Sentinel's gaze lingered on the Heart for a long moment before turning back to her. The faint flicker of blue light traced the hard lines of his face. His hands remained loose at his sides, though there was a quiet rigidity in his shoulders.

"I don't know," he said evenly. "In all my years with the Eclipse Heart, I've never witnessed anything like this."

Vaelthar's voice stirred in his mind, low and insistent, carrying the weight of something older than words. You lie too easily, Sentinel. They deserve the truth. Tell them what he is.

Sentinel's gaze remained still, his expression unflinching, though a muscle ticked faintly at his temple. His thoughts pushed back, firm, deliberate. No. They're not ready. If I reveal it now, doubt and mistrust will take root before understanding does.

Vaelthar's presence receded with a sound like fading thunder, leaving a hum of disapproval lingering in the back of his mind.

Cassandra's sharp gaze lingered on Sentinel, her instincts prickling. The stiffness in his shoulders, the carefully measured calm in his tone, he was holding something back. Her jaw tightened slightly as she looked away. He's hiding something. But if he refuses to tell them, there must be a reason. I'll find it out myself.

Her eyes found Eddy again. He still knelt on the cold floor, his head bowed, breath shallow, the fading shimmer of the Heart's glow tracing across his face. The others watched him in wary silence. The Heart pulsed once more, faintly, like a heartbeat echoing through the stone, its light soft, patient, as though it had revealed its secret and now waited for the world to catch up.

Elias stepped closer, tension drawing faint lines across his brow as his eyes darted between the Heart and the faint shimmer still fading on Eddy's wrist. He crouched down beside him, the blue light carving sharp shadows across his face.

"This..." he murmured, his voice steady but laced with awe. "This isn't random. The Eclipse Heart never acts without reason." His gaze flicked briefly toward the Heart, then back to the mark. "Whatever this is, it means something important. The question is how... and why it's tied to us, and to what's coming."

Alice crossed her arms, her posture defensive, unease flickering behind her usually confident eyes. "He's right," she said, her tone firmer than usual. "Five symbols of our kinds, on his hand?" She tilted her head slightly, studying Eddy as if trying to see something beyond the surface. "That's not normal. Why would the Heart choose you for this?"

Aiden's brows drew together, his shoulders tense. His fingers flexed at his sides as he spoke, disbelief shadowing his voice. "Forget about him for a second, five symbols, from all different kinds, appearing together? We've never heard or seen anything like that in any of our histories. That's... something beyond impossible."

A quiet growl stirred in his mind, followed by Fenrik's voice. Impossible? Maybe. Or maybe the Heart's rewriting the rules we thought we understood. The wolf's tone carried a strange weight, half warning, half wonder. I can feel it, Aiden. That mark isn't just power, it's a bridge. Between us all. Between what was never meant to be joined.

Aiden's eyes flickered, his jaw tightening for a heartbeat before he masked the unease behind a slow, steady breath.

Eddy looked down again, his fingers brushing the faint burn that still pulsed beneath his skin. He gave a short, humorless laugh, his shoulders sagging slightly. "Yeah... I'd like to know that too," he said quietly. "I mean, look at me. I'm just human. What am I supposed to do in a war full of magic and monsters?"

Thorne let out a low groan, dragging a hand through his tousled hair. The motion was sharp, restless. "Everything's falling apart the closer we get to this damn war," he muttered. "Instead of answers, we're getting more questions."

Inside him, Pyrix's voice rumbled through his thoughts, deep and resonant. This mark... it's not a coincidence. It's tied to something larger. Something that will decide your path as Protectors.

Thorne's jaw clenched, his gaze flicking toward the Heart. Yeah, great, he replied inwardly, frustration curling through his thoughts. Except none of us have the faintest clue what it means.

Then perhaps you should find out before it's too late, Pyrix's voice retorted, fading like the last echo of a dying flame.

Before Thorne could respond, Lyric stepped forward, her movements measured, her calm presence cutting through the tension. "He's right," she said softly, brushing a lock of silver hair from her face. "We should find out what this symbol means and why the Heart awakened it now." Her eyes lingered on Eddy, thoughtful yet troubled. "There's no such thing as coincidence when it comes to the Eclipse Heart."

Before anyone else could speak, Sentinel's voice cracked sharply across the chamber. "No."

The sound hit like a command.

Eddy flinched, instinctively drawing back his hand. Alice straightened, frowning. Thorne's brows shot upward, his mouth parting slightly in surprise.

Sentinel straightened to his full height, his expression unreadable, though the set of his shoulders betrayed restraint. "You're all letting curiosity distract you," he said firmly, his eyes sweeping over them one by one. "Your focus should be on the coming attack. We don't know when it will strike, and you're still struggling with control over your powers. We cannot afford recklessness again."

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His words hung heavy in the air, pressing down on them like a physical weight.

Elias's jaw tightened; his gaze dropped to the floor. Lyric's shoulders sank, the light in her eyes dimming. Aiden's hand ran through his hair, his eyes distant, the ghost of blood and screams flickering behind them. The silence thickened, filled only by the faint hum of the Heart.

Finally, Alice broke it with a quiet murmur. "He's not wrong... we can't lose focus again."

Their eyes met, five glances, five unspoken memories, and for a fleeting moment, unity flickered amid the doubt.

Eddy still sat on the cold floor, his gaze fixed on his wrist. The faint blue glow had faded, but his fingers lingered over the spot, feeling the pulse beneath. It wasn't just his heartbeat anymore, it was something older, deeper, quietly alive beneath his skin.

Cassandra stepped forward, her boots making a soft echo across the stone floor. Her hands were clasped behind her back, shoulders squared though tension flickered in her jaw. "Sir," she said, her voice careful yet resolute. "Someone needs to uncover what this symbol means. If the Eclipse Heart awakened it, there must be a reason. Perhaps it's tied to what's coming."

Sentinel's gaze hardened, his expression unreadable but his stance unyielding. "Don't worry," he said evenly. "Leave it to me. I'll find out what it is."

Cassandra's fingers twitched at her side, the faintest sign of frustration slipping through her composed exterior. "But," she began, the word sharp, unwilling to let it go.

He lifted a hand slightly, cutting her off, not harshly but with authority that needed no force. His voice softened, though it carried the weight of command. "Cassandra. You and the others need to focus on your training. Control your power before it controls you. I'll handle this."

Her lips pressed together, and for a heartbeat, her eyes flashed with quiet rebellion. Then she exhaled slowly, the breath steadying her composure. A reluctant nod followed, though the set of her shoulders betrayed her disagreement.

In Sentinel's mind, Vaelthar's voice stirred again, quiet but edged with warning. You won't be able to hide this forever.

Sentinel's eyes shifted briefly toward Eddy, the faintest muscle tightening in his jaw. Perhaps not, he thought, his expression hardening. But by the time they learn the truth, they'll understand his importance.

Maris stood up then, her movements gentle but sure. She crouched slightly, reaching out a hand toward Eddy. Her eyes softened, concern dimming the sharpness in her tone. "Come on, Eddy," she said. "Let's get that wrist treated before it scars. You'll feel better once the burn settles."

Eddy hesitated, glancing from her hand to the faint mark still glowing on his wrist. His shoulders slumped; exhaustion clung to him like a second skin. Then, with a weary sigh, he reached up and took her hand. "Guess that's the least weird thing that's happened today," he muttered with a crooked, tired smile.

Maris's lips curved faintly in response, relief flickering in her eyes as she helped him to his feet.

Sentinel straightened, his voice regaining its calm authority as he looked over the group. "All of you, get some rest. Training starts at dawn."

The order hung in the air, and one by one, they nodded, though unease still lingered in their gazes.

Thorne was the first to move, stretching his arms with exaggerated exhaustion. His yawn echoed faintly before he spoke, voice carrying a trace of his usual dry humor. "Dawn training again? Great. Maybe next time the Heart can brand someone else while I sleep in."

Lyric's eyes flicked toward him, the corner of her mouth tugging upward despite herself. "Maybe if you trained harder, it wouldn't need to."

Thorne chuckled, bumping her shoulder lightly as they passed through the archway. "Harsh as always, Stardust."

Aiden followed close behind, running a hand through his hair as he exhaled through his nose. Alice trailed beside him, silent, lost in thought. Cassandra lingered near the rear, glancing once over her shoulder at the Heart before stepping out.

Their footsteps faded slowly, echoing through the vast chamber until silence reclaimed it.

Only Sentinel remained, standing before the Eclipse Heart. The dim light from its surface painted his features in a shifting glow. His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the faint pulse within its core, steady, deliberate, alive.

The rhythm matched the faint shimmer still visible on Eddy's wrist.

For a long moment, Sentinel simply stood there, his face unreadable. Then, quietly, the corners of his eyes tightened with something that wasn't quite fear but wasn't certainty either.

When he finally spoke, his voice was low, steady, and threaded with memory.

"So… after the first Anchorion, this is the second time the Heart has created one," he murmured, each word carrying a weight of history. His eyes darkened, recalling echoes long buried. "The last time an Anchorion appeared, everything descended into ruin — chaos, blood, betrayal, and division. After that, the Eclipse Heart fell silent. It never chose another. Not until now."

The Heart pulsed softly in response, its light deepening to a muted blue. The color washed across his armor, rippling faintly like water over steel. Sentinel's jaw tightened, the faint muscle at its edge twitching as the reflection flickered across his face, tracing the conflict that words could not.

Vaelthar's voice rose within his mind, deep and measured, yet shadowed with unease. Why now? the dragon spirit asked. Why has it created an Anchorion again, after all these centuries? What message does it carry this time?

Sentinel's shoulders tensed, his composure shifting like a fortress under strain. His fingers flexed behind his back, as though to anchor himself against a rising tide of uncertainty. His gaze faltered for a heartbeat before settling again on the Heart, his eyes narrowing with quiet determination.

"I don't know, Vaelthar," he answered inwardly, his tone quiet but firm. "I haven't any idea... but one thing I'm certain of."

He lifted his gaze to the Heart, the glow reflecting in his eyes like tempered fire, sharpening the solemn lines of his face. "The rise of another Anchorion means this war won't follow the path of those before it. This time, the Protectors won't only face the outside threats that approach from beyond the realms." His voice dropped, steady but laced with conviction. "They'll face those within Zephyros too, the ones who will betray them, who will stand against everything they were meant to protect."

The Heart's light flickered once, a subtle throb that made the air shiver. For an instant, it seemed to breathe, the faint hum deepening into a tone that resonated through the floor beneath his boots.

Vaelthar's voice stirred again, softer this time, a low rumble that carried both pride and sorrow. So it begins again… but differently this time. A pause. In the history of all Protectors, the weakest among them will write the greatest chapter. The one no one could ever imagine.

Sentinel's throat worked as he swallowed the weight of the words. A long silence followed, broken only by the quiet pulse of the Heart. Slowly, his shoulders eased, the rigid line of his stance softening though his gaze remained locked upon the glowing core.

"Then let's hope," he said quietly, his tone edged with grim resolve, "that history is ready for what's coming, and that they'll learn soon enough who truly stands with them... and who stands against them."

The Eclipse Heart pulsed again, a steady, deliberate rhythm that filled the chamber like the slow, powerful beat of a living force older than time — watching, waiting, and listening.

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