Supreme Hunter of Beautiful Souls

Elion watched the cup. The vibration had stopped. Every internal inscription was extinguished, and the material was beginning to crumble into dust.

"The call has ended," she said.

Eleonor examined the suspended vessels. The transparent lights had returned inside them. Some were strong and conscious. Others were only small fragments, but none remained connected to the Well.

"There is no command anymore."

Violet approached Alaric.

The man remained where Kael had left him, but he was still conscious. The dark veins had disappeared from his face. For the first time, he looked merely old, injured, and terrified.

"No," Alaric murmured. "It cannot be over."

Kael stood with Sylphie’s help.

"It is over."

"You destroyed an archive thousands of years old."

"I destroyed the thing keeping the archive imprisoned."

"Lost knowledge. Entire bloodlines. Secrets that can never be recovered."

Kael looked toward the vessels.

"If any memory survives, it belongs to the person who lived it."

Alaric tried to reach a fragment of the cup on the floor. Violet stepped on his hand and held him in place.

"You still need to answer some questions," she said.

He looked toward Kael.

"The First Blood was not the only one."

"I know."

"There are other projects."

"I know."

"They will find another way."

Kael approached.

"Perhaps."

He crouched in front of Alaric.

"But now you know we can find you too."

The tower began to tremble.

Without the white core, the mana channels supporting the structure had stopped functioning. Cracks opened across the walls, and parts of the lower rings began collapsing.

Amelia spoke through the crystal.

"Everyone out. The external victims are being removed, and the agents have already cleared the passage."

Eleonor looked toward the rows of vessels.

"We will not be able to transport them all before the collapse."

Elion pointed toward the rails on the floor.

"We do not need to carry them individually. The chains are connected to transport platforms. If we release the mechanical locks, the rails will take everything to the entrance."

Kael looked toward Violet.

"Take Alaric."

Then he turned toward Elion.

"Show me the locks."

She indicated four stone levers on different sides of the chamber.

"They need to be activated at the same time."

Kael studied the distances.

"I will do it."

"You can barely stand," Sylphie said.

"I do not need to stand still."

Before she could stop him, Kael used Celestial Step. The first movement carried him to the lever on the left. He pulled it. The second crossed the platform to the opposite side. Pain in his ankle nearly made him lose his footing, but he used the momentum to reach the third. On the fourth movement, he reappeared in front of the last lever and lowered the structure.

The rails opened.

The chains slowly lowered the rows of vessels onto six metal platforms. Elion activated the central mechanism, and the loads began moving through the corridor toward the exit.

Umbra entered the shadows to check the path.

Eleonor supported the ceiling.

Violet carried Alaric.

Kael remained beside the final platform, ensuring no vessel fell when stones began striking the rails. Sylphie refused to leave his side.

The group crossed the corridor while the Tower of Aster collapsed behind them. When they reached the main entrance, Amelia had already organized the agents into two lines to receive the platforms. Irelia coordinated the withdrawal through the magical passage, sending the most unstable vessels first and then the victims rescued outside.

The twenty-three controlled victims had recovered their own shadows.

The six used as anchors remained unconscious, but energy was beginning to return to their bodies.

Kael left last with Sylphie and Eleonor.

The tower collapsed only seconds later.

Part of the mountain fell over the entrance, covering the corridors and the ancient Well beneath thousands of tons of stone. There was no longer a column of mana, roaring, or voices moving through the shadows.

Only dust rising between the two peaks.

For several seconds, no one spoke.

Kael watched until he was certain the structure would not react again.

Amelia approached.

"Preliminary report."

Kael looked toward her.

"Now?"

"You promised to answer."

"I answered during the operation."

"Insufficiently."

He pointed toward the destroyed mountain.

"Problem solved."

Amelia opened the notebook.

"That is not a report."

"It is the important part."

Irelia approached holding a list.

"All six wagons were recovered. Two hundred and seventeen vessels were found among the cargo. The tower contained another four hundred and eighty-three."

Kael became serious.

"How many consciousnesses?"

Elion answered while examining one of the platforms.

"Three hundred and twelve complete enough for communication. Two hundred and forty-nine fragmented. The rest are empty or contain only residue."

"And the bodies?"

"We found thirty-five living people in the region. Some of the consciousnesses may belong to them. We will need to identify each one."

Kael nodded.

"Do that before attempting to return anything."

Elion looked offended.

"I know."

"I am reinforcing it."

She recognized her own phrase being returned and closed her mouth.

Liza arrived along the road several minutes later, accompanied by Violet and the final agents who had secured the other cargo. She looked at the destroyed mountain, then at Kael, covered in blood and dust with two crooked fingers.

"You destroyed another historical site."

"It was already in poor condition."

"Of course."

"We recovered the victims."

Liza examined the vessels.

"Then it was worth it."

Sylphie still held Kael’s arm.

"He threw himself into the Well."

Liza slowly turned her face toward him.

Kael looked toward Umbra.

"Did you tell her?"

"I did not need to."

Sylphie tightened her grip on his arm.

Liza breathed deeply.

"We will discuss that later."

"How many people will participate in this discussion?"

"Everyone," Amelia replied.

Kael grimaced.

"I would rather return to the Well."

Sylphie smiled without humor.

"It no longer exists."

Kael looked toward the mountain one final time.

The First Blood had been destroyed. The command network crossing the vessels had disappeared. Alaric was imprisoned, the agents had been captured, and the victims could now be identified without some structure attempting to consume their memories.

That project of the organization was finished.

Not delayed.

Not abandoned.

Finished.

Kael turned toward Amelia.

"The plan worked."

She closed the notebook for an instant.

"It worked."

"We found the suppliers."

"Yes."

"We followed the cargo."

"Yes."

"We captured the agents."

"Yes."

"And you released me."

Amelia looked at his condition.

"That part needs adjustment."

Kael smiled.

"But it worked."

She tried to maintain a serious expression, but eventually smiled too.

Around them, the agents continued transporting vessels and survivors through the passage. The recovery work would take days. The investigation into the other cells might take months. The organization still existed somewhere, with other projects, leaders, and resources.

But the situation had changed.

Until then, they had reacted to what was left behind.

This time, they had followed the trail, found the active operation, saved the victims, and destroyed what the organization intended to awaken.

Kael looked toward Alaric being led away.

"Warn the others."

The man raised his face.

"About what?"

Kael answered without raising his voice.

"That the next door they open may be the one I use to enter."