The Shattered Realms

Chapter 8 — A Power That Should Not Exist

The ruin was silent.

Too silent.

Selerin stood at the edge of the broken stone courtyard, staring at the remains of the ancient structure that had appeared in her dreams for as long as she could remember.

She had never been here before.

At least, that was what she told herself.

Yet something inside her recognized it.

The cracked pillars.

The collapsed archway.

The strange symbol carved into the black stone.

Even the wind felt familiar.

Feli stood several steps behind her.

"Don't go any farther."

Selerin looked over her shoulder.

"Why?"

"Because we don't know what this place is."

"You brought me here."

"I brought you here because I needed answers."

His expression was unusually tense.

Selerin turned back toward the ruins.

"About me?"

Feli didn't answer immediately.

"About what happened at the first ruin," he finally said.

Selerin's fingers tightened around the fabric of her sleeve.

Since that night, strange things had been happening.

Objects sometimes moved when she touched them.

She had begun hearing whispers when she was frightened.

And whenever she dreamed of the ruins, she woke with the same burning sensation beneath her collar.

But she had told no one.

Not even Feli.

A faint sound came from somewhere beneath the ruins.

A heartbeat.

Selerin froze.

"Did you hear that?"

Feli drew his sword.

"Hear what?"

Another pulse.

This time Selerin felt it beneath her feet.

The ground trembled.

Dust fell from the broken pillars.

Feli grabbed her wrist.

"We're leaving."

But Selerin couldn't move.

Something was calling her.

Not with words.

With recognition.

She stepped forward.

"Selerin."

She ignored him.

The moment her fingers touched the ancient stone—

the entire ruin awakened.

Golden light raced through the cracks in the floor.

Feli stumbled backward.

"Selerin!"

She gasped.

The mark beneath her collar burned.

Light spread from her hand, flowing across the stone like veins.

Ancient symbols that had been dead for centuries suddenly began glowing.

Selerin stared in horror.

"I didn't do this."

Feli looked at the walls.

His face had gone pale.

"Then what did?"

The answer came from the ruin itself.

A deep vibration rolled through the chamber.

And suddenly—

the darkness disappeared.

For one brief moment, Selerin saw something that wasn't there.

A palace.

Five crowns.

A woman holding a newborn child.

A man kneeling before a throne.

Blood covering white marble.

Then—

a little girl being carried away through a burning doorway.

Selerin cried out and fell to her knees.

Feli caught her before she struck the ground.

"What did you see?"

She couldn't breathe.

"I don't know."

Her eyes filled with tears.

"There was a woman."

"Who?"

"I don't know."

"Describe her."

Selerin shook her head.

"I can't."

Then she noticed something.

The ancient symbol beneath her hand had changed.

A second symbol had appeared beside it.

Feli stared at it.

His grip around her arm tightened.

"No."

"What?"

He released her.

"That's impossible."

Selerin looked at him.

"You keep saying that."

Feli didn't respond.

He walked toward the wall and examined the symbol.

"I've seen this before."

"Where?"

"In the records."

"What records?"

"The ones that were supposed to have been destroyed."

Selerin stood slowly.

"Then tell me what it means."

Feli turned toward her.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Then—

"It belongs to a bloodline."

Selerin's heart began pounding.

"Which one?"

Feli looked directly into her eyes.

"The royal bloodline."

Silence.

Selerin almost laughed.

"That's impossible."

"Exactly."

The word hung between them.

A sudden gust swept through the ruin.

The golden light vanished.

The symbols went dark.

And Selerin collapsed.

When she opened her eyes, she was lying beside a small fire.

Feli sat across from her.

His sword rested beside him.

"You fainted."

Selerin slowly pushed herself upright.

"How long?"

"Several hours."

She looked at the ruins.

They were ordinary again.

Dead stone.

Broken walls.

Nothing more.

"Did anyone see?"

"No."

"Good."

Feli frowned.

"Why?"

"Because I don't want anyone knowing."

He studied her.

"You should be asking why this happened."

"I am."

"Then ask."

Selerin swallowed.

"What am I?"

Feli's expression hardened.

"I don't know."

"You do."

"I know what the evidence suggests."

"And?"

He looked away.

"If I'm right, you're connected to something that should have disappeared seventeen years ago."

Selerin stared at him.

"Seventeen years..."

Feli immediately stopped.

Selerin noticed.

"Why seventeen?"

He didn't answer.

"General?"

Nothing.

She stood.

"You know something about my birth."

Feli's silence was enough.

Before Selerin could question him again, a distant sound came from the forest.

A branch snapping.

Feli immediately reached for his sword.

Someone was watching them.

He stared into the darkness.

"Stay behind me."

Selerin did.

For a moment, nothing moved.

Then a shadow disappeared between the trees.

Feli's eyes narrowed.

"We're not alone."

Far from the ruins, beneath the cover of the trees, Qiao Meizhen watched.

She had felt the awakening.

She had known it would happen eventually.

But not this soon.

Her eyes remained fixed on the distant ruins.

"The power has awakened."

She closed her hand tightly.

"That should not be possible."

Behind her, an old man stepped from the darkness.

"You knew this day would come."

Qiao remained silent.

"You hid her for seventeen years," he continued. "You knew what she was."

Qiao finally turned.

"You don't understand."

"Then explain it."

Her expression became cold.

"If the royal families discover her, they will come for her."

"And if the Hollowing discovers her first?"

Qiao's face changed.

For the first time, fear appeared in her eyes.

"Then there may be nothing left to save."

The old man stared at her.

"Who is she?"

Qiao looked toward the ruins.

She remembered a baby wrapped in white cloth.

A crying child.

A dying kingdom.

And a promise she had made long ago.

Her voice was barely a whisper.

"She is the one they were never supposed to find."

Back at the ruins, Selerin suddenly stopped.

The mark beneath her collar began glowing again.

Feli noticed.

"Selerin?"

She looked down.

Golden light seeped through the fabric.

But this time—

there was something different.

A second light appeared.

Silver.

The two colors intertwined.

Feli stared.

His face drained of color.

"No..."

Selerin looked at him.

"What is it?"

He didn't answer.

Because he knew one thing now.

Whatever power lived inside Selerin—

it did not belong to one bloodline.

And that was something that should never have existed.

The ruins trembled behind them.

Deep beneath the earth, something answered.

And somewhere in the darkness—

the Hollowing stirred.