Chapter 6 — The Dormant Vault of Celestial Ridge

The Celestial Ridge.
A place whispered in old songs, described as a fracture line where the sky and earth once collided. To Kael, it was now a battlefield waiting to happen.
The wind howled as the skimmer glider sped across the broken cliffs, Kael gripping the side as Kuro piloted with reckless precision. The landscape was surreal—floating stone bridges, waterfalls cascading into empty air, shards of ancient ruins drifting like slow-motion meteors.
“Remind me again,” Kael shouted over the wind, “why we’re flying into a place that’s literally falling apart?”
“Because under all that collapse,” Kuro shouted back with a grin, “is a Vault filled with Dormant Relics. And we need them more than they do.”
Behind them, Selene followed in a second skimmer, leading a small squad of Resistance scouts. The plan was simple: reach the Vault before the World Eaters, secure any active Relics, and get out before the entire ridge decided to crumble.
Simple in theory.
“Brace!” Kuro yelled as a surge of turbulence struck. The skimmer dipped violently, weaving through debris as the edge of a massive archway ruin appeared ahead.
They landed roughly, gravel skidding beneath their boots as they disembarked. Before them stood the Vault entrance—a massive, circular structure embedded in a cliffside, its surface etched with ancient glyphs that pulsed faintly.
Kael’s chest tightened. He could feel the hum in his bones again.
“They’ve been here,” Selene said, pointing to fresh scorch marks on the stone. “Scouts. Probably testing the locks.”
“We can’t waste time,” Kael said, stepping toward the Vault.
“Hold up,” Kuro stopped him, producing a small Relic shard from his pouch. He placed it into a recess in the Vault’s surface. The glyphs reacted instantly, their glow intensifying as a deep rumble echoed.
The Vault door shifted, layers of stone and metal grinding apart to reveal a descending spiral staircase. Warm air, filled with dust and the scent of old storms, swept outward.
“After you, Captain,” Kuro said with a smirk.
Kael led the descent, each step amplifying the Relic’s resonance within him. The staircase opened into a vast underground hall where rows of Relics—gauntlets, staves, even floating crystalline cores—hovered silently above their pedestals.
But something was wrong.
“Where are the guardians?” Selene muttered, eyes narrowing. “These Vaults are never unprotected.”
A low growl answered her question.
From the shadows, figures emerged—Sentinel Constructs, humanoid machines clad in archaic armor, their eyes glowing with deep crimson light.
“They’re already active!” Kuro cursed. “Looks like the World Eaters triggered them remotely.”
Kael drew his Relic Gauntlet, the air compressing around his fist. “We don’t have a choice. We take them down.”
The Sentinels lunged.
Kael moved instinctively, the Relic’s energy guiding his strikes. He ducked under a sweeping blade, his counterpunch releasing a compressed air shockwave that sent the construct crashing into a wall.
Kuro danced through the battle, his Relic Blade slicing through metal as if it were paper. Selene fought alongside, twin energy daggers gleaming, precise and deadly.
But the Sentinels were relentless, and their numbers overwhelming.
“Kael!” Kuro shouted, pointing to a central Relic Core suspended above the hall. “If you can attune to that core, it’ll shut down the Vault defenses!”
Kael’s eyes locked onto the core, its pulse resonating with his own heartbeat. He sprinted across the battlefield, dodging strikes, leaping over debris. The closer he got, the louder the Echoes became, whispering forgotten names, forgotten wars.
He reached out.
The moment his hand touched the Core, the world exploded in light.
Memories flooded him—visions of ancient warriors sealing away chaos, of civilizations rising and falling by the will of these Relics. But among the chaos, Kael felt something deeper—a choice. The Core wasn’t just a weapon. It was a conduit of will.
Kael’s.
“Yield,” Kael commanded, his voice layered with resonance.
The Vault obeyed.
The Sentinels froze mid-attack, their crimson lights flickering before extinguishing entirely. Silence reclaimed the hall, save for the hum of the awakened Core now gently orbiting Kael’s outstretched hand.
The Resistance emerged from cover, breathless, eyes wide.
“You did it…” Selene whispered, a rare smile breaking through her usual sternness.
Kuro approached, clapping Kael on the back. “Not bad, Captain. Not bad at all.”
Kael exhaled, his body trembling from the overwhelming energy. But beneath the exhaustion, a quiet certainty bloomed.
He was no longer just reacting to the events.
He was now a part of them.
And the World Eaters had just lost their head start.