CHAPTER TEN
724 Words
CHAPTER 10: THE RUINED KEEP
(Selene’s POV)
The Ruined Keep sat on the outskirts of Ravenshade, a forgotten fortress swallowed by time and darkness. Its crumbling towers stretched toward the sky like broken fingers, and the air around it felt wrong.
Ancient. Cursed.
We stood at the edge of the overgrown path leading to its gates, moonlight filtering through the twisted trees. Damian was tense beside me, his gaze scanning the keep’s shadowed walls.
"This place has been abandoned for centuries," he muttered. "Why would Devereaux hide the Moonstone here?"
"He didn’t," I said, keeping my voice low. "He lost it."
Damian’s sharp eyes snapped to mine. "To who?"
"The same thing that’s keeping everyone else away." I met his gaze, my grip tightening on my blades. "The Wraith of the Keep."
The stories varied, but they all ended the same. A creature haunted these ruins. Not living. Not dead. Something caught in between, waiting.
And it killed anyone who stepped inside.
Damian exhaled, shaking his head. "Perfect."
I smirked. "Scared?"
His gold eyes flickered. "Not for me."
I didn’t let that sink in. Didn’t let myself feel what his words meant. Instead, I moved forward.
Damian followed.
The entrance was half-collapsed, vines creeping up the stone walls. We stepped through, boots crunching against debris, and the silence that greeted us was unnatural.
Like the entire keep was holding its breath.
Then—a whisper.
A soft voice, barely audible, curling around us like smoke.
“…You shouldn’t have come…”
Damian’s shoulders tensed. "Tell me you heard that."
I nodded once. "We’re not alone."
The air grew colder. My breath fogged in front of me. Shadows moved along the walls, flickering and twisting.
Then—a shape emerged.
A figure in tattered robes, floating. Its face was a hollow void, darkness where features should be.
The Wraith.
It rushed at us.
I reacted first, rolling aside as it screeched, an ear-splitting sound that rattled my skull. Damian shifted, his body tensing like he wanted to shift—but he held himself back.
His curse. The full moon was still days away. He wouldn’t be able to control it.
I gritted my teeth. "We need to end this. Fast."
The Wraith lunged again, but this time, I was ready. I spun, daggers slicing through the air—
Straight through it.
No impact. No wound.
Just empty, swirling darkness.
"s**t," I hissed, stumbling back. "It’s not solid!"
Damian snarled, swiping his claws through its form, but it was like cutting through mist. The Wraith barely reacted, except for another eerie whisper—
“…You will not take it…”
My heart pounded.
"The Moonstone," I realized. "It’s still here."
Damian glanced at me. "Where?"
I scanned the chamber, then spotted it.
At the far end of the hall, half-buried in the rubble, something glowed. A faint, silvery light.
The Moonstone of Elaris.
"Damian—cover me!" I sprinted toward it.
The Wraith let out a piercing scream, and suddenly, the shadows moved.
Darkness lashed out, tendrils curling around my legs, pulling me down.
A coldness seeped into my bones, draining my strength. My vision blurred.
No. Not like this.
Then—heat.
A rush of warmth as Damian’s claws slashed through the shadows, severing their grip. He hauled me up, his touch grounding me.
"Move!" he barked.
I did.
I lunged for the stone, fingers closing around it. The moment my skin touched its surface, power surged through me, like liquid fire flooding my veins.
The Wraith shrank back, hissing.
I didn’t hesitate.
Raising the Moonstone, I focused—pouring everything I had into it. The glow flared, blindingly bright.
The Wraith screamed.
Then—it vanished.
Silence.
My breathing was ragged, my hands trembling around the stone. Damian exhaled beside me. "Is it… gone?"
I wasn’t sure. But the crushing weight of darkness had lifted.
I turned, meeting his gaze. "We have it."
His eyes flickered to the stone. Then—to me.
For a long moment, neither of us spoke. The air between us shifted.
Slow burn. Slow f*****g burn.
Then Damian muttered, "Let’s get the hell out of here."
I smirked. "Agreed."
We turned toward the exit, but I knew—this wasn’t over.
Not by a long shot.
Because the Hollow Queen was waiting.
And now, we owed her a debt.
- Writer
