Awakening of the Mind Sovereign
Chapter 70: Beneath the Surface

Chapter 70: Beneath the Surface

The air inside the stone structure was thick with age and silence. Echo’s footsteps echoed off the damp walls, each step carrying the weight of uncertainty and growing danger. The woman moved ahead of him, her movements deliberate, as though she had walked this path many times before. Her eyes were narrowed, scanning their surroundings for any sign of movement, but all Echo could see were endless corridors of stone, flickering shadows cast by the dim light from the torches mounted on the walls.

His heart pounded in his chest as the power within him swirled restlessly, waiting for a purpose. The overwhelming surge of energy he had felt in the forest was still present, but now it felt like an unchained beast—wild and untamed, demanding to be released. He tried to calm himself, but the sensation of the magic was unlike anything he had ever felt before. The more he used it, the more it seemed to consume him, like an insatiable hunger that could not be sated.

"Keep moving," the woman said, her voice a sharp command, breaking the silence. "We don’t have much time."

Echo nodded, but the words didn’t settle the unease gnawing at him. There was something ancient about this place—something that seemed to reach deep into his soul. It wasn’t just the power that was pulsing through him; it was the feeling that something was watching, waiting.

Suddenly, the ground beneath them trembled, the walls shaking as if the very structure of the stone was alive. Echo stumbled, his feet nearly giving way beneath him as the force of the tremor hit. The woman didn’t falter, but her eyes flicked toward the ceiling, her expression hardening.

"It’s here," she whispered, barely audible over the rumbling noise.

Before Echo could ask what she meant, the walls erupted in a cascade of stone and dust. The ceiling above them cracked, sending a shower of debris raining down. Echo shielded his face with his arm, the magic inside him flaring instinctively. His body moved of its own accord, and as he focused, the world around him seemed to slow. The debris froze midair, suspended by his will, before he directed it to crash harmlessly to the floor.

He glanced at the woman, his breath coming in short bursts. "What just happened?"

"The Rift is reacting," she said, her voice tense. "This place... it doesn’t take kindly to intruders, especially those with powers like yours."

Echo frowned. "Powers like mine?" His voice was sharp, the unfamiliarity of the situation making him restless.

She turned to face him fully now, her dark eyes locking onto his. "You think your magic is just some gift?" she asked, her tone icy. "No. It’s far more than that. You’re not just tapping into the energy of the Rift; you are the Rift. That’s why it’s reacting to you."

The revelation hit Echo like a thunderclap. He had always known there was something unique about the power he wielded, something that set him apart from others. But to hear that his very existence was tied to the instability of this world—it was a revelation that shook him to his core.

"That’s why I’m here?" he asked, more to himself than to her. "Because I’m tied to this place?"

The woman didn’t answer directly. Instead, she gestured for him to follow as she quickened her pace. "We need to get to the heart of the structure. The Rift’s power is strongest there, and that’s where we can find out exactly what you’ve awakened."

Echo’s mind was racing. His connection to this world was growing stronger by the moment, but he had no idea how to control it. The magic coursing through him was chaotic, unfocused, and yet there was an undeniable strength in it. He had always been a quick learner, but this felt different—more like he was discovering a new part of himself, a part that was both frightening and exhilarating.

The air grew colder as they descended deeper into the structure. The walls began to change—no longer simple stone, they were covered in intricate symbols and markings, etched deep into the rock as though they had been carved by time itself. The deeper they went, the more the markings seemed to pulse with energy, faint light emanating from the cracks between the stones.

"This place is ancient," Echo murmured, his hand reaching out to touch one of the symbols. As soon as his fingers brushed the surface, the air around him crackled, and a surge of power shot through him. His body shuddered, and for a brief moment, the magic inside him flared out of control.

The woman caught his arm, steadying him. "You have to learn to control it," she said firmly. "The more you use your power, the more it will control you."

Echo gritted his teeth, his body still humming with the aftereffects of the surge. "How do I control it?" he asked, frustration creeping into his voice.

"You need to understand it," she replied, her voice calm but filled with an urgency that was beginning to unsettle him. "You are not just a vessel for this power. You are its anchor. The Rift has chosen you for a reason, but if you don’t master it, you will be consumed."

Echo absorbed her words, but the weight of them only added to his growing sense of unease. He was supposed to control this power—this overwhelming, chaotic force that was now an inextricable part of him—but how? His mind scrambled for answers, but there were none. Only more questions.

Ahead of them, the corridor opened up into a vast chamber. At its center stood a massive, swirling vortex of energy, its core dark and foreboding. The air around it twisted and shimmered, as though reality itself was bending in the presence of something ancient and powerful.

The woman stopped at the threshold of the chamber, her gaze fixed on the vortex. "This is it," she said softly. "The heart of the Rift. The source of the power you’ve been drawn to."

Echo felt the pull of the vortex immediately. It was like a siren’s call, drawing him closer with an undeniable force. His heart raced, and he stepped forward without thinking, as if something was guiding him, urging him to come closer.

"Wait!" the woman called out, but it was too late. Echo was already at the edge of the swirling energy, his body tingling with the power that was both his and not his.

Before he could make sense of the overwhelming sensation, the vortex flared, and the world around him shifted. The walls of the chamber melted away, replaced by a vast, starry expanse. Echo found himself standing on a precipice, gazing out over an endless void. The stars above shimmered, but they were distant, unreachable. And in the center of it all, a figure appeared—a silhouette against the stars.

"You have come," the voice echoed, deep and resonant, filling the space around him.

Echo’s breath caught in his throat. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice steady despite the overwhelming fear clawing at his chest.

The figure did not answer immediately. Instead, it stepped closer, revealing a face that was both familiar and foreign—someone from his past, someone who had no business being here.

The woman’s voice broke the silence, filled with shock and disbelief. "No... It can’t be."

The figure smiled—a smile that held both promise and doom. "It’s time, Echo. Time to fulfill your purpose."