The words echoed through the council chamber long after the messenger collapsed.
"The gate is opening."
Silence followed.
Not confusion.
Not disbelief.
Fear.
Raw and immediate.
King Aldric stood motionless.
Queen Seraphina's face had gone pale.
The Oracle lowered her head.
As if she had been expecting this moment all along.
Only Elira found herself asking the question everyone else seemed afraid to voice.
"What happens if it opens?"
The room grew quiet.
The Oracle finally looked up.
Her sightless eyes somehow felt heavier than any stare.
"Then the kingdom will learn why the first kings were willing to die protecting it."
A chill swept through everyone present.
The messenger was rushed to the healers.
The council remained.
Nobody wanted to leave.
Because leaving meant a
