CHAPTER 8:THE RED DOOR
1441 Words
The throne room had never been this silent.
Water covered the floor, swirling around Seraphina's feet.
Yet she didn't seem to notice.
Her mismatched eyes—one blue, one silver—were fixed on Adrian.
“I remember the red door,” she whispered.
Adrian stared at her.
“What is behind it?”
Seraphina shook her head.
“I don't know.”
“You said it's where you died.”
“I know.”
“How?”
“I saw it.”
“Where?”
“Not here.”
Adrian stepped closer.
Seraphina instinctively stepped backward.
He stopped immediately.
“I won't hurt you.”
She looked into his eyes.
For a moment, she believed him.
Then a sharp pain struck her head.
She gasped.
Images flooded her mind.
A corridor beneath the ocean.
Red walls.
Thousands of candles.
A massive door.
And Adrian standing in front of it.
He was crying.
Someone was screaming behind the door.
Seraphina.
She opened her eyes.
Adrian was holding her shoulders.
“Seraphina!”
She pushed him away.
“You were there.”
“Where?”
“At the door.”
His expression changed.
“I don't remember.”
“You were holding a key.”
Adrian looked down.
His hand was empty.
Then something fell from his sleeve.
A small silver object landed on the floor.
Both of them stared at it.
A key.
Adrian slowly picked it up.
The moment his fingers touched it, the water in the room began to move.
The throne room doors slammed shut.
A deep voice echoed from beneath the palace.
“Bring them to me.”
Seraphina's face went pale.
“Who was that?”
Adrian tightened his grip on the key.
“The First King.”
They followed the sound beneath the palace.
Captain Elias wanted to come with them, but Adrian refused.
“If we don't return by sunrise,” Adrian told him, “seal the lower palace.”
Elias looked at Seraphina.
“And if you hear voices?”
“Don't answer them,” Seraphina said.
Elias frowned.
“How do you know?”
“I don't.”
She looked toward the dark staircase.
“But I think I've learned that lesson before.”
They descended.
The deeper they went, the colder the air became.
Water dripped from the ceiling.
Their footsteps echoed through the narrow passage.
After several minutes, Seraphina stopped.
“What?”
She pointed ahead.
A red light flickered in the darkness.
Adrian raised his sword.
They continued.
The corridor opened into a huge underground chamber.
And there it was.
The Red Door.
It was enormous.
Almost twice the height of a man.
Red metal covered its surface, engraved with strange symbols.
At the center was a circular opening.
Adrian held up the silver key.
Seraphina held up the black key.
They looked at each other.
“Do you think we should open it?” Adrian asked.
“No.”
“Good.”
Neither moved.
Then the black key in Seraphina's hand began pulling toward the door.
She tried to hold onto it.
It was useless.
The key flew from her hand.
It entered the lock.
At the same moment, Adrian's silver key moved by itself.
It flew into the second lock.
The door groaned.
Seraphina's heart began racing.
“Adrian…”
“I know.”
The locks turned.
The door opened.
A freezing wind swept through the chamber.
Beyond the door was not another room.
It was an entire city.
An underwater city.
Seraphina stared.
Massive towers rose from the ocean floor.
Blue lights glowed inside ancient buildings.
Strange creatures moved between them.
And far in the distance stood a palace.
Her palace.
Seraphina took a step forward.
“That's where I came from.”
Adrian looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“I don't.”
She touched her chest.
“I just feel it.”
Suddenly, a voice spoke behind them.
“You shouldn't have opened it.”
They turned.
Lady Miriam stood there.
Seraphina's expression hardened.
“You followed us.”
“I came to stop you.”
“You could have warned us.”
“I tried.”
“No. You gave us pieces of the truth and expected us to remain blind.”
Miriam looked at the open door.
“You don't understand what you've done.”
“What is this place?”
“The old kingdom.”
Seraphina stared at her.
“My kingdom?”
Miriam nodded.
“The kingdom that existed before Aqualis.”
Adrian looked at the underwater city.
“Why was it destroyed?”
Miriam's face became pale.
“Because of the Red Door.”
Seraphina frowned.
“What is behind it?”
Miriam didn't answer.
Instead, she looked at Adrian.
“You must not cross the threshold.”
“Why?”
“Because it will recognize you.”
Adrian stepped closer.
“Recognize me as what?”
Miriam whispered:
“As the man you used to be.”
The words echoed through the chamber.
Seraphina looked at Adrian.
He looked frightened.
Then the city beyond the door suddenly came alive.
Thousands of lights appeared.
One after another.
Then bells began ringing.
Dong.
Dong.
Dong.
Miriam stepped backward.
“No…”
“What?”
“The city knows she's here.”
Seraphina looked ahead.
Figures were appearing in the streets.
They were kneeling.
All of them.
Adrian stared.
“Why are they kneeling?”
Miriam whispered,
“For their queen.”
Seraphina's heart stopped.
The figures slowly raised their heads.
Then they began chanting.
“The Goddess has returned.”
The sound echoed through the underwater kingdom.
Seraphina felt something awaken inside her.
The water around her rose.
Her hair lifted as though she were underwater.
Blue light spread across her skin.
Adrian reached for her hand.
“Seraphina.”
She turned toward him.
Her eyes were glowing.
Then the underwater palace doors opened.
Someone walked out.
A man.
He wore a dark blue crown.
Seraphina couldn't see his face clearly.
But she knew him.
Her heart recognized him before her mind did.
“Who is that?” Adrian whispered.
Seraphina's lips trembled.
“I don't know.”
The man raised his head.
His face became clear.
Seraphina gasped.
It was Cassian.
Her father.
But he wasn't looking at her.
He was looking at Adrian.
And his expression was full of hatred.
“Stay away from my daughter.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“Cassian—”
Cassian lifted his hand.
The entire underwater kingdom shook.
“You have already taken her life once.”
Seraphina stepped between them.
“Father!”
Cassian's expression softened for the first time.
“Seraphina.”
She stared at him.
“Tell me the truth.”
Cassian looked at Adrian.
“Ask him.”
Adrian shook his head.
“I don't remember.”
Cassian laughed bitterly.
“Of course you don't.”
He turned toward Seraphina.
“They took your memories.”
“Who?”
Cassian's eyes darkened.
“The royal family.”
Adrian's face hardened.
“My family?”
Cassian nodded.
“But not all of them.”
Seraphina looked at him.
“Who?”
Cassian opened his mouth.
Then suddenly froze.
His eyes widened.
He looked behind Seraphina.
“No.”
“What?”
“Get away from the door.”
Seraphina turned.
A black shadow was moving across the water.
Miriam screamed.
“Close the door!”
Adrian grabbed Seraphina's hand.
They ran toward it.
But they were too late.
A black hand reached through the doorway.
It grabbed Seraphina's wrist.
She screamed.
Adrian seized her other hand.
“Let go of her!”
The shadow tightened its grip.
Seraphina felt something cold enter her body.
Then a voice whispered directly into her mind.
“You promised me, Seraphina.”
She froze.
“I don't know you.”
The voice laughed.
“You will.”
A flash of black light exploded between them.
Adrian was thrown across the chamber.
Seraphina fell to her knees.
The shadow disappeared.
The Red Door slammed shut.
Silence returned.
Adrian struggled to stand.
“Seraphina!”
She looked at him.
Her eyes were normal again.
But something had changed.
A black mark now circled her wrist.
Adrian stared at it.
“What happened?”
Seraphina shook her head.
“I heard someone.”
“Who?”
She looked toward the sealed Red Door.
“I don't know.”
Then she whispered the words that terrified even her.
“But he knew my name.”
And somewhere beneath the ocean, a man's voice answered:
“Because she was mine long before she became yours.”
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