Chapter 10
747 Words
The mountain answered her.
A deafening boom ripped through the foundation beneath Draven Ridge, throwing wolves off balance as cracks split across the marble floor like spiderwebs.
Midnight’s scream echoed with it.
Because whatever was beneath the mountain—
heard her.
Kael wrapped both arms around her instantly as another violent tremor shook the estate.
“Everybody out,” he barked.
The wolves moved immediately.
Lucien didn’t.
His golden eyes remained fixed on Midnight with terrifying focus.
“What do you see?”
Midnight could barely breathe.
The whispers were louder now.
Inside her skull.
Ancient voices overlapping each other until it sounded like screaming beneath water.
Blood of shadow…
Open the gate…
The daughter returns…
Her knees nearly gave out.
Kael caught her weight without effort.
“Midnight.”
“It’s talking to me.”
The room went still.
Lucien cursed softly under his breath.
Kael’s jaw tightened hard enough to crack bone.
“What is it saying?”
Midnight looked down through the floor again instinctively.
And suddenly—
she saw it clearly.
Chains.
Massive black chains wrapped around something colossal buried beneath layers of ancient stone and glowing runes. Crimson eyes opened slowly in the darkness below.
Not Malakar’s eyes.
Different.
Older.
Hungrier.
The creature smiled.
Midnight recoiled violently.
Kael grabbed her face immediately.
“Look at me.”
Her breathing turned frantic.
“There’s something under us.”
“I know.”
“No—you don’t understand.”
The terror in her voice made Kael go completely still.
“It sees me.”
Silence.
Then the older wolf whispered from near the doorway—
“The Hollow King.”
Every wolf in the room visibly paled.
Even Lucien lost his composure slightly.
Midnight’s pulse spiked instantly.
“What is that?”
No one answered fast enough.
The mountain shook again.
Harder.
A roar exploded from beneath the earth, deep enough to vibrate through bone.
Kael pulled Midnight tighter against him automatically.
Protective.
Possessive.
Ready to kill anything that touched her.
But Midnight realized something horrifying.
The thing below wasn’t trying to kill her.
It was waking up because of her.
Lucien looked grim now.
“This is worse than I thought.”
Kael’s silver eyes flashed dangerously. “Explain.”
Lucien looked directly at Midnight.
“The Hollow King was the first hybrid.”
Cold spread through her body instantly.
“What?”
“Centuries ago,” Lucien said carefully, “before demon blood hybrids were outlawed, there was one powerful enough to nearly destroy both realms.”
The whispers inside Midnight’s head intensified.
Mine…
Blood…
Open…
She grabbed her skull with a cry.
Kael immediately pulled her hands away gently.
“Stay with me.”
Midnight’s glowing eyes snapped toward him desperately.
“It knows me.”
Kael’s expression shifted instantly.
Not fear.
Calculation.
Like pieces were finally connecting.
Lucien noticed too.
“Oh no.”
Kael looked at him sharply. “What?”
Lucien’s voice lowered.
“She wasn’t created to free Malakar.”
The entire room went still.
Midnight’s stomach dropped.
Then who—
Lucien looked toward the floor beneath them.
“Him.”
The mountain exploded upward.
Stone shattered.
The floor beneath the center of the hall collapsed inward with a deafening crack as ancient crimson light burst through the ruins.
Wolves shouted.
Dust filled the air.
Kael shielded Midnight with his body as chunks of debris rained around them.
Then—
silence.
Heavy.
Wrong.
A massive hole now split the center of the estate.
And from the darkness below—
a hand emerged.
Not human.
Clawed.
Ancient black markings burned across gray skin while chains wrapped tightly around its wrist.
Another hand followed.
The chains strained violently.
Midnight couldn’t breathe.
The whispers stopped instantly.
Because now—
the thing no longer needed to whisper.
A voice rose from the pit below.
Deep enough to shake her soul.
“Little shadow.”
Midnight froze.
The creature laughed softly.
“You finally came home.”
Kael stepped fully in front of her.
Silver eyes glowing murderously.
The creature beneath the mountain noticed.
And smiled wider.
“Oh,” it rumbled darkly.
“That one belongs to you?”
Midnight felt Kael’s wolf surge violently.
Territorial.
The thing below inhaled deeply.
Then its glowing crimson gaze locked directly onto Kael.
And for the first time since meeting him—
Kael looked genuinely threatened.
Not by strength.
By recognition.
The chained creature’s smile turned monstrous.
“I remember your bloodline.”
- Writer
