EPISODE 4
883 Words
THE SECRET GRANDMOTHER KEPT
The forest became colder as Aren and Liora moved toward the mountains.
The fire behind them had disappeared, but the smell of smoke still followed them through the trees. Aren kept looking back, hoping to see his grandmother coming after them. Each time, he saw only darkness and dripping branches.
Liora walked ahead with her sword drawn.
Aren followed closely. “How far is the hidden kingdom?”
“We will reach the entrance before sunrise if the shadow hunters do not find us.”
“And if they do?”
“Then you must trust me.”
Aren almost laughed. “You have told me almost nothing, and you expect me to trust you?”
“I saved your life.”
“You also told me I am a lost heir to a kingdom I have never seen.”
“That is true.”
“You expect me to accept all this without proof?”
Liora stopped beside a large tree. Its trunk was covered with pale marks that looked like writing.
“You want proof?” she asked.
Aren nodded.
Liora placed her hand against the tree and whispered a word in a language Aren did not understand. The markings began to glow. A picture appeared across the bark.
Aren saw a castle surrounded by tall silver towers. A blue river flowed around it, and thousands of lanterns floated in the sky.
Then the picture changed.
The castle burned.
Black smoke covered the towers, while shadow creatures moved through the streets. At the center of the destruction stood a tall man wearing a crown of dark metal.
“Lord Veyr,” Liora said.
The image shifted again. A young woman stood before the castle gates, holding a baby wrapped in a blue blanket. Beside her was a man with a sword.
Aren recognized the woman immediately.
His mother.
He stepped closer to the tree. “That is her.”
Liora nodded. “Your mother brought you to the human world after Veyr attacked Eldoria. Your father stayed behind to delay the invasion.”
“What happened to him?”
“He was captured.”
“And my mother?”
“She returned for him.”
Aren touched the image of the woman holding the baby. “Why did they leave me with my grandmother?”
“To keep you hidden.”
“Why did they erase my memories?”
“Because Veyr can enter the minds of people connected to the royal bloodline. If you remembered Eldoria, he would have found you.”
The image faded.
Aren turned toward Liora. “How do you know all this?”
“I was there when your mother left.”
“How old were you?”
“Seven.”
“You remember that?”
“I remember everything.”
Liora’s voice became quiet. She looked away from him.
“My parents served your family. They died protecting the castle during the invasion. Your mother asked me to help your grandmother take you through the moon gate.”
Aren studied her face. “You were the girl with her?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you not come with me?”
“The gate could only carry one person at a time. Your grandmother sent you through first. When she tried to follow, Veyr’s soldiers arrived.”
Aren felt a heavy pressure in his chest. “She was trapped in Eldoria?”
“For many years.”
“But she raised me.”
“She found another way to reach you.”
Liora touched the silver sword at her side. “Your grandmother crossed between worlds whenever she could. She watched over you from the shadows.”
Aren remembered the strange moments from his childhood. The locked rooms, the whispered arguments, and the nights when his grandmother returned home covered in mud despite never leaving the village.
He had always believed she was hiding ordinary secrets.
He had been wrong.
A sharp c***k sounded behind them.
Liora immediately raised her sword.
A black arrow struck the tree between their heads.
“Shadow hunters,” she whispered.
More arrows sliced through the branches.
Liora grabbed Aren’s hand and pulled him toward the mountain path.
They ran as dark shapes moved between the trees. Aren heard them whispering, calling his name from every direction.
The map began to glow.
Ahead, a wall of stone stood across the path. No doorway was visible, but the crescent symbol on the map shone brighter.
Liora pressed Aren’s marked wrist against the stone.
The mountain trembled.
A silver door appeared.
Before it opened, Aren heard a familiar voice behind him.
“Aren!”
He turned.
Far away, through the trees, his grandmother stood surrounded by shadow hunters.
She was alive.
But Lord Veyr’s soldiers had captured her.
The silver door opened, and Liora dragged Aren inside.
As the stone sealed behind them, Elara’s voice echoed through the forest.
“Remember who you are!”
The darkness swallowed her words.
Aren stood inside the mountain, staring at the closed door.
For the first time, he understood that finding the hidden kingdom was not only about discovering his past.
It was the only chance he had to save the woman who had protected him all his life.
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