He snapped his hand back, the faint scrape of his boots breaking the stillness. His pulse thundered as his eyes darted to the edges of the chamber, searching for anything that might explain the sudden unease. The plants still glowed faintly at the room's edges, but their light seemed muted now, as though they were retreating from something unseen.

  Then he saw them.

  Two orange lights blinked into existence at the farthest edge of the room. Small and still, they burned against the darkness, unwavering.

  Auron's breath hitched.

  They weren't lights—they were eyes.

  The gaze was relentless, pinning him where he stood. His chest tightened as the weight of the eyes pressed into him, burrowing into the edges of his thoughts. They weren't hostile, but they weren't indifferent either. They studied Auron with impossibly sharp focus like they were peeling away layers of his mind.

  His legs refused to move, the pull of the portal behind him locking him in place. The weight of its aura was still there, brushing faintly against him, coaxing him forward. But the orange lights held him just as firmly, their silent, suffocating presence stretching the space between them.

  Auron's hand drifted to the pocket of his greys, where he felt the subtle outline of the Watcher's Cover. The blindfold's fabric felt cold and inert against his skin, unresponsive to the fear gripping him.

  The tension in the room twisted, tightening like a noose. The portal's shifting void seemed to quicken, its shapes curling and unfurling with greater urgency, while the orange lights remained fixed. Auron's breath came in shallow gasps, each one catching in his throat as he struggled to comprehend the forces pulling at him.

  The void churned. The lights stared. And Auron stood trapped between them, caught in a tug-of-war that felt like it could tear him apart.

  A voice shattered the quiet.

  "Hey! You really planning to go in there alone?"

  Auron spun around, his heart slamming in his chest. His gaze fixed on an approaching figure. He recognized this person. It was the girl from Tower 7c—or at least, her avatar. She looked like something out of a fantasy game, with a satchel slung across her torso and a floating, eye-like orb hovering over her shoulder. The orb glowed faintly, casting a steady light that made the room feel just a little less suffocating.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  "You're the one I saw on floor 13," Auron said, frowning. "What's your deal? Why are you here?"

  Her shrug was casual, but her gaze was sharp. "I could ask you the same thing. What's with sneaking around Mr. Dalton's office? And now you're trying to waltz into a gateway? Do you even know how many ways that could go wrong?"

  Auron huffed, running a hand through his hair. So he was being followed. "Look, I don't have a choice, okay? I need to find something, anything, I can use against Catch22. This gateway's my only lead."

  She tilted her head, studying him with the kind of look that made him squirm. "And how, exactly, did you stumble on this place?"

  Auron resisted the urge to look down at the pocket containing the Watcher's Cover. "I… I've got a knack for finding things. Let's just leave it at that."

  Her brow arched, curiosity flickering across her face. "A knack, huh? Sounds like there's a story there." She paused, her tone softening just a fraction. "But, whatever. Secrets are kinda my thing, too." Her lips quirked into a quick, easy grin. "Name's Scribblez. LoreHunter ring any bells?"

  Auron frowned slightly. "LoreHunter?"

  "Yep." Scribblez's expression brightened, her enthusiasm bubbling to the surface. "It's my channel. I dig up all the hidden stories and lore in the InfiNet. Last big scoop? Arcanis Prime. Everyone thought it was just another planet until some guy sent out a beacon claiming it was hollow—hiding a crazy artifact inside. Cost him his life, actually. But hey, the truth's got a price, right?"

  Auron's heart skipped, but he kept his face neutral, nodding slowly. "I've… heard about it."

  Her eyes lit up. "Perfect! You'll love this." Scribblez gestured toward the wall, and the floating orb hovering over her shoulder projected a video onto the cracked stone. "This is from my recording at Arcanis Prime."

  As the video began, Auron glanced back toward the dark corner where he'd seen the orange eyes. They were gone. Whether they had been real or just his imagination didn't matter; they had left him uneasy. He shook off the thought, forcing himself to focus on Scribblez and the glowing projection before him.

  The orb's light illuminated the subway tunnel as the video started with Scribblez's vibrant introduction. Her voice carried an infectious energy that filled the space.

  "Hello, fellow Lore Enthusiasts! Welcome back to LoreHunter, the channel where we uncover the hidden secrets of the InfiNet! I'm your host, Scribblez, and today we're diving into the mystery of Arcanis Prime, all thanks to the brave InfiNet user Ac3."

  A respectful image of Ac3 appeared on the screen, accompanied by a small "R.I.P." caption. Scribblez paused, her tone softening. "Let's take a moment to honor Ac3, who gave everything to reveal the truth about Arcanis Prime to the world."

  The scene shifted to Scribblez standing on the viewing platform of a frigate, with the vastness of space stretching out behind her. The camera panned to reveal Arcanis Prime, the vault world surrounded by guild ships and cosmic beasts. Scribblez's tone became animated.

  "As you can see, the guilds are out in full force today! Check it out. We've got everything from sleek Raptor-class cruisers to those wild Zaltzacoatls from the Scions Guild!" The video zoomed in on the vessels and creatures as Scribblez continued her commentary.

  Suddenly, the planet's defenses activated. Energy shields flared to life, and turrets erupted in dazzling displays of light and firepower.

  "Whoa! There it is! The planet's defenses just kicked in. This is gonna get messy!" Scribblez's voice was laced with awe.