the Secon
1351 Words
The words stayed inside Layla's mind.
Do not trust Azir.
She looked at him.
He didn't say anything.
For the first time since she had met him, Layla didn't know what to believe.
The pyramid was silent again, but the silence felt different now.
It felt like a warning.
Azir slowly lowered his sword.
“Layla…”
“Don't.”
He stopped.
“You heard it too,” she said.
“Yes.”
“And you know why it said that.”
Azir looked away.
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
His eyes returned to hers.
“I don't want to lie to you.”
“Then tell me the truth.”
“I will.”
“When?”
“After we reach the second pyramid.”
Layla shook her head.
“Why should I follow you there if the Heart itself told me not to trust you?”
Azir stepped closer.
“Because the Heart is cursed.”
“And you're not?”
He had no answer.
Layla looked at Kael.
The wolf was staring at Azir.
Even Kael seemed unsure of him.
Azir noticed.
“You think I'm dangerous.”
“I think you're hiding something.”
“That doesn't make me your enemy.”
“How do I know?”
“You don't.”
The answer surprised her.
Azir looked toward the entrance.
“You shouldn't trust anyone completely.”
Layla stared at him.
“Not even you?”
“Especially not me.”
He walked away.
Layla followed.
They left the first pyramid before sunrise.
The desert looked different now.
The black sand had spread farther across the dunes.
But between the dark patches, tiny green plants had begun appearing.
Layla stopped.
“Look.”
Azir turned.
Small flowers were growing from the sand.
“What does that mean?”
“The curse is changing.”
“Because of me?”
“Yes.”
Layla touched one of the flowers.
It was warm.
Azir watched her.
“You're connected to the desert now.”
“Does that mean I'm becoming the queen?”
“You already are.”
Layla looked at him.
“Why do you keep calling me that?”
“Because the desert does.”
She didn't know how to respond.
They continued walking.
Hours passed.
The sun climbed higher.
Finally, the second pyramid appeared.
Unlike the first, it was white.
Its surface reflected the sunlight like glass.
Layla stared at it.
“It doesn't look cursed.”
Azir shook his head.
“The second pyramid doesn't show the truth.”
“Then what does it show?”
“Memories.”
They entered.
The moment Layla stepped inside, she felt dizzy.
The walls were covered with mirrors.
Hundreds of them.
Each mirror showed a different moment.
Layla saw herself as a child.
Then as a teenager.
Then standing beside her mother.
She moved closer.
“Why are these here?”
Azir looked at the mirrors.
“The pyramid is showing your memories.”
“Why?”
“Because it wants to know what you remember.”
Layla frowned.
“What if I don't remember something?”
“Then it will show you.”
A mirror suddenly changed.
Layla saw her mother standing in a room.
She was holding the same golden key.
Layla's heart raced.
“That's my mother.”
Azir stood beside her.
In the reflection, Layla's mother was talking to someone.
A woman.
Mira.
Layla stepped closer.
She couldn't hear their words.
Then the image changed.
Her mother was crying.
Mira placed a hand on her shoulder.
Another image appeared.
A baby.
A white moon mark on its wrist.
Layla gasped.
“My mother knew.”
Azir nodded.
“She knew about Liora.”
“And she knew about me.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn't she tell me?”
“Maybe she was protecting you.”
Layla looked at him.
“Or hiding something.”
Before Azir could answer, another mirror cracked.
A voice came from inside it.
“Because she was afraid.”
Layla turned.
Mira stood behind them.
Azir immediately drew his sword.
“You followed us.”
“I didn't.”
Mira looked at the mirrors.
“The pyramid brought me here.”
Layla stepped toward her.
“You knew my mother.”
“Yes.”
“You knew about Liora.”
“Yes.”
“You knew who I was.”
Mira looked at her sadly.
“Yes.”
Layla felt anger rising.
“Then tell me everything.”
Mira remained silent.
“Please.”
Mira finally sighed.
“Your mother was Liora's descendant.”
Layla's eyes widened.
“And my father?”
Mira looked at Azir.
“That is where things become complicated.”
Azir's expression hardened.
“Don't.”
Layla turned toward him.
“What?”
Mira answered.
“Your father was not an ordinary man.”
Layla stared at her.
“He was the last human king of the Black Sands.”
Azir stepped forward.
“That is enough.”
Layla looked at him.
“You knew?”
“No.”
Mira smiled sadly.
“He knew some of it.”
Layla felt betrayed.
“You knew my father was connected to the Black Sands?”
Azir shook his head.
“I knew there was something strange about your blood. I didn't know the truth.”
Mira touched one of the mirrors.
A new image appeared.
Layla's mother stood beside a man wearing a black crown.
Layla couldn't see his face.
But around his neck was a silver moon necklace.
The same necklace Malik had worn.
Layla whispered:
“Who is that?”
Mira didn't answer.
The mirror cracked.
Azir stared at it.
“Malik.”
Layla looked at him.
“My father was Malik?”
“No.”
Azir's voice was firm.
“Malik was not your father.”
“Then who was?”
The mirror shattered.
A man's voice filled the pyramid.
“Someone you will never meet.”
Layla turned.
Malik appeared in every mirror at once.
Hundreds of silver eyes stared at her.
“You keep searching for a dead man,” he said.
Layla stepped backward.
“Why?”
“Because the truth is easier to hide when everyone believes someone is dead.”
Azir shouted:
“Show yourself!”
Malik laughed.
“I don't need to.”
The mirrors began glowing.
Layla saw a final image.
Her mother.
A baby.
Azir.
And Liora.
All standing together.
Layla's breath stopped.
“That's impossible.”
Azir looked shocked.
Mira whispered:
“The child wasn't sent away.”
Layla turned.
“What?”
“The child was hidden.”
“Where?”
Mira looked directly at Layla.
“In the village where you grew up.”
Layla couldn't breathe.
“My whole life…”
“Yes.”
“You knew where I was?”
Mira nodded.
“Why didn't anyone tell me?”
“Because Malik was searching for you.”
Layla looked at Azir.
“Did you know?”
“No.”
She believed him this time.
Maybe.
Suddenly, the pyramid shook.
The mirrors began breaking one after another.
Mira looked toward the ceiling.
“We have to leave.”
“Why?”
“The second pyramid is waking up.”
Azir grabbed Layla's hand.
They ran.
Behind them, the mirrors shattered.
Black sand poured through the walls.
Malik's voice echoed one last time.
“Run, little queen.”
Layla looked back.
In the final mirror, she saw a man standing beside her mother.
His face was hidden.
But his eyes were exactly like hers.
The mirror shattered.
Layla stopped.
“What did you see?”
Azir looked at her.
“What?”
“My father.”
He stared at the broken glass.
“Did you see his face?”
Layla shook her head.
“No.”
Then she looked toward the darkness ahead.
“But I saw his eyes.”
The second pyramid began to collapse.
And somewhere beyond the desert, a man with silver eyes opened his own.
He whispered one name.
“Layla.”
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