They didn't blink.
The eyes in the sky hung like burning moons — unblinking, watching, judging. Kairan could feel their weight pressing on his skull, their gaze peeling apart his thoughts like layers of dead skin.
Liora gripped her blade tighter. "We need to move. Now."
But Kairan wasn't listening. He was listening to it.
System Alert:
[Entity: Watchers Detected]
Classification: Outer Remnants of Pre-Sundering Pantheon
Status: Dormant Observation Mode
Threat Level: Unknown
He staggered forward, head down, voice low. "They're not looking at me. They're looking through me."
System Update:
[Psychic Containment Barrier: Weakening]
[Sync Rate: 11.8%]
[You are becoming more than vessel. Less than human.]
Liora grabbed his shoulder. "Look at me. I don't care what this System says— You're not some hollow shell. You're still Kairan."
But he wasn't sure. Not anymore.
Because the System was starting to feel like him.
Another memory leaked in — faster this time. A burning temple. Screams. A girl with silver hair dragging a bloodied sword across a marble altar. She looked at him and said:
"You'll never escape it. None of us did."
Then the vision fractured.
Kairan gasped. His fingers had started to glow — the glyphs pulsing with violent light.
He blinked.
The eyes were gone.
Just clouds now. Normal clouds.
Or maybe the madness had paused for breath.
System Message:
[Skill Manifestation Opportunity Available]
Choose One:
▸ Flamebrand Core (Lv. 1) – Weaponize inner relic into scorching physical aura.
▸ Memory Split (Lv. 1) – Store excess consciousness in mental shard. Reduces identity decay.
▸ Echo Gate (Lv. 1) – Open a path to a sealed memory chamber.
He didn't pick.
Not yet.
"Where are we going?" he asked, quietly.
Liora turned, already leading. "The Silverhold. If anyone knows what this thing inside you is… it's the old Menders."
Kairan stared at her. "And if they try to cut it out of me?"
She didn't answer.
Because they both knew…
They might not fail.
And something inside Kairan was daring them to try.
---
📝 Author's Note – Kryen:
Kairan's humanity is hanging by threads. Eyes are watching. Secrets are cracking.
Tomorrow's chapter will take you to Silverhold — where truths begin to burn.