Narrator's Voice:
"They say fate has a design. But what if that design was stolen, rewritten, and hidden in the tunnels beneath your feet? In Vantaria, answers often wear the mask of riddles—and laughter often hides the deepest scars."
Scene 1: Post-Festival Hangover (Comedy Begins)
The next morning, Zayen woke up in the common room, tangled in floating lantern wires and wearing a "Festival Prince" sash upside down.
Kael: "You good?"
Zayen: (groggy) "I think I legally married a dumpling last night."
Kael: "You say that like it's not the second time."
Meanwhile, Kael had the scroll laid open on the table. Under the soft light of the rising sun, the map had changed. Inked paths that weren't there last night now twisted across the paper like veins.
"What are you?" Kael murmured, tracing the crown-shaped symbol near the word 'Cavern of Regret'.
The moment he touched it, the ink glowed faintly.
Scene 2: Girls, Gossip, and Guilt
Elsewhere, Riven found herself the subject of subtle stares again—not from ridicule this time, but curiosity. Some girls from the Astra Dorm even waved. One gave her a compliment on her cloak.
Riven: "...Thanks."
She ducked away, still not used to the attention, only to run smack into Kyria again—who was sipping spicy chai like she hadn't just insulted Riven the night before.
Kyria: "Still brooding?"
Riven: "Still existing?"
Kyria smirked. "Touché."
There was tension. But also... chemistry? Not romance, no. But the kind of rivalry that made you secretly care if the other person broke.
Meanwhile, Aera (Zayen's crush from the gardening division) randomly appeared with a tray of glittering pastries.
Aera: "Zayen! I made these from starfruit and anxiety!"
Zayen: "Perfect! That's my favorite emotional combo."
She handed one to Kael, too. "For you. You look like you haven't slept."
Kael gave a polite nod. "Thanks, I've been... dreaming of maps."
Aera blinked. "That sounds weirdly ominous."
Scene 3: Trouble from Below
Professor Morn, head of relic studies, barged into their class midday holding a burnt scroll and looking very, very disturbed.
"Someone has triggered an ancient trail beneath the eastern ruins of Vantaria. Unauthorized magic. Old glyphs reacting. The Council is... watching."
He scanned the room. His eyes landed on Kael for a moment. Then drifted.
Kael looked down at the scroll in his coat. Still glowing faintly.
"A mission may be declared soon," Morn continued. "Be alert. Especially you, first-years. The Soulfruit Trials are nearer than you think."
Whispers. Chills.
Kael and Zayen exchanged a look.
Scene 4: Underground Whisper (Hint of Action)
Later that night, they snuck out—Kael, Zayen, and unexpectedly, Riven.
"You're not subtle," she said dryly, stepping out of the shadows as they reached the entrance of the old relic crypt.
Kael: "You followed us?"
Riven: "No. I led you."
She held up a matching scroll, slightly different, but connected to Kael's.
Together, the two maps glowed, aligning glyphs, forming a complete path.
"Where does it lead?" Zayen whispered.
Riven: "Somewhere we're not supposed to go."
Kael: "...So obviously, we're going."
Scene 5: The Forbidden Door (Cliffhanger)
They reached a sealed stone door, buried beneath the eastern wing of Vantaria. Its surface shimmered faintly with starlight.
Kael placed his scroll against the lock.
Nothing happened.
Riven stepped forward—and pressed her palm beside it. The fire crown shimmered briefly over her reflection on the stone.
Then—click.
The door opened.
Beyond it, cold wind. Floating stairs. Faint whispers. A hallway of portraits—but all the figures had no faces.
Zayen: "Nope. Nope. Nope."
Kael: "One step at a time."
And from the dark, a new symbol began to burn on Kael's medallion...
End of Chapter 4: Fractured Threads & Forbidden Maps
Narrator's WhisperWhen paths hidden for centuries awaken beneath your feet, remember: not all doors lead forward. Some open... inwards.