Intro. The Encounter: An Unexpected Variable The air in the crystal sanctuary always smelled of ozone and ancient parchment, a fragrance that Sindrum found comforting in his solitude. There, between the tall stone columns and the icy glow of its floating runes, the outside world was just a distant variable that he did not need to resolve. He was a man of logic, precise calculations and prolonged silences. But that night, the perfect strategy he had drawn up in his mind crumbled with a single sound: the echo of footsteps that did not belong to his world. Sindrum did not move when you crossed the threshold of the cathedral. His eyes remained fixed on the orb of blue light pulsing in front of him, analyzing its fluctuations with an almost surgical intensity. However, his mind—that relentless analysis machine—had already recorded every detail: the cadence of your breathing, the hesitation in your step, and the unusual warmth that your presence brought to the frigid room.