The last breath froze 7
701 Words
Chapter 25 – The Door of Souls
The path ended at an enormous stone door covered in runes. Unlike the rest of the ruins, this door was untouched by time—its surface smooth, polished, and pulsing with a faint, eerie glow.
Elsa approached it cautiously. “This is different from everything else we’ve seen.”
Erik ran his fingers over the runes. “It’s sealed.”
Alec stepped forward, drawn to it. The moment he reached out, the whispers in his mind sharpened.
Open it…
His breath hitched.
“What if it’s another test?” Elsa asked.
Alec barely heard her. His fingers were inches from the door now. The runes pulsed brighter, as if recognizing him.
The moment his palm touched the stone, pain exploded through his mind.
Chapter 26 – The Forgotten Truth
Alec gasped as the world around him vanished.
He was standing in a vast void again, but this time, it wasn’t empty.
Before him stood the same shadowed figure from before—but now, Alec could see more. He could make out faint features beneath the hood.
It wasn’t a faceless entity.
It was a man.
Or at least, something that had once been a man.
“You’re not the first,” the figure said, its voice quieter now, less of a whisper and more… human.
Alec swallowed hard. “Who are you?”
The figure stepped closer. “I was like you once. I thought I could control it. That I could make the pact and remain myself.”
Alec’s pulse quickened. “And?”
The figure’s eyes glowed dimly. “And I was wrong.”
The void rippled. Images flashed before Alec’s eyes—of the village covered in endless winter, of people disappearing into the night, of something dark waking beneath the ruins.
“You opened the door, Alec.”
The figure’s voice was almost sad.
“And now, it will wake.”
Chapter 27 – The Awakening
Alec jolted back into his body.
He was still standing before the stone door—but now, the runes were glowing furiously, pulsing like a heartbeat. The ground trembled beneath their feet.
Elsa grabbed his arm. “Alec, what’s happening?”
The whispers in his head turned into a deafening roar.
The door cracked.
A terrible, icy wind blasted through the ruins. The torches went out.
And then—
The door shattered.
From the darkness beyond, something stirred.
Something ancient.
Something that had been waiting for far too long.
Chapter 28 – The Thing That Should Not Wake
Alec stumbled backward as a deep, guttural sound echoed from the darkness beyond the broken door. It wasn’t human. It wasn’t even alive in the way they understood.
Elsa drew her blades. Erik unsheathed his sword. But Alec knew—no weapon could stop what was coming.
The shadows beyond the door moved.
And then, it stepped out.
A towering figure, draped in flowing darkness, its form shifting like smoke. Two hollow eyes locked onto Alec.
And then—
It spoke.
“You were the key.”
Alec’s heart pounded. The whispers in his mind merged with the creature’s voice.
He understood now.
He hadn’t just broken the seal.
He had become part of it.
Chapter 29 – The Choice
The creature didn’t attack. It didn’t need to.
Alec could feel it inside him now—an overwhelming presence, pushing against the edges of his thoughts, waiting for him to surrender.
“You set me free,” it said. “Now, you must decide.”
Elsa tightened her grip on her weapons. “Decide what?”
The creature’s hollow gaze didn’t shift from Alec.
“To let me in… or to fight me.”
Alec knew what it meant.
If he let it in, the winter would never end. Alden would remain trapped in time, its people slowly vanishing until nothing remained.
But if he fought it…
He might not survive.
Elsa’s voice was fierce. “You’re not alone, Alec.”
Erik nodded. “Whatever happens, we fight together.”
Alec took a slow, steady breath. The shadows twisted around him.
He had to make a choice.
And there was no turning back.
To be continued...
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