Arcanhelm's Whispering Walls
The capital loomed like a memory carved in stone.
Arcanhelm. Jewel of the realm. Heart of the Empire. To many, it was a city of opportunity. To Kael, it was a cage lined with velvet lies.
The carriage creaked to a stop at the outer gates. Guards in shining armor lined the entrance. Massive towers soared toward the sky, with banners bearing the sigil of the Crown a phoenix wrapped in golden chains.
Kael stepped out, eyes wide. Even the air tasted different here: cleaner, colder, sharper. Magic pulsed in every stone, humming beneath his boots.
Lireen stepped beside him. "Welcome to Arcanhelm. Try not to stare. The walls remember everything."
---
The city was a maze of spiraling bridges, levitating platforms, and crystalline canals. People walked in elegant robes, laughter floating in the air. Yet beneath the surface, Kael felt tension.
Whispers followed him. Eyes lingered too long. As if the city itself recognized something in him.
The book pulsed faintly inside his satchel.
"They're watching," Kael murmured.
Lireen didn't deny it. "This is a place of masks. Don't remove yours unless you're ready to bleed."
---
They arrived at the Sanctum Quartel a marble fortress with spires like frozen flames. It served as both a research academy and prison for magical anomalies.
An older man awaited them at the entrance. He wore white robes with crimson trim, and his eyes glowed faintly silver.
"Kael," he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I am Archwarden Velien. You are under my custody until the Council determines your fate."
"Am I a guest or a prisoner?" Kael asked.
"That depends entirely on you."
Lireen glanced at Velien. "He agreed to come of his own will. That should be respected."
"We respect many things in Arcanhelm," Velien replied. "But will is rarely one of them."
---
Kael was taken to a chamber high above the city, overlooking the central court.
The room was elegant bookshelves, a crystal basin, even a bed of silk. Yet Kael felt none of its comfort.
He opened the book.
New words had appeared.
"Behind beauty lies ruin. Behind crowns, chains. Remember the pain beneath the marble."
As he read, voices echoed faintly.
He closed the book quickly. Someone was approaching.
A young woman entered, holding a tray of food. Her hair was silver-blonde, and her eyes a soft violet were strangely familiar.
She curtsied. "I'm Naria. Assigned to assist during your stay."
Kael tilted his head. "You're not a servant."
She smiled. "I used to be a student here. Then I read too much. Now I serve tea to dangerous guests."
He chuckled softly. "Is that what they call me?"
She set the tray down. "Some say you're the second coming of Ardynus. Others say you're a mistake that should be erased. Me? I'm just curious."
Kael watched her go. Something about her felt... important. But he couldn't place it.
---
Later that night, he explored the chamber's balcony. Below, he saw the Council's Spire a tower of pure obsidian wrapped in runes.
Suddenly, the book opened on its own.
Visions flooded his mind:
A burning throne room.
Ardynus screaming as chains ripped through his body.
A child's voice crying: "Please don't forget me, Papa!"
Kael collapsed.
"What is this?!"
But the visions didn't stop.
He saw Lireen, her blade shattering. Naria, chained in a cell. A council member shouting: "He's not Ardynus he's worse!"
Kael gasped awake, soaked in sweat.
The book glowed softly.
"You are seeing threads of what was... and what may yet be."
---
The next morning, Velien returned. "The Council will meet you tomorrow. Be honest. Be obedient."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "And if I'm not?"
Velien's voice was calm. "Then Arcanhelm will bury you beneath its perfection."
---
Kael stood alone in the chamber after Velien left. He clutched the book, breathing heavily.
"I came here to understand who I am... but all I find are chains waiting to bind me."
The room darkened.
And then a voice not from the book but from the wall itself:
"Then break them. As he once did."
Kael turned. The shadows shifted.
And from them, stepped a boy no older than ten. His hair was silver. His eyes blue stars.
"Who are you?" Kael whispered.
The boy smiled. "I am the reason you were brought back."
---
Teaser :
> đź“š In Another World, I Rise to Erase Sin
A reborn soul. A forbidden legacy. And a city of lies hiding behind marble towers.
> đź“– Join Kael as he walks the path of a forgotten hero, hunted by crowns and haunted by memories not his own.
> đź’¬ Read now, and discover why some sins were never meant to be erased...
To be continued...
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📢 Teaser Book :
> đź“š In Another World, I Rise to Erase Sin
A reborn soul. A forbidden legacy. A city of lies behind marble towers.
đź’¬ Join Kael as he walks the path of a forgotten hero, hunted by crowns and haunted by memories not his own.
✨ Read now, and discover why some sins were never meant to be erased...
---