The Oath of Shadows
2456 Words
Episode 10: The Oath of Shadows
The vision disappeared.
The burning castle.
The blood-covered gates.
The younger Adrian kneeling before the Shadow King.
Everything vanished into darkness.
But Elena remained frozen.
Her eyes were fixed on Adrian.
The words still echoed inside her mind.
“It was me.”
For several seconds, nobody moved.
Even the Shadow Kingdom seemed to be waiting for her reaction.
Elena's lips trembled.
“You…”
Adrian couldn't meet her eyes.
“You swore loyalty to him.”
“I did.”
Her heart shattered.
“Why?”
Adrian finally looked at her.
“Because I had no other choice.”
Elena laughed bitterly.
“Everyone says that.”
She stepped backward.
“My mother said it.”
“Kael said it.”
“And now you.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Is that the only excuse people have when they betray me?”
Adrian took one step toward her.
“Elena, listen to me.”
“Don't come closer.”
He stopped.
The Shadow King watched them with amusement.
“This is beautiful.”
Elena turned toward him.
“You knew this would happen.”
“Of course.”
“You brought me here to turn me against him.”
The Shadow King smiled.
“No.”
His eyes moved toward Adrian.
“I brought you here so you would finally see him clearly.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
“You're lying.”
The Shadow King laughed.
“Am I?”
He lifted his hand.
A black flame appeared above his palm.
Inside the flame, another vision formed.
A young Elena stood in a burning courtyard.
She was crying.
Her mother was holding her.
And Adrian stood nearby.
Then soldiers appeared.
Elena's mother pushed her toward Adrian.
“Take her!”
Adrian grabbed Elena's hand.
“Run!”
They disappeared into the forest.
The vision changed.
Adrian was standing alone before the Shadow King.
His clothes were torn.
His face was covered in blood.
The Shadow King spoke.
“Bring the girl to me.”
Adrian shook his head.
“I won't.”
The Shadow King smiled.
“Then I will destroy the last remaining Moonborn.”
Adrian's eyes filled with fear.
“Leave her alone.”
“Swear loyalty to me.”
Silence.
Then Adrian slowly dropped to one knee.
“I swear.”
The vision disappeared.
Elena stared at him.
“You…”
Her voice was barely audible.
“You didn't betray me.”
Adrian looked at her.
“I tried to save you.”
“Then why didn't you tell me?”
“Because the moment you remembered, the Shadow King would know where you were.”
Kael stepped forward.
“He's telling the truth.”
Elena looked at him.
“How do you know?”
“Because I was there.”
Elena's eyes widened.
“You were there too?”
Kael nodded.
“I helped Adrian escape with you.”
“Then why did you hide everything from me?”
Kael looked down.
“Because your mother ordered us to.”
Elena's breathing stopped.
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
“She knew?”
“She knew exactly what would happen.”
Elena shook her head.
“Then why did she leave me?”
Kael's eyes became sad.
“She didn't.”
Elena stared at him.
“What?”
“She was taken.”
The Shadow King suddenly laughed.
“You're wasting your time.”
Everyone turned toward him.
He slowly walked closer.
“Your mother wasn't taken.”
Kael's face hardened.
“Don't.”
“She chose to stay.”
Elena looked at him.
“Why?”
The Shadow King smiled.
“Because she made a bargain.”
“What bargain?”
“She gave me something…”
He paused.
“…in exchange for your life.”
Elena felt cold.
“What did she give you?”
The Shadow King raised his hand.
A silver glow appeared inside his palm.
Elena's eyes widened.
“That…”
The symbol was identical to the one glowing on her forehead.
“What is that?”
The Shadow King smiled.
“Your mother's power.”
Elena froze.
“No.”
“She transferred half of her power to me.”
Kael's face became pale.
“That can't be possible.”
“It happened.”
The Shadow King looked at Elena.
“Your mother knew that one day you would awaken.”
He stepped closer.
“She knew your power would become stronger than hers.”
“Then why would she give you her power?”
“To make sure you survived.”
Elena's eyes filled with tears.
“Where is she?”
The Shadow King pointed toward the palace hidden beyond the black mountains.
“Inside.”
Elena's heart began beating faster.
“She is alive?”
“Yes.”
“Then take me to her.”
Adrian immediately stepped forward.
“No.”
Elena turned.
“Why?”
“Because it's a trap.”
The Shadow King smiled.
“Of course it is.”
Elena looked at him.
“What kind of trap?”
“A trap for the person who was never supposed to return.”
Suddenly the ground shook.
The black trees bent.
The sky above them turned blood-red.
Kael looked toward the palace.
“The first seal has broken.”
Adrian's face changed.
“What?”
Kael whispered,
“The Queen's return has awakened the kingdom.”
A huge roar echoed from the mountains.
The Shadow King smiled.
“Now you understand.”
Elena looked at the palace.
“I don't care.”
She stepped forward.
“I am going to my mother.”
Adrian grabbed her wrist.
“Elena, wait.”
She turned.
His eyes were full of desperation.
“If you enter that palace, there is no guarantee you'll come out.”
She pulled her hand away.
“I've spent my entire life being told what I can't do.”
She looked toward the castle.
“I'm done listening.”
The Guardian growled.
Then it walked beside her.
Kael followed.
Adrian remained still for a moment.
Then he sighed.
“I'm coming.”
Elena didn't look at him.
“I didn't ask you to.”
“I know.”
He followed anyway.
---
The path to the palace was unlike anything Elena had ever seen.
The ground was covered in black flowers.
They opened as she walked past.
Each flower whispered her name.
Elena…
Queen…
Moonborn…
She tried to ignore them.
But then one flower whispered something different.
“Traitor.”
Elena stopped.
She looked at Adrian.
He heard it too.
Another flower whispered.
“Murderer.”
Then another.
“Liar.”
Soon every flower was whispering.
Adrian lowered his head.
Elena looked at him.
“What did you do?”
He didn't answer.
“Adrian.”
“I didn't kill anyone.”
“Then why are they calling you a murderer?”
“Because they know what I had to do.”
“What did you have to do?”
Adrian looked at her.
“I killed the men who came for you.”
Elena's eyes widened.
“How many?”
Adrian said nothing.
She understood.
The silence was enough.
Before she could say anything, a sudden bell rang from the mountains.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The Guardian stopped.
Kael looked toward the palace.
“The gates are opening.”
Ahead of them, the enormous black palace appeared through the fog.
Its towers disappeared into the clouds.
At the top flew a torn silver flag.
The symbol of the Moonborn.
Elena's heart tightened.
“My family lived here.”
Kael nodded.
“Once.”
Then the palace doors opened by themselves.
No guards.
No servants.
Only darkness.
A voice came from inside.
“Elena…”
She froze.
Her mother's voice.
Again.
“Elena…”
Tears filled her eyes.
“Mom?”
Adrian grabbed her arm.
“Wait.”
But Elena pulled away.
She ran inside.
---
The palace was silent.
Black marble covered the floor.
Silver pillars rose toward a ceiling hidden in darkness.
Thousands of blue flames burned along the walls.
Elena walked deeper.
Her footsteps echoed.
Then she saw a portrait.
She stopped.
A woman stood beneath a silver moon.
Her mother.
Beside her stood the Shadow King.
And in her mother's arms was a baby.
Elena.
But there was someone else in the painting.
A young Adrian stood beside them.
He was smiling.
Elena touched the portrait.
“You were part of my family.”
Adrian looked at the floor.
“Your mother trusted me.”
“Then what happened?”
“The war.”
“What war?”
“The war between the Moonborn and the Shadow Kingdom.”
Elena stared at him.
“But the Shadow King said your family betrayed mine.”
“He lied.”
“Then who started the war?”
Adrian looked toward Kael.
Kael answered quietly.
“Your father.”
Elena froze.
“My father?”
“The Blood Moon King.”
The name sent a chill through her.
Lucian.
“What did he do?”
Kael's voice became heavy.
“He wanted control of both kingdoms.”
Elena shook her head.
“My father wanted the Moonborn throne?”
“Yes.”
“And my mother refused.”
“Yes.”
“That started the war?”
Kael nodded.
“But your mother discovered something.”
“What?”
“That you had inherited the ancient Moonborn power.”
Elena looked at her hands.
“So she hid me.”
“Yes.”
“And Adrian helped her.”
“Yes.”
A sound echoed above them.
Footsteps.
Everyone looked up.
A woman appeared on the balcony.
Long silver hair.
Pale face.
Tired eyes.
Elena couldn't breathe.
“Mom?”
The woman looked down.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Elena…”
Elena ran toward her.
Her mother opened her arms.
They embraced.
For the first time in years, Elena felt home.
“I thought you were dead.”
“I wanted to come for you.”
“Why didn't you?”
Her mother pulled away.
“Because I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
Her mother looked toward Adrian.
Then Kael.
Then the darkness behind them.
“Of him.”
Elena turned.
Adrian stood there.
But something was wrong.
His eyes were completely black.
Dark energy crawled across his skin.
“Adrian?”
He didn't answer.
The Guardian growled.
Kael stepped backward.
“No…”
Adrian raised his hand.
A black blade appeared.
“Elena,” he whispered.
His voice sounded different.
“Run.”
Her mother screamed,
“It's happening!”
Elena stared at her.
“What is happening?”
“His oath!”
“What oath?”
“The oath he made to the Shadow King.”
Adrian suddenly screamed.
The palace shook.
Cracks appeared across the walls.
The black energy around him grew stronger.
Elena stepped forward.
“Adrian!”
He looked at her.
For one second, his eyes became silver.
“Elena…”
Then the darkness returned.
Her mother grabbed Elena.
“You must break the bond!”
“What bond?”
“The bond between your souls.”
Elena's face went pale.
“No.”
“If you don't, the Shadow King will control him completely.”
Adrian raised his hand.
A wave of darkness exploded.
Elena's mother shielded her.
Kael was thrown across the hall.
The Guardian crashed against a pillar.
Elena fell to the floor.
“ADRIAN!”
He stood in the middle of the destruction.
His black eyes filled with tears.
“Run…”
Elena slowly stood.
“No.”
“Run!”
“I won't leave you.”
“You have to!”
The Shadow King's laughter filled the palace.
“You can't save him, Elena.”
She looked around.
“Where are you?”
His voice came from everywhere.
“I am the darkness inside your beloved.”
Adrian screamed.
Black veins spread across his face.
Elena's eyes began glowing silver.
She walked toward him.
“Adrian.”
He shook his head.
“Don't.”
“You promised me.”
His breathing became heavy.
“What?”
“You promised you'd never leave me.”
The darkness around him trembled.
“I remember…”
“You promised you'd protect me.”
“I remember.”
“Then fight.”
Adrian fell to his knees.
The black energy exploded around him.
Elena reached out her hand.
“I believe you.”
She touched his face.
A massive burst of silver light filled the hall.
The darkness screamed.
Adrian screamed with it.
The palace began collapsing.
Kael shouted,
“Elena! Stop!”
But she couldn't.
She saw Adrian's memories.
His childhood.
His first meeting with Elena.
The night he carried her through the burning forest.
His oath to the Shadow King.
His years of searching for her.
Every sacrifice.
Every lie.
Every moment he had protected her from the shadows.
Then she saw something else.
A memory Adrian had never told anyone.
He was standing before Elena's mother.
She placed a silver necklace in his hand.
“If Elena ever awakens…”
Her mother whispered,
“Give her this.”
Adrian closed his fist around it.
“I swear.”
The memory ended.
Elena opened her eyes.
Her hand was glowing.
The necklace suddenly appeared around her neck.
Her mother stared in shock.
“I thought it was lost.”
Elena touched it.
A voice whispered from inside the necklace.
“When the Moonborn Queen awakens, the Blood Moon King will return.”
Elena froze.
“Father…”
The palace shook violently.
A deep roar came from beneath the floor.
The black marble cracked.
Something was rising.
Kael looked terrified.
“No…”
Elena turned.
“What is it?”
Kael whispered,
“The final seal.”
The floor exploded.
A column of black fire shot into the sky.
Inside the fire, a figure slowly appeared.
Tall.
Powerful.
Wearing a dark crown.
Elena stared.
She knew that face.
The face she had seen only in fragments of memory.
Her father.
Lucian.
The Blood Moon King.
His eyes opened.
He looked directly at Elena.
And smiled.
“My little moon…”
Everyone became silent.
Lucian stepped out of the flames.
“You finally came home.”
Elena couldn't move.
Her mother covered her mouth in horror.
Adrian stared at Lucian.
Kael whispered,
“This isn't possible…”
Lucian looked at him.
“Oh, Kael.”
His smile became colder.
“You really believed you killed me?”
Then he looked at Elena.
“Now…”
His eyes flashed crimson.
“…let us finish what we started.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
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