Scott frowned slightly.
"Different halls?" he repeated in his mind.
He had expected something more… controlled. Structured. Official. Instead, Rylan had brought him somewhere far more private.
Too private.
Scott didn't say anything, though.
He already knew Rylan well enough.
If there was one thing certain, it was this—
Rylan always had something up his sleeve.
Still, Scott chose not to question it.
For now.
The hall before them was vast.
Not just large—
Massive.
The ceiling stretched so high it disappeared into darkness, while the floor beneath them was polished to a mirror-like sheen. Strange inscriptions lined the walls, faintly glowing, as if responding to the presence of those who had come to awaken their power.
Scott stepped forward slowly, his senses sharpening.
This place wasn't ordinary.
It felt… alive.
Without warning, Rylan stepped ahead.
"I'll go first," he said casually.
Scott raised an eyebrow. "Already?"
But Rylan didn't respond.
Instead, he lifted his hand slightly.
Then—
The air trembled.
A deep vibration rippled through the hall, subtle at first, then rapidly intensifying.
Scott's eyes widened.
The space above Rylan began to distort.
And then—
It appeared.
A gigantic gate materialized in midair.
It didn't descend.
It didn't rise.
It simply… existed.
As if the laws of physics had no authority over it.
The gate shimmered with a radiant, mystic light—golden and pure. Its surface was smooth, almost divine, covered in intricate patterns that seemed to shift if one stared too long.
The entire hall was bathed in its glow.
Scott felt it immediately.
Power.
Heavy.
Pressing.
Ancient.
"…So this is a Celestial Gate…" he whispered.
He had read about it.
Studied it.
Prepared for it.
But seeing it in person—
Was something else entirely.
Rylan turned slightly, glancing at Scott with a faint grin.
"Impressive, right?"
Scott didn't answer.
He was still staring.
Then—
It was his turn.
Scott took a step forward.
Closed his eyes briefly.
And reached inward.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Silence filled the hall.
Then—
A low rumble echoed.
Not from above.
But from… everywhere.
Scott's eyes snapped open.
The space before him began to crack—not like glass, but like stone under pressure.
And then—
A second gate emerged.
It was completely different.
Where Rylan's gate was radiant and smooth—
Scott's was ancient.
Massive.
Carved from something that resembled jade, yet darker, deeper… almost alive.
It shifted subtly, as though it held countless forms within it—stone, crystal, shadow.
Beautiful.
And terrifying.
The moment it fully appeared, the air grew heavy.
Scott felt a chill run down his spine.
"…What is this…?" he murmured.
He hadn't expected this.
Rylan stared at it for a moment longer than he should have.
Then he laughed lightly.
"Well," he said, forcing his usual tone, "this is the day we become something else."
He glanced at Scott, a strange smile forming.
"The day we become veilborns."
Scott didn't respond.
But something about those words…
Didn't sit right.
Without waiting any longer, Rylan jumped.
His body shot upward toward the gate.
The moment he approached—
The gate responded.
It flung open.
Blinding light burst forth, swallowing him completely.
In an instant—
He was gone.
Silence.
Scott stood alone now.
Two gates hovered in the air.
One shining.
One watching.
Scott took a deep breath.
Then stepped forward.
"…Guess it's my turn."
He jumped.
The moment he neared the gate—
It reacted.
But not like Rylan's.
It didn't open immediately.
It… hesitated.
For a split second—
Everything froze.
Then—
The gate slowly creaked open.
Not smoothly.
Not naturally.
But as if something deep within it had just awakened.
A dark, shimmering light spilled out—not evil, not pure… just unknown.
Scott's eyes narrowed.
Then—
He stepped in.
And vanished.
The gates remained.
Hovering.
Silent.
Unmoving.
High above—
Far beyond the hall—
An observation tower overlooked everything.
Hidden.
Isolated.
Watching.
Two men stood within it.
They were identical.
Perfectly.
Not a single difference between them.
Same height.
Same build.
Same sharp, refined features.
Even their presence felt… synchronized.
One of them leaned slightly forward, his gaze fixed on the jade-like gate.
His broad shoulders cast a long shadow behind him, but his eyes—
His eyes shimmered with quiet elegance.
"…An ancient Jade Temple," he said softly.
"Interesting."
The second man stood beside him, arms folded.
"That boy…" he said slowly, his voice lower, more cautious. "There's something wrong with him."
The first man didn't respond immediately.
He simply watched.
Studied.
Observed.
"I'll keep an eye on him," the second man continued. "But not for long. If we stay here too much, we'll be discovered."
The first man nodded slightly.
"Then go."
His tone was calm.
But firm.
The second man didn't hesitate.
In the next instant—
He vanished.
Completely.
As if he had never been there.
The remaining man stood alone.
Silent.
Still watching.
"…That presence…" he murmured.
For the first time—
His expression shifted.
Just slightly.
"…It feels wrong."
He placed a hand lightly against his chest.
His eyes narrowed.
"…The one attached to my… perception…"
He paused.
As if trying to understand something beyond his reach.
"…is not his."
Silence filled the tower.
Below, the jade gate pulsed faintly.