The urgency in Lugh's voice propelled Deirdre forward despite her confusion. The violet energy within her pulsed in response to her quickened heartbeat as she followed the Noctari toward the shadowed archway. As they approached, Lugh placed a taloned hand against what appeared to be solid stone. The wall shimmered briefly, then vanished, revealing a narrow passage beyond.

  "Quickly," he urged, ushering Deirdre and the other Noctari through before following himself. The false wall reappeared behind them, sealing them off from the archive.

  The passage they entered was narrow, the ceiling low enough that Deirdre had to stoop slightly as they walked. Lugh produced a small crystal that cast a warm amber glow, illuminating rough-hewn walls streaked with minerals that occasionally caught the light.

  "These passages predate the current Exchange structure," Lugh explained as they walked. "Maintenance tunnels, forgotten corridors, spaces between the walls that were sealed off as the Exchange grew and changed."

  They descended a set of worn stone steps, the air growing slightly warmer and mustier. Deirdre noticed small markings on the walls—symbols scratched into the stone, tiny glinting objects pressed into crevices that caught the light as they passed.

  "You've been using these routes all along?" she asked, running her fingers along one wall and feeling the telltale smoothness that came only from regular passage.

  "We maintain access where we can," Lugh confirmed. "Once, Noctari served openly as archivists and record-keepers throughout the Exchange. Now..." He spread his wings in a gesture that combined resignation and defiance. "Management has gradually restricted our official access, relegated us to minor roles."

  Orsafi hopped down from Deirdre's shoulder, scurrying ahead of the group, occasionally stopping to chirp back at them. The carbuncle seemed perfectly at ease in these hidden corridors, treating them as an extension of the natural world rather than a concealed construct.

  "How deep does this go?" Deirdre asked, aware that they had been descending steadily for some time.

  "Deeper than most know," Lugh replied cryptically. "The Exchange has many levels, not all of them visible to those who walk its regular halls."

  After nearly half an hour of travel through the labyrinthine passages, occasionally passing through what appeared to be ancient storerooms or forgotten chambers, they arrived at a curved stone wall with no apparent opening. Lugh approached it and made a series of precise taps with his talon. A section of the wall rotated silently, revealing a warm glow of light beyond.

  Deirdre stepped through the opening, and her breath caught in her throat.

  The space beyond was massive—a cavern that had been meticulously transformed into a living area that resembled nothing so much as an enormous owlery. Circular in shape, it rose in multiple levels connected by ramps, ladders, and perches. Platforms extended from the walls at various heights, many occupied by Noctari engaged in different activities. Some were reading, others were writing in ledgers or scrolls, and others still were gathered in small groups, deep in conversation.

  The lighting came from clusters of glowing crystals suspended from the ceiling or affixed to the walls, their gentle illumination revealing rustic but comfortable furnishings throughout the space. At the lowest level, a central area held larger tables and cushioned seats arranged around a hearth where a small fire burned, casting a homey glow across the gathering space.

  Most striking were the shelves that lined the walls—thousands of books, scrolls, and records organized in a system that seemed chaotic at first glance but likely held a careful logic. It was a library, Deirdre realized, equal in size to the Guild's official archive if not larger.

  "Welcome," Lugh said softly, "to the true heart of Noctari presence in the Exchange."

  The Noctari who had accompanied them dispersed throughout the space, a few pausing to speak quietly with others who approached with curious glances toward Deirdre. Orsafi immediately drew attention, several younger Noctari edging closer to observe the carbuncle with wide, fascinated eyes.

  "I had no idea," Deirdre murmured, turning slowly to take in the entirety of the hidden community. "All this time, beneath the Exchange..."

  "Hidden in plain sight," Lugh agreed with a slight nod. "Come. The elders will want to meet you."

  He led her toward the central gathering area, where several older Noctari were already assembling, their feathers showing the silver streaks of advanced age. One in particular stood out—a female with elegant white facial plumage and piercing amber eyes that seemed to look directly into Deirdre's core.

  "This is Elder Thalla," Lugh introduced with a respectful incline of his head. "She leads our community and has maintained our records for over sixty years."

  "Welcome, Deirdre of the Collectors," Thalla said, her voice surprisingly rich and clear for one so visibly aged. "Your arrival has been long anticipated, though we did not know it would be you specifically." She gestured to a cushioned seat. "Please, join us. We have much to discuss."

  As Deirdre settled into the offered seat, Orsafi returned to her side, drawing appreciative murmurs from the gathered Noctari. An elderly male with drooping eye tufts reached toward the carbuncle with a trembling talon.

  "May I?" he asked Deirdre, his voice wavering with age.

  When she nodded, he gently stroked Orsafi's fur. "I have not seen a carbuncle since my youth," he said, his eyes distant with memory. "They were more common then, before Management consolidated power."

  "What happened to them?" Deirdre asked, suddenly concerned for Orsafi's safety.

  "They disappeared gradually," another elder explained. "Some said they retreated deeper into the Domains as the Exchange changed. Others believed Management found their sensitivity to magical currents... inconvenient."

  Thalla settled across from Deirdre, folding her wings with practiced grace. "But that is just one of many changes we have witnessed over the generations. Tell us, Deirdre—what else did you learn from the Guardian before it passed?"

  The direct question brought Deirdre back to the gravity of her situation. These Noctari clearly knew more about the Exchange's secrets than most Collectors ever suspected, and she needed their knowledge.

  "The Guardian showed me the Fracturing," she said softly. "The creation of the Domains. How everything is coming apart."

  Thalla exchanged glances with the other elders. "Then our records were correct." She signaled to a younger Noctari, who hurried away only to return moments later with a stack of leather-bound volumes.

  "For generations, we have kept record of the Exchange's true nature," Thalla explained as the books were laid on a low table between them. "When Management began erasing this knowledge from the official archives, we preserved what we could."

  She opened the topmost volume, revealing pages of careful notations in a script that Deirdre recognized as similar to that in the oldest archive texts.

  "The Exchange is not separate from the Domains," Thalla said, her talon tracing a line of text. "It is one among them—the first fragment to stabilize after the Fracturing of the Source."

  "That's what the Guardian told me," Deirdre confirmed, leaning forward to examine the ancient records. "He said the original Wayfarers escaped the Fracturing through a breach, established the Exchange as a sanctuary."

  "Yes." Thalla nodded, turning pages to reveal diagrams reminiscent of those Deirdre had found in the archive. "The Fracturing shattered the Source into countless fragments—what we now call Domains. The Exchange was merely the first and most stable of these fragments, one that the survivors could reinforce and protect."

  "But why hide this knowledge?" Deirdre asked. "Why would Management want to erase this history?"

  "Control," said one of the elder Noctari, his feathers bristling. "The Exchange was never meant to be a marketplace for Domain resources. It was created as a sanctuary, a place of healing and connection."

  "As the generations passed, priorities shifted," Lugh added. "The Exchange became a center of commerce rather than a beacon of hope. Those who remembered its true purpose were silenced or forced to the margins."

  "Like the Noctari," Deirdre said softly, understanding dawning.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  "We were once the keepers of knowledge, the maintainers of records about the Source and all Domains," Thalla confirmed. "When Management began restricting access to the ancient archives, we preserved what we could. We were forbidden from speaking of these matters, but we never stopped watching, recording, remembering."

  Another elder Noctari, his feathers a deep russet color, gestured toward the far side of the chamber. "Come. There is more you should see."

  Deirdre followed the elders to a section of the cavern where several younger Noctari were working at tables covered with maps, charts, and what appeared to be complex observational equipment. Glowing crystals of various colors were arranged in patterns that Deirdre didn't immediately recognize, though they clearly represented some form of data.

  "Our monitoring system," Lugh explained. "For decades, we have tracked signs of Domain instability—fluctuations in energy, boundary weakening, spatial distortion."

  One of the Noctari working at the tables, a female with unusually dark plumage, looked up from her charts. "We've documented increasing patterns of instability across multiple Domains," she said, her voice crisp and precise. "The rate has accelerated significantly over the past decade."

  She indicated a map where colored markers showed clusters of what Deirdre realized were unstable Domains. Some were marked with dates, others with symbols she didn't recognize.

  "The Frozen Reach," Deirdre murmured, spotting the name of the unstable Domain she had recently stabilized. "I was there. The entire place was coming apart."

  "Yes," the dark-feathered Noctari agreed. "And it's not alone. We've identified at least seven Domains in critical states of decay, with dozens more showing early warning signs."

  Deirdre studied the charts, recognizing the names of several Domains she had visited. Signs she had attributed to local phenomena now revealed themselves as part of a larger, more ominous pattern.

  "The Guardian warned me about this," she said. "He said the Domains are drifting further apart, that eventually they'll collapse entirely if they're not reconnected to the Source."

  "That aligns with our observations," Thalla said gravely. "The question now becomes: what will you do with the Guardian's power that has passed to you?"

  The weight of the question settled heavily on Deirdre's shoulders. She looked down at her hands, feeling the violet energy pulsing beneath her skin. "I don't fully understand what I can do yet. But if there's a way to reconnect the Domains, to prevent their collapse... I have to try."

  Lugh moved to her side, his expression solemn. "You won't have to do it alone."

  The words hung in the air, powerful in their simplicity. Deirdre looked around at the assembled Noctari, seeing expressions ranging from awe to concern to calculated assessment.

  "Management won't make this easy," she said. "If what you say is true, they'll oppose any attempt to change the current system."

  "Management has grown powerful," Thalla acknowledged, "but they are not omnipotent. And you now carry the power of the Guardian within you."

  "I can't do this alone," Deirdre repeated, more firmly this time. "I don't even know where to begin."

  "You're not alone," Lugh replied simply. He looked to Thalla, who nodded once, decisively.

  "The Noctari will assist you," the elder said, her voice carrying through the chamber. "Our knowledge, our hiding places, our communication methods—all are at your disposal."

  "But the risk to you—" Deirdre began.

  "Is nothing compared to the risk of doing nothing," Thalla finished firmly. "If the Domains collapse, the Exchange will follow. We have always been custodians of knowledge, preservers of balance. This is our purpose as much as it is now yours."

  Murmurs of agreement rose from the gathered Noctari. Lugh spread his wings slightly, the gesture both formal and reassuring.

  "We stand with you, Deirdre," he said. "Where do we begin?"

  The question hung in the air as Deirdre considered their position. "We need to identify which Domains might be most receptive to reconnection," she said slowly, thinking through the problem. "And I'll need resources to operate without drawing attention."

  "Management will notice any unusual activity," one of the younger Noctari pointed out. "Especially around unstable Domains."

  "Then we need a cover story," Deirdre replied. She turned to Lugh. "The auction system—I can continue participating as a Collector, but with items from the Source itself."

  "The Source contains original versions of all Domain resources," Lugh mused, warming to the idea. "Valuable items that would seem like rare finds rather than fabrications."

  "Exactly," Deirdre said. "If I can establish a reputation for finding valuable items in obscure Domains, it will give me freedom to move without suspicion."

  The dark-feathered Noctari who had been monitoring the charts approached with a ledger. "We can advise on which items would be valuable but not too suspicious," she offered. "And our records include information about Domain Lords who might be sympathetic to reconnection."

  "We'll need to be strategic," Thalla cautioned. "Begin with the most unstable Domains, where the Lords will see reconnection as salvation rather than surrender."

  Deirdre nodded, her mind already racing ahead to implementation. "What about communication? Once I'm back to my regular activities, we'll need a way to stay in contact."

  Lugh disappeared briefly, returning with a small device that resembled a compact mirror. He handed it to Deirdre, who opened it to find not a reflecting surface but a thin crystal disc inscribed with subtle runes.

  "This operates on old magic," he explained. "Management's monitoring systems won't detect it. Press the center rune while thinking of the person you wish to contact, and it will establish a connection."

  Deirdre closed the device and slipped it into her pocket. "I should tell Omylia," she said, thinking of her friend. "She's in a position to help, and I trust her completely."

  Thalla considered this, then nodded. "The tavern keeper. Yes, her position makes her valuable, and she has shown kindness to our kind for years."

  As they continued planning, mapping out immediate steps and discussing which Domains should be targeted first, Deirdre felt a weight gradually lifting from her shoulders. The task ahead remained daunting, but she was no longer facing it alone.

  Eventually, as the strategy session wound down, Lugh offered to guide her back to the public areas of the Exchange.

  "Best not to be missed for too long," he advised. "Maintain your normal routines as much as possible."

  Deirdre agreed, rising from her seat. The Noctari elders approached to bid her farewell, each offering a formal wing-touch that seemed to carry both blessing and pledge of allegiance.

  "Return soon," Thalla said. "We have much to prepare."

  Lugh led Deirdre back through the hidden passages, taking a different route that would emerge closer to her quarters. As they walked, he provided additional context about Noctari customs and communication protocols.

  "This device," he said, indicating the communication tool, "is keyed specifically to you now. No one else can activate it."

  Deirdre examined it once more before tucking it away. "How long have you been waiting?" she asked quietly. "For someone to find the Source doorway again?"

  Lugh was silent for several steps before answering. "Generations," he admitted. "There were prophecies, of course—stories passed down about the Guardian choosing a successor when the time came. But prophecies are cold comfort when you watch the world slowly coming apart."

  The simple honesty in his voice touched Deirdre deeply. "I'll do everything I can," she promised. "I won't let you down."

  They reached a section of wall that, according to Lugh, would open into a seldom-used storage area near her quarters. Before activating the mechanism, he turned to her, his large eyes serious.

  "You are not alone in this, Deirdre," he said with quiet intensity. "Remember that in the days ahead."

  She nodded, unexpectedly moved by the support of these beings she had known for years but never truly understood until now. Orsafi chirped softly from her shoulder, as if adding her own agreement.

  Lugh tapped the wall in a specific pattern, and a section slid aside, revealing the storage room beyond. After confirming the space was empty, Deirdre stepped through, turning back to offer a final nod to Lugh before the wall sealed seamlessly behind her.

  She made her way back to her quarters without encountering anyone who knew her well enough to question where she'd been. Once inside, with the door firmly shut, she leaned against it and exhaled deeply.

  Everything had changed. The room looked exactly as she had left it, yet it felt like a stranger's space now—a remnant of a life that was rapidly receding. The small treasures she had collected from various Domains over the years, once so precious to her, now seemed like pale imitations of the wonders she had glimpsed in the Source.

  Orsafi hopped down from her shoulder, making a circuit of the room as if reacquainting herself with the familiar space. The carbuncle seemed untroubled by the day's revelations, accepting each new development with the adaptability of her kind.

  Deirdre moved to her small desk and sat, pulling out the communication device Lugh had given her. She turned it over in her hands, examining its craftsmanship. The metalwork was old but exquisite, the runes precisely etched into the crystal within.

  Her thoughts turned to the Noctari and their hidden existence. How had she never suspected? She had worked with Lugh for years, seen him almost daily at auctions, yet never guessed at the secret life he led beneath the Exchange. It made her wonder what other secrets might be hidden in plain sight, what other assumed truths might prove false.

  A knock at her door interrupted her thoughts. Rising quickly, she tucked the communication device into a drawer before opening the door to find a fellow Collector—Ralen, a pleasant but unremarkable man who specialized in textile artifacts.

  "Evening, Deirdre," he greeted cheerfully. "Just checking if you're joining the gathering in the common room. Elara brought back some interesting finds from the Crystal Forests."

  "Thanks, but not tonight," she replied with a practiced smile. "I've got some research to finish before tomorrow."

  "Next time, then," he said with an easy nod before continuing down the corridor.

  Closing the door, Deirdre felt a strange disconnect—the ordinary Exchange life continuing around her while she carried this enormous secret. She would need to maintain this fa?ade carefully in the days ahead, balancing her new purpose with the appearance of normalcy.

  Returning to her desk, she pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and began making lists—things to collect from the Source, auction schedules to target, references to consult about valuable Domain resources. The mundane task helped ground her, transforming the overwhelming responsibility into manageable steps.

  She would need to visit Omylia soon, to bring her friend into their confidence. Having an ally in Horizon's End would provide both a source of information and a safe meeting place outside the Guild's direct oversight.

  After consulting the Exchange bulletin she'd picked up that morning, Deirdre noted the next major auction was three days away—enough time to return to the Source and gather items that would establish her new cover identity as a Collector with unusual luck and skill at finding rare treasures.

  As night deepened, she prepared her collection tools and containers, arranging everything she would need for her journey back to the Source. The key that opened the Source doorway hung heavy around her neck, a constant reminder of her new purpose. She touched it briefly, feeling the warm pulse of power that connected her to that shattered realm.

  Despite the enormity of the task ahead, Deirdre felt a strange calm settling over her. For the first time since becoming a Collector, she understood her true purpose—not just to gather and trade, but to help heal the fractures in reality itself. Whatever changes the Guardian's power might bring to her, whatever dangers lay ahead, she was no longer adrift.

  She had a mission. She had allies. And tomorrow, she would take her first active step as the new Guardian of the Source.