Without wasting another second, Vaelorian moved toward a nearby console. With practiced ease, he summoned a projection panel and began sketching.

Lines of light formed beneath his fingers, and little by little... a cover took shape.

It was intricate - etched with spiraling patterns that resembled layered dimensions folding into one another. At the center was a strange sigil, unlike any common rune, surrounded by what looked like fractured rings.

Grace leaned in slightly, studying it. While Rune did the same and murmured, "It's… distinctive."

"Run it," the High Lord ordered immediately once Vaelorian finished drawing.

The warriors responded at once.

Streams of data surged across the chamber as the sketch was processed, compared against centuries... millennia... of archived records.

Time stretched and then results finally appeared few minutes later. A long and comprehensive list of all books that resembled the cover sketch.

[Total matches: one hundred and twelve.] A mechanical voice announced.

"That many?" Rune muttered under his breath.

The High Lord turned to Vaelorian. "Can you identify it?"

The elder stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as the images of book covers began to cycle through the air one by one.

Each image hovered for a few seconds before shifting to the next. Some were immediately dismissed with a shake of his head. Others made him pause only to get rejected after a closer look.

The chamber remained silent except for the soft hum of the system and the occasional murmur as another possibility was eliminated.

Grace stood beside Rune with her arms loosely crossed and her gaze fixed on the projections.

"You think this will work?" Rune asked quietly.

"It has to," she replied just as softly.

Half an hour passed. Then forty minutes.

Even the High Lord's patience began to thin, though he said nothing. On the other hand, Vaelorian continued for several more minutes, and then...

"Stop."

The word cut through the chamber like a blade. The projection froze and a book hovered in the air before them.

It was old and ancient, even by their standards. Its cover was dark, worn with age, yet the patterns etched into it were unmistakable. The same spiraling design. The same fractured rings.

And at its center was the sigil.

Vaelorian stepped closer, his eyes sharp despite his age. "This one," he said firmly. "This is the book I saw."

A charged silence filled the room and Grace felt something shift deep within her.

Hope.

The High Lord's gaze locked onto the image as he issued another command to his warriors. "Locate it."

The system pulsed as the warriors got to work again.

[Searching…]

There was a

brief pause, and then-

[Match found.]

All eyes snapped to the display as new data replaced the image, showing archive records.

Rune and Grace stayed rooted in their places, holding their breaths.

The moment the match was confirmed, the High Lord didn't waste a second.

"Locate its current holder," he ordered.

Streams of data shifted again, narrowing, refining, searching through centuries of records. The system worked rapidly, scanning archives, tracking ownership logs, and cross-referencing every known transaction tied to the identified book.

[Last recorded owner: Carter Thown.]

The name echoed through the chamber. And Grace immediately noticed the reactions that followed - the warrior operating the system stiffened, while another exchanged a quick, uneasy glance with his companion. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Even the air seemed to tighten slightly.

And the High Lord... his expression changed. It wasn't obvious. To most, it might have gone unnoticed. But Grace saw it clearly - the flicker of recognition, followed by something darker. Something grim.

"Who is Carter Thown?" she asked.

Her voice cut cleanly through the silence. She glanced briefly at Rune, wondering if he might know.

Rune frowned slightly, his brows knitting together as he searched his memory. "The name sounds familiar… but I can't place it."

The High Lord exhaled slowly before breaking the heavy silence.

"Carter Thown," he began in a measured voice, "was once our Warrior-in-Command."

Rune's eyes widened as he immediately recognized who this man was.

"He was… exceptional. Powerful. Respected. Trusted." The High Lord paused just for a moment before adding, "Until he wasn't."

The chamber fell silent again.

"He was discovered making covert deals with an enemy planet - one that had long been watching our realm, waiting for an opportunity to strike. He was feeding them information. Strategic positions. Defensive weaknesses."

A murmur of disbelief spread among a few of the younger warriors.

"For his treachery," the High Lord continued, "he was sentenced to five centuries of exile."

Grace listened intently.

"But he never reached his destination," he added. "While being transported out of the Magik Realm, he slaughtered the escort unit aboard the spacecraft and escaped. Since then… he has been the most wanted criminal in our realm."

"And no one found him?" Grace asked.

The High Lord shook his head. "Not a trace. For years, we searched across multiple realms, tracked every lead, followed every rumor. But nothing."

The weight of that word settled heavily in the room.

Grace felt the brief flicker of hope dimming. It looked like another dead end. Still, she didn't plan to give up yet.

"Is there no second copy of the book?" she asked.

Their system responded before anyone else could.

[Negative. No duplicate records found. No archived data available.]

"So it's unique," she murmured.

"And lost," Rune added grimly.

Grace was quiet for a moment, thinking, calculating. Then she looked back at the High Lord.

"I'll need everything you have on Carter Thown," she said. "All records. History. Known movements. And most importantly... his energy signature."

The High Lord studied her briefly before nodding. "If anyone can find him now, it might be you."

At his signal, the data transfer began immediately.

Streams of information were immediately shared with 2025 - files, records, battle logs, surveillance fragments, and archived energy readings.

[Data received.]

[Initiating analysis.]

2025 went to work instantly.

Meanwhile, Grace turned back to the High Lord. "Thank you."

He inclined his head slightly.

"What will you do next?" she asked.

His answer came without hesitation. "I will strike."

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

"That base," he continued, "will not remain standing. Whoever is behind this operation will be brought out - alive, if possible."

Rune stepped forward. "I'll join the mission. My entire team will be there as we finish this."

The High Lord's gaze shifted to him and he gave a faint nod of approval. "I expect no less from you."

Right then-

"Host."

2025's voice cut through the chamber. It was no longer talking to her through their mindlink but speaking out loud for everyone there to hear.

Grace's eyes flickered slightly. "What is it?"

There was a brief pause before it spoke, "You may need to join this mission. Because the energy signatures provided for Carter Thown matches a high energy signature I previously recorded inside the underground base."