toward the large window overlooking the city.
The lights of Leonora stretched beneath him, steady and unaware of the tension tightening above them.
"They’re trying to understand it before making a move," he continued under his breath.
His reflection stared back at him faintly against the glass, his expression now fully hardened.
—
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