The air suddenly grew colder, not because of the weather – but because of the presence of the man with the Guardian badge. Kael's eyes locked on the glowing red eye on the metal tag, and something in his brain rang like a fire alarm. The name – Deep Guardian – existed only in rumors, usually used when someone "disappeared" after a curious technical error or a poorly timed question.

"Do you know what you hold?" – the voice from the mask said, steady and cold.

"I... am not sure," – Kael replied, still clutching the pendant, feeling his breathing begin to quicken.

The man stepped closer, neither fast nor slow, as if he were the gravity of the room.

"What you have is not just a map. It is a summoning order. A signal to activate an ancient device – a machine from the creators of Skyholm before you were born."

Kael glared.

"You're talking about the Founders? But all their data has been erased—"

"—buried, Kael," the voice interrupted. "And some have sworn to keep it forever in the dark."

A beep sounded from the stranger's cuff. He turned, as if listening to an unseen command. Then he looked back at Kael.

"You have two choices."

"One: hand over the pendant and forget about this. You will live, continue your engineering career in Skyholm, perhaps even go further."

"Two: keep it, and embark on a journey where every step could be your last. The truth doesn't save—it burns."

Kael felt his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't take his eyes off the red eye. And then, as if something else inside him spoke – not with reason, but with a primal urge:

"I keep it."

Without expression, without warning, the other nodded.

"Good. Then from now on, you are no longer a citizen of Skyholm."

He tossed Kael a small object – a black cube, heavy metal.

"Low-altitude teleportation device. One time only. Use it when you are ready to fall."

Before Kael could ask anything else, the other man disappeared into the darkness – as if he had never been there.

Kael stood there, alone.

In his hand was the pendant, in his pocket was the strange cube, and below – the dark ocean like the gaping mouth of a monster waiting.

He looked up at the sky, then down. The three-dimensional map flashed in his mind, the red dot inviting him.

Genesis Point.

And you know: There's no turning back.