Ren followed quietly behind Ervin as they left the main hall of the Southern Archive. The place felt alive with movement above, clerks carrying records and soldiers standing watch, but they went to the ground located in front of the main hall. They turned in the right direction. Stepped ahead above the stone pathway. Then after a short distance they showed a grand building. Made up of white marbles. The building rose like a monument of purity, its walls carved from seamless white marble that shimmered faintly beneath the light. Intricate runes flowed across its surface, glowing softly as if the stone itself breathed with magic. Tall spires crowned the roof, each tipped with crystals that pulsed in rhythm with unseen currents of mana, casting arcs of light into the air like silent beacons. Beyond Its spiralling stairway present. They were going upwards. Above it there were so many platforms present. Each one was a doorway for going somewhere.

Through one platform important members could enter in the teleportation lifts. Through that they reached the grand chamber's doors. Its heavy arched doors lay in front of the Grand Chamber's corridor. Ahead of the grand chamber was a long corridor present. The ceiling of the grand chamber stretched high above, supported by marble pillars engraved with sigils that whispered with power. A circular table of polished obsidian rested at the center, surrounded by towering chairs adorned with silver and crystal. When one spoke within the chamber, the very walls carried the words, amplifying them without echo. Wisps of ethereal flame floated in the air, shedding a gentle glow that never dimmed.

Here, rulers, mages, and envoys gathered where voices shaped kingdoms, countries and decisions could shift the fate of the entire planet. The air itself felt heavy with authority, as though the stones remembered every oath, bargain, and betrayal ever spoken within.

As they entered, the noise thinned out.

The corridor ahead was long, lined with faintly glowing runes that pulsed every few moments. Soldiers at each checkpoint stood stiff as stone, their eyes following Ren but saying nothing. Each time, Ervin gave a small nod, and they were allowed to pass.

"You've never been down here before, right?" Ervin asked as they walked.

Ren shook his head. "No. I didn't even know this part existed."

"Most people don't," Ervin said. His voice was calm, but there was weight behind it. "It's not something we talk about openly."

They reached a wide stairwell spiraling upward. The stone steps were dark, polished from years of use, and the torches on the walls barely lit the way. The air grew colder with every step. Their footsteps echoed, the sound bouncing endlessly in the hollow shaft.

After what felt like minutes, the stairs ended at a platform where a strange lift waited. Its frame was made of black iron, with glowing glyphs etched into the floor. Ervin stepped on first. "Come on. This will take us further."

Ren hesitated, then followed. The moment both of them stood inside, the runes lit up and the platform began to descend smoothly, carrying them deeper into the ground. The hum of magic surrounded them, low and steady, almost like a heartbeat.

Ren crossed his arms. "So… Where do we go exactly?"

Ervin's eyes stayed on the dark walls sliding past. "You'll see soon. Just come with me."

The teleportation lift finally slowed, stopping before a heavy set of doors. More soldiers stood here, silent, their armor faintly glowing with protective wards. One of them pulled the door open with effort, and the cold that seeped out felt almost unnatural.

They entered a long corridor. On either side were thick steel doors, each marked with sigils that glowed faintly. The silence here was heavier, broken only by the faint hum of enchantments in the walls.

At the end of the passage, Ervin stopped. Before them stood a reinforced door layered with glowing seals, brighter than any they had passed. He placed a hand on it, and the runes shifted, loosening their hold.

"This is it," Ervin said quietly. "This is the place that we are going."

Ren stared at the door, feeling a weight in his chest. He didn't know what he was about to see, but the air already carried a strange tension.

Ervin glanced at him. "Yes, Stay calm. Remember, this is a very important and top secret place. So don't behave childish."

"Okay, I will not." Ren agreed.

With that, he pushed the door open, and they stepped inside.

The chamber was quiet when Ervin entered with Ren at his side. The crystals in the walls cast a steady, pale glow, their light breaking against the polished edges of the round table.

Two men were already seated. One, in a finely cut blue suit, radiated a calm but undeniable authority. The other remained half-hidden beneath his hood, his presence sharp, his silence heavier than words.

Ren slowed as they entered, his gaze flicking between the strangers. He didn't recognize either of them, not the wealthy man whose cufflinks caught the light, nor the figure whose very shadow seemed alive. Still, something in the air warned him that this was no ordinary meeting. They stepped towards them. They reached near the opposite site chairs and stood there together. Then after...

Ervin gestured gently. "Ren," he said, his voice steady. "This is Aurel Veylan. And his associate, Kairn. They are here… because of you."

Ren blinked, caught off guard. He dipped his head slightly out of courtesy but kept quiet, waiting for explanation.

Aurel Veylan's smile was faint, polite but heavy with meaning. "So you are Ren," he said, his tone smooth, practiced, the voice of someone used to speaking across halls of kings and councils of merchants. "I've heard more about you than you might imagine. Please, take your seats."

Ervin pulled out a chair, nodding for Ren to sit. Then both sat opposite sides of Veylan's chair. They were both settled.

Ren sat in his place. He wasn't used to being addressed like that as if he were someone important. "I don't think I've done anything worth your notice," he admitted, scratching lightly at the back of his neck.

Veylan chuckled softly, a sound warm on the surface but with an undercurrent of weight. "You'd be surprised what carries notice. Sometimes it isn't about what you've done, but what you could do."

Kairn remained still, though Ren felt his eyes on him from beneath the hood. It was like standing under the gaze of a predator that didn't need to bare its fangs to make its power known.

Ervin leaned slightly forward, his voice lower. He spoke with respect."Sir, Veylan. You said it was about Ren. Then tell him. Speak plainly."

Veylan's hands rested lightly on the table, the gemstones in his rings catching faint glimmers from the crystal light. He looked first at Ervin, then at Ren, his gaze steady.

"It's about my son," he said quietly.

Ren's brows drew together. "Your son?"

"Yes. His name is Watson."

The name struck Ren like a stone in water, a sudden ripple through his thoughts. He leaned forward slightly, his voice uncertain. "…Watson?"

"Yes," Veylan said, studying him closely. "You've met him, haven't you?"

Ren hesitated, recalling Watson. Watson that lived in his past and another Watson in the Archive, the weight of his confusion, the hollow in his eyes. Both were the same but he knew what was the difference between them. He came out of that thought and spoke. "Yaah, I know him. We studied together. He is my good friend. A few moments ago, i… I've seen him," Ren said carefully. "We spoke."

Veylan's expression softened, though his eyes betrayed something deeper, a pain carefully hidden. "Then you know," he said. "I know you are good friends. And you've seen what he has become. The memories he has lost. He forgot about you also. Even for me, his own father."

Ren stayed silent, unsure what to say. He fully understood the bond Veylan was describing, but he could still feel the heaviness in the man's words.

It was Ervin who spoke next, voice calm but firm. "We already told him what happened. About the parasites. About why Watson lost himself."

Veylan gave a slow nod. "Yes. And I've accepted that. But I cannot leave it as it is." His hands curled slightly on the table's edge. "I know there is a way to restore him. A path hidden from the world, but not lost."

Ren's gaze lifted again, caught by the conviction in Veylan's tone. "…And that path involves me?"

"Yes," Veylan answered simply.

The room fell into a brief silence. The glow of the crystals seemed colder, sharper.

Ren sat straighter in his chair, confusion plain on his face. "I don't understand. I'm not a healer. I'm not even…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "Why me?"

This time, it was Kairn who moved. His voice slid through the air like steel drawn from a sheath. "Because others have tried. And all have failed."

Ren's eyes turned to the hooded man. The air felt heavier now, though Kairn's words were no louder than a whisper.

Ren spoke with mixed expressions...

"Can you tell me everything? What are you talking about?"

Veylan revealed everything...

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