Chapter 21: The Mirror of Blood
The air in the ruined temple crackled with power. Kairo could feel it crawling across his skin like a thousand invisible claws. The Vault’s heart chamber had collapsed hours ago, leaving behind jagged marble ribs and a single object that pulsed like a wound in the world—the Mirror of Blood.
It stood taller than any man, framed in silver thorns that dripped with dark energy. The surface wasn’t glass—it was liquid, a pool of living crimson that rippled even without touch. Every time it shivered, Kairo saw flashes within it: faces of wolves, burning forests, and the endless eclipse that haunted his dreams.
Kaelen stood beside him, his expression unreadable, though his amber eyes reflected the same unease.
“This is what Father sealed away,” he murmured. “Th
