Episode 6
1252 Words
Lyra's hand clutched the door knob.
The pendant lay hidden beneath her shirt, its warmth fading against her skin.
"Don't let him touch the pendant."
The warning echoed in her head.
She swallowed hard before opening the door.
Kael stood outside wearing new black armor with silver trim.
His expression remained unreadable, but the faint shadows beneath his eyes revealed he hadn't slept.
He briefly looked at the bandage around her waist.
"You shouldn't be standing."
"I could say the same about you."
Something almost resembling amusement flickered across his face before disappearing.
"You can walk?"
"It still hurts."
“That's not what I asked.”
She sighed.
"Yes I can."
"Good."
He stepped aside.
"Come with me."
Lyra hesitated.
The mysterious voice had warned her not to trust the wolves, but Kael had risked his life for hers.
Which was she supposed to believe?
"Lyra."
His voice pulled her back.
"If I wanted you dead..."
"I know."
“You would already be dead by now.”
She frowned.
"You really need to stop saying that please."
"I'll consider it." he said without looking at her.
She followed him without thinking.
The Northern Outpost wasn’t like anything she had imagined.
There were stone buildings instead of crude wooden buildings.
Warriors walked around the camp with a quiet discipline.
Black banners bearing a silver wolf moved in the air.
As soon as Lyra appeared, people stopped talking.
Dozens of eyes followed her.
Some held curiosity while some had open hatred.
A young warrior grumbled out loud enough for her to hear.
"That's the human."
His companion spat on the ground.
"She shouldn't be breathing."
Rowan standing nearby, gave them a warning look.
They quickly turned their heads away.
Kael never slowed down, he led Lyra beyond the training grounds toward the edge of the camp, where an enormous cliff overlooked the valley below.
There was one stone tower there.
Unlike the rest of the outpost, it looked ancient.
Its old walls were cracked and vines grew on them.
"No one lives here?" Lyra asked.
"No."
"Then why bring me?"
Kael forced his way through the thick wooden door.
"Because you're the only one who can."
She frowned.
"I don't understand."
"You will."
The tower's interior was almost empty.
The stone floor was covered with dust.
Broken shelves leaned against the walls.
Sunlight filtered through narrow windows high above.
Kael walked to the middle of the room, then he knelt.
He brushed away old dust, revealing a circular carving etched into the ground.
Strange symbols surrounded a single crescent moon.
Lyra stopped walking.
She had seen those symbols before.
On the pendant.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"How did you find this?"
Kael looked up.
"It has always been here."
"You've seen these markings before?"
"Every day."
She slowly approached.
The carvings were identical.
Every line,symbol and curve
Her fingers trembled.
The pendant grew warm again.
Not painfully this time.
Kael noticed.
"What is it?"
Lyra quickly covered her chest.
"It's nothing."
His silver eyes narrowed.
"You're hiding something."
"So are you."
Neither of them spoke.
The silence stretched.
Finally, Kael stepped back.
"Touch the carving."
"What?"
"I've tried touching it too."
He looked at the circle.
"So has every Alpha before me."
"And?"
"Nothing."
Lyra looked at the door.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"I do."
“Why do you think so?"
“You were standing in this room before you came in.”
She blinked.
"What?"
Kael pointed toward the carving.
"My ancestors recorded a prophecy."
He uttered the words carefully.
"When the last child of the forgotten blood returns, the sleeping path shall awaken."
Lyra stared.
"What does that mean?"
"I was hoping you would tell me."
She looked down at the symbols again.
The warmth beneath her shirt spread through her chest.
Almost as if the pendant wanted her to move.
Despite all her instincts telling her to stop, she knelt.
Her fingertip touched the crescent moon.
Nothing happened.
She looked at Kael.
He remained perfectly still.
Slowly, she touched the stone, the reaction was immediate.
Blue light exploded through every carved line.
The entire tower shook.
There was a rumbling sound under their feet.
Kael took one step backward.
"So it was true..."
Dust fell from the ceiling.
The carving in the circle started to rotate.
Stones smashing stones.
A hidden mechanism awakened after centuries of silence.
The center of the floor slowly split apart.
A staircase appeared out of the darkness below.
Cold air rushed upward.
Neither of them spoke.
Kael looked into the hole.
"No Alpha has ever seen this."
Lyra swallowed.
"I think..."
She looked into the hole.
"...someone was waiting for me."
Kael lit a torch from the wall.
"I'll go first."
"No."
He looked at her.
"There could be traps."
"That might be true."
She moved towards the stairs.
"But if this place opened because of me..."
She took a deep breath.
"...then I should be the one to lead."
Kael seemed about to argue for a moment, but he handed her the torch.
"Stay behind me if anything happens."
She collected the torch.
"I thought I was leading."
"Yes, you are."
He drew his sword.
"I'm simply refusing to let you die."
They descended together.
The staircase spiraled deep beneath the tower.
The air grew colder with every step.
After several minutes, they reached a big underground chamber.
Lyra raised the torch.
The walls were all covered with ancient paintings.
Humans and wolves stood together, but they were not fighting
She stopped.
"This can't be true."
Kael was equally shocked.
"Our history says humans hunted us."
"The stories Elias told me said wolves destroyed humans."
Neither version matched the painting.
One showed a human king clasping hands with a wolf Alpha.
The other one showed both of them battling huge shadow beasts.
Kael walked towards the biggest mural.
In the middle was a young woman with the same crescent pendant that Lyra wore.
Her face was weathered with age, but an inscription was under the image
Lyra brushed dust away from the ancient words.
She read them aloud.
"When darkness rises again..."
"The Blood Heir shall return..."
"Not to save one race..."
"But both."
Kael stared at her.
"Then you are the Blood Heir."
Before Lyra could answer...
The pendant lit up in a flash with bright blue light.
A beam of light passed through the chamber.
It struck the opposite wall.
The stones cracked.
Another hidden doorway slowly opened.
Beyond it stood a single pedestal.
Resting upon it was a crystal sphere glowing with pale silver light.
When Lyra came closer...
A woman's voice echoed through the chamber.
Warm, gentle and ancient.
"Welcome home..."
Lyra froze.
The voice knew her.
The crystal brightened.
Then the image of a woman formed within the light.
She looked almost exactly like Lyra.
Only older.
She smiled sadly.
"My name is Queen Asteria..."
She paused.
"...and if you are seeing this..."
Her expression became grave.
"...then humanity has already fallen."
Before Lyra could recover from the shock...
A metallic click echoed behind them.
Kael spun.
The hidden doorway slammed shut.
They were trapped.
Then slow applause echoed through the darkness.
A familiar voice broke the silence.
"How touching."
Kael's face hardened instantly.
"No..."
A figure stepped out of the shadows wearing a crimson-lined silver mask.
It was Darius.
He removed the shattered mask from his face and smiled.
"I've been searching for this chamber..."
His cold eyes fixed on Lyra.
"...for a very long time.”
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