Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part One]

CHAPTER 198: Echoes of the Forgotten & The Unveiling

The chamber atop the Luminal Obelisk was bathed in the soft glow of firelight, flickering across its pearly white walls. Time had not been kind to the once grand observation tower. Cracks ran through the stone and the faded paint peeled in places, revealing the rough texture beneath. A long, circular platform jutted from the surrounding walls, serving as both seating and a reminder of the tower's past purpose.

Wrapped in a warm blanket, Fay and Silvestia sat huddled together with the egg nestled securely between them. The fire crackled in the old fireplace, a welcome source of heat against winter's chill. The scent of roasted meat lingered in the air as they finished off the last of the skewers they had received from the kindhearted vendors earlier.

Silvestia stretched her legs out with a sigh, rolling her shoulders. "My body almost forgot how nice it is to actually move again. I swear, after being bedridden for so long, I need to make up for all that wasted time."

Fay smiled, adjusting the blanket. "I don't blame you. It must've been awful. But... are you sure it's okay to have a fire going? Won't someone notice?"

Silvestia waved a hand dismissively. "No one pays attention to this place anymore. It's been abandoned for years." Her gaze softened as she looked at Fay. "This is my special space. It's safe. Bringing you here is the least I can do after everything you've done for me. You saved my life."

Fay looked down, shaking her head. "I think it's the other way around. Your parents took me in when I had nowhere else to go... when I was about to be consumed by despair. And you gave me friendship. Even the simplest things—sharing a warm fire, eating good food—mean the world to me now."

A comfortable silence settled between them, punctuated only by the occasional pop of the firewood. Fay picked up one of the last kebabs and took a bite before smiling. "These are so good. I wish we had more."

Silvestia hummed in agreement. "I know, right? We should find that vendor again. Next time, I want to try the honeyed pastries they were selling."

Just as Fay was about to respond, a faint, rhythmic sound caught her attention. It was steady, pulsing—like a heartbeat. She turned sharply to the egg with a gasp.

Leaning in, she pressed her ear against its textured and slightly hoarse surface, eyes widening in astonishment.

"It's alive," she whispered in awe. "I can hear it... it's still alive!"

Silvestia immediately followed suit, pressing her ear to the egg. A slow smile spread across her lips as she listened. "We really did it," she murmured. "All our hard work wasn't for nothing."

Fay pulled back, eyes sparkling, her cowlick forming a heart. "What do you think is inside?"

Silvestia smirked. "A dragon, obviously."

Fay laughed. "Oh? And what if it's a griffon?"

"Then we'll have the fastest mode of transport in the city!"

They both laughed, excitement bubbling between them as they speculated about the mysterious life waiting to hatch. Eventually, Silvestia stretched and yawned. "We should head back before my parents start worrying."

Fay nodded. "We should add more firewood first. We don't want the egg getting cold."

While Fay carefully wrapped the blanket more securely around the egg, Silvestia crouched near the fire and started feeding it fresh logs. But just as she reached forward, a sharp pain stabbed through her skull. She gasped, clutching her head as the world around her began to blur.

Images flashed through her mind like the frenzied pages of a flipbook. Then, suddenly, she was somewhere else. A familiar world drained of color—monochrome, incomplete. Mountains, an entire district, even a lake hung frozen in mid-air, as if the very fabric of reality had been torn apart and left unfinished.