The Celestial Hunt

CH 15 Celestial Game Hunt

Chapter 15: Whispers of the Divine

Yuuto couldn’t shake the sensation of being watched. Even as the morning sun stretched its golden fingers across the horizon, the air carried an eerie weight. The celestial feather he had recovered still glowed faintly in his satchel, and the presence of Lyra lingered in his thoughts.

Rei walked beside him, silent but alert. They had grown accustomed to each other’s rhythms during the past few days of travel. After escaping the confrontation with the rogue celestial spirit, they were headed to the Hall of Echoes, an ancient ruin believed to resonate with divine voices.

According to the App, a new quest had unlocked:

[Main Quest: Awaken the Forgotten Voice in the Hall of Echoes]

[Reward: Celestial Bond +1 | Skill: Echo Pulse]

"Are you sure about this place?" Rei asked finally. Her golden eyes scanned the overgrown path, wary.

"No," Yuuto admitted, offering a wry smile. "But the App is never wrong."

The Hall of Echoes appeared suddenly through a veil of mist, its stone pillars twisted with vines, and the roof half-collapsed. Whispers seemed to drift through the cracks of the crumbling walls, like voices carried by time itself.

Yuuto took a step forward, and the App vibrated.

[You are entering a Sacred Zone: Hall of Echoes. Prepare for cognitive distortion.]

A pressure clamped around his skull, as if invisible hands tried to pry open his thoughts. He clenched his fists and pressed on. Rei stayed close.

Inside, the whispers grew louder. Not words, exactly—more like impressions. Echoes of memories that didn’t belong to him.

"He’s here," a voice echoed.

Yuuto turned sharply. Shadows danced across the walls, forming images. He saw a man in white robes, kneeling before a radiant figure who bore six wings of golden flame.

"The Celestial Hunt must continue," the voice declared. "The balance cannot be broken."

A flash of light, and the vision vanished.

Yuuto stumbled backward, heart racing.

[Memory Fragment Absorbed: First Hunt]

[Unlocking Passive Trait: Seeker's Insight]

"Did you see that?" he asked Rei.

She nodded. "I saw... something. A ritual? A war maybe."

The App chimed again.

[New Lore Entry: The Celestial Pact - When gods walked the earth, they bound themselves to mortals to preserve balance.]

Yuuto looked around. "These halls aren’t just ruins. They’re a library. A memory vault."

Deeper within, they came upon a circular platform lined with inscriptions. As Yuuto stepped onto it, the air shimmered.

Lyra’s voice echoed, though she was nowhere to be seen. "Yuuto... can you hear me?"

He froze. "Lyra? Where are you?"

"I don’t have long," her voice said, carried through the App. "You’re approaching the threshold. Be careful. There are those who don’t want you to remember."

The platform beneath his feet pulsed.

[Choice Point Detected: Recall Fragment or Resist Influence?]

Yuuto selected: Recall Fragment.

A wave of force rippled through him, and a memory not his own flooded his mind: A child’s voice, crying out in a language older than time. A blade forged from stardust. A falling star crashing into a mountain.

Yuuto dropped to one knee, overwhelmed.

Rei caught him. "You're bleeding," she said, pointing to his nose.

"I'm fine," he whispered, standing. "I saw a past life. Or maybe someone else's. A warrior... fighting something massive."

[Skill Unlocked: Celestial Recall (Lv. 1)]

Suddenly, a new presence entered the chamber. Tall, robed in black feathers, and with no visible face, the being exuded malice.

"The Seeker has awoken too soon," it rasped. "He must be silenced."

Yuuto raised the feather. It burst with light.

[Combat Initiated: Unknown Entity - ???]

Rei drew her twin daggers. "You take left. I take right."

They lunged. Yuuto focused, channeling Echo Pulse. The creature screamed as sound waves carved through the air.

[Weakness Detected: Sonic Distortion]

Rei followed up with a strike to the knee, causing the entity to stagger. Yuuto swung the feather like a blade, and the light pierced the shadow.

The entity dissolved into smoke, but not before whispering, "You cannot escape the Hunt... or the price."

The room fell silent.

[Enemy Vanquished: ???]

[Level Up: Yuuto - Level 3]

[Skill Mastered: Echo Pulse]

Rei leaned against a pillar. "That thing was no spirit. It was something else."

Yuuto nodded. "Something that knows me better than I do."

The App pulsed once more.

[Main Quest Completed: Awaken the Forgotten Voice]

[Reward Claimed: Celestial Bond +1 | Echo Pulse Acquired]

[New Quest Available: Meet the Oracle of the Silent Peaks]

He looked at Rei. "We’re just getting started."

She grinned. "Then let’s make them regret waking us up."

Together, they stepped out of the ruins, leaving behind whispers, but carrying with them the fire of something ancient—a legacy written in stars and blood.